AN 



EXPOSITION 



OF THE 



DT 



LATE LORD BISHOP OF CHESTER. 



AN APPENDIX, 

CONTAINING THE 

PRINCIPAL GREEK AND LATIN CREEDS. 



LONDON: 
PRINTED FOR SCOTT, WEBSTER, AND GEARY, 

(SUCCESSORS TO Mr. DOVE) 

36, CHARTERHOUSE SQUARE. 




e -nd Mrs. 1 R. H|tt 
June ^3 1936 



! 



ADVERTISEMENT. 



Of this Edition, imbodied in one octavo volume, and, 
it is trusted, in the most convenient form, the following 
may be stated as the proper advantages. First, great 
care has been taken to correct the numerous errors, in the 
references to the Texts of Scripture, which had crept in 
by reason of the repeated editions through which this 
admirable Work has passed; and many references, as 
will be seen on turning to the Index of Texts, have been 
added. Secondly, the Quotations in the Notes have 
been almost universally identified, and the references to 
them adjoined ; a great desideratuni to the learned (who 
alone can fully appreciate the labour attending such 
researches), and a satisfaction at least to the general 
reader. Lastly, the principal Symbola or Creeds, of 
which the particular Articles have been cited by the most 
learned and ever to be revered Author of this Exposition, 
have been annexed ; and, wherever the original writers 
have given the Symbola in a scattered and disjoined 
manner, the detached parts have been brought into a 
successive and connected point of view — These have 
been added, in chronological order, in the form of an 
Appendix. 

W. S. DOBSON. M. A. 



January f 1832. 



RIGHT WORSHIPFUL AND WELL-BELOVED 

THE PARISHIONERS OF ST. CLEMENTS, 
EAST-CHEAP. 



Mercy unto you, and peace and love be multiplied. 

If I should be at any time unmindful of your commands, you might well esteem me unworthy of 
j'our continued favours ; and there is some reason to suspect I have incurred the interpretation of 
forgetfulness, having been so backward in the performance of my promises. Some years have 
passed since I preached unto you upon such texts of Scripture as were on purpose selected in 
relation to the Creed, and was moved by you to make those meditations publick. But you were 
pleased then to grant what my inclinations rather led me to, that they might be turned into an 
Exposition of the Creed itself; which, partly by the difficulty of the work undertaken, partly by 
the intervention of some other employments, hath taken me up thus long, for which I desire your 
pardon. And yet a happy excuse may be pleaded for delay, meeting with a very great felicity, 
that as faith triumpheth in good works, so my Exposition of the Creed should be contemporary with 
the re-edifying of your Church. For though I can have little temptation to believe that my book 
should last so long as that fabric, yet I am exceedingly pleased that they should begin together ; 
that the publishing of the one should so agree with the opening of the other. This, I hope, may 
persuade you to forget my slackness, considering ye were not ready to your own expectation ; your 
experience tells you the excuse of church-work will be accepted in building, I beseech you let it not 
be denied in printing. 

That blessed Saint, by whose name your Parish is known, was a fellow-labourer with St. Paul, 
and a successor of St. Peter ; he had the honour to be numbered in the Scripture with them " whose 
names are written in the book of life and when he had sealed the Gospel with his blood, he was 
one of the first whose memory was perpetuated by the building a Church to bear his name. Thus 
was St. Clement's Church famous in Rome, when Rome was famous for the " faith spoken of 
throughout the whole world." He wrote an epistle to the Corinthians infested with a schism, in 
imitation of St. Paul, which obtained so great authority in the primitive times, that it was frequently 
read in their public congregations ; and yet had for many hundred years been lost, till it was at last 
set forth out of the library of the late king. 

Now as, by the providence of God, the memory of that primitive Saint hath been restored in our 
age, so my design aimeth at nothing else but that the primitive faith may be revived. And there- 
fore in this edition of the Creed I shall speak to you but what St. Jude hath already spoken to the 
whole Church : " Beloved, when I give all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it 
was needful for me to write unto you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once 
delivered to the saints," If it were so needful for him then to write, and for them to whom he 
wrote to contend for the first faith, it will appear as needful for me now to follow his writing, and 
for you to imitate their earnestness, because the reason which he renders, as the cause of that neces- 
sity, is now more prevalent than it was at that time, or ever since. " For (saith he) there are certain 
men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation ; ungodly men, turning 
the grace of God into lasciviousness, denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ." The 
principles of Christianity are now as freely questioned as the most doubtful and controverted points ; 
the grounds of faith are as safely denied as the most unnecessary superstructions ; that religion hath 
the greatest advantage which appeareth in the newest dress, as if we looked for another faith to be 
delivered to the saints : whereas in Christianity there can be no concerning truth which is not 
ancient ; and whatsoever is truly new, is certainly false. Look then for purity in the fountain, and 
strive to embrace the first faith, to which you cannot have a more probable guide than the Ckeed, 
received in all ages of the Church ; and to this I refesr you, as it leads you to the Scriptures, from 
whence it was at first deduced, that while " those which are unskilful and unstable, wrest" the words 
of God himself " unto their own damnation ;" ye may receive so much instruction as may set you 
beyond the imputation of unskilfulness, and so much of confirmation as may place you out of the danger 
of instability; which as it hath been the constant endeavour, so Shall it ever be the prayer of him, who 
after so many encouragements of his labours amongst you, doth still desire to be known as 

Your most faithful Servant in the Lord, 



JOHN PEARSON 



TO THE READER. 



I HAVE in this book undertaken an exposition of the Creed, and think it necessary in 
this Preface to give a brief account of the work, lest any should either expect to find 
that here which was never intended, or conceive that which they meet with such as 
they expected not. 

The Creed, without controversy, is a brief comprehension of the objects of our 
Christian faith, and is generally taken to contain all things necessary to be believed. 
Now whether all things necessary be contained there, concemeth not an Expositor to 
dispute, who is obliged to take notice of what is in it, but not to inquire into what is 
not : whether all truths comprehended in the same be of equal and absolute necessity, 
we are no way forced to declare ; it being sufficient, as to the design of an Exposi- 
tion, to interpret the words, and so deliver the sense, to demonstrate the truth of the 
sense delivered, and to manifest the proper necessity of each truth, how far, and in 
what degree, and to what purposes, it is necessary. 

This therefore is the method which I proposed to myself, and have prosecuted in 
every Article. First, to settle the words of each Article according to their antiquity 
and generality of reception in the Creed. Secondly, to explicate and unfold the 
terms, and to endeavour a right notion and conception of them as they are to be un- 
derstood in the same. Thirdly, to shew what are those tniths which are naturally 
contained in those terms so explicated, and to make it appear that they are truths 
indeed, by such arguments and reasons as are respectively proper to evidence the 
verity of them. Fourthly, to declare what is the necessity of believing those truths, 
what efficacy and influence they have in the soul, and upon the life of a believer. 
Lastly, by a recollection of all, briefly to deliver the sum of every particular truth, so 
that every one, when he pronounceth the Creed, may know what he ought to intend, 
and what he is understood to profess, when he so pronounceth it. 

In the prosecution of the whole, according to this method, I have considered, that 
a work of so general a concernment must be exposed to two kinds of readers, which, 
though they may agree in judgment, yet must differ much in their capacities. Some 
there are who understand the original languages of the Holy Scriptures, the discourses 
and tractates of the ancient Fathers, the determinations of the Councils, and history 
of the Church of God, the constant profession of settled truths, the rise and increase 
of schisms and heresies. Others there are unacquainted with such conceptions, and 
incapable of such instructions ; who understand the Scriptures as they are translated ; 
who are capable of the knowledge of the truths themselves, and of the proofs drawn 
from thence ; who can apprehend the nature of the Christian faith, with the power 
and efficacy of the same, when it is delivered unto them out of the Word of God, and 
in a language which they know. When 1 make this difference and distinction of 
readers, I do not intend thereby, that because one of these is learned, the other is 
ignorant ; for he which hath no skill of the learned languages, may notwithstanding 
be very knowing in the principles of Christian Religion, and the reason and efficacy 
of them. 

According to this distinction I have contrived my Exposition, so that the body of 
it containeth fully what can be delivered and made intelligible in the English tongue, 
without inserting the least sentence or phrase of any learned language ; by which he 
who is not acquainted with it might be disturbed in his reading, or interrupted in his 
understanding. Not that I have selected only such notions as are common, easy, 
and familiar of themselves, but have endeavoured to deliver the most material con- 
ceptions in the most plain and perspicuous manner ; as desirous to comprise the whole 
strength of the work, as far as it is possible, in the body of it. The other part I 
have placed in the margin* (but so as oftentimes it taketh up more room, and yet 

* The marginal notes are, in this edition, placed at the bottom of the page. 



TO THE READER. 



13 never mingled or confounded with the rest), in which is contained whatsoever is 
necessary for the illustration of any part of the Creed, as to them which have any 
knowledge of the Latin, Greek, and original languages, of the writings of the ancient 
Fathers, the doctrines of the Jews, and the history of the Church ; those great ad- 
vantages towards a right conception of the Christian Religion. 

Now being the Creed comprehendeth the principles of our religion, it must con- 
tain those truths which belong unto it as it is a religion, and those which concern it 
as it is ours. As it is a religion, it delivereth such principles as are to be acknow- 
ledged in natural theology, such as no man which worshippeth a God can deny ; and 
therefore in the proof of these, I have made use of such arguments and reasons as are 
most proper to oppose the atheists, who deny there is a God to be worshipped, a reli- 
ligion to be professed. As it is our religion, it is Christian and Catholick. As Chris- 
tian, it containeth such truths as were delivered by Christ and his apostles, and those 
especially concerning Christ himself, which I have prosecuted constantly with an eye 
to the Jews, who obstinately deny them, expecting still another Messias to come ; 
wherefore 1 shew out of the Law and the Prophets, which they acknowledge, what 
was foretold in every particular concerning the Messias, and prove all those to 
be completed by that Christ in whom we believe. As our religion is Catholick, it 
holdeth fast that " faith which was once delivered to the saints," and since preserved 
in the Church ; and therefore I expound such verities, in opposition to the heretics 
arising in all ages, especially against the Photinians, who of all the rest have most 
perverted the Articles of our Creed, and found out followers in these latter ages, 
who have erected a new body of divinity in opposition to the Catholick theology. 
Against these I proceed upon such principles as they themselves allow, that is, upon 
the Word of God delivered in the Old and New Testament, alleged according to the 
true sense, and applied by right reason ; not urging the authority of the Church which 
they reject, but only giving in the margin the sense of the primitive fathers, for the 
satisfaction of such as have any respect left for antiquity, and are persuaded that 
Chiist had a true Church on the earth before these times. 

In that part, which, after the demonstration of each truth, teacheth the necessity of 
the believing it, and the peculiar efficacy which it hath upon the life of a Christian, I 
have not thought fit to expatiate or enlarge myself, but only to mention such effects 
as flow naturally and immediately from the doctrine ; especially such as are delivered 
in the Scriptures ; which 1 have endeavoured to set forth with all possible plainness 
and perspicuity. And indeed in the whole work, as I have laid the foundation upon 
the written Word of God, so I have with much diligence collected such places of 
Scripture as are pertinent to each doctrine, and with great faithfulness delivered 
them as they lie in the writings of those holy penmen ; not referring the reader to 
places named in the margin (which too often 1 find in many books multiplied to little 
purpose), but producing and interweaving the sentences of Scripture into the body of 
my Exposition, so that the reader may understand the strength of all my reason with- 
out any farther inquiry or consultation. For if those words which I hare produced, 
prove not what I have intended, I desire not any to think there is more in the places 
named to maintain it. 

At the conclusion of every distinct and several notion, I have recollected briefly 
and plainly the sum of what hath been delivered in the explication of it. and put it, 
as it were, into the mouth of every Christian, thereby to express more fully his faith, 
and to declare his profession. So that if the reader please to put those collections 
together, he may at once see and perceive what he is in the whole obliged to believe, 
and what he is by the Church of God understood to profess, when he maketh this 
public, ancient, and orthodox confession of faith. 

T have nothing more to add ; but only to pray, that the Lord would give you and 
me a good understanding in all things. 

J. PEARSON. 



THE 



CREED. 

mtm in asroh m ^mtt ^imtgjjti?, 

i^Jalttr of ^miitn anlr iSartf) : mxh in 
3?f0tt0 e))ilsit W onl^ ^on om* ilorti: 

^ijosst, tjom of ti&{ l^irgin IWatrg : ^uf? 
f^wli tmlief ^^owtitt0 l$iUUy mn^ trti^ 
t^ftt^l, iijati» anti immi: ^tt^natti 
into ^tUy tfit tibtrti tiae f)5 to^t agaitt 
fromtOetteati: a^tmtieti into f^ea? 
btn, mxtf 0ttt(t!j at tJ)( rtgljt ibanli of 
^oti tfie iFatfjjr ^ImigJjtg : iFrom 
tJj^uft i)5 sifiall rome to julige tf^t (ixiit^ 
antf ttft twatr: ibeKtlj^ t« tf|( ^oly 
^J)O0t; Wbt l^olg ©atfjoUtife ©ijurdj ; 
Wi)t eomittttnionof ^a(ttt0; ^ii^dTor^ 
gilj(ne00 of Ibtn^; ^Ti&t ll(0ttmttion of 
tfit ISotsg; ^nli tl)c iltfe tiitrlaistitto* 



AN 

EXPOSITION OF THE CREED. 



ARTICLE I. 

I BELIEVE [N GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY, 
MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 

As the first word Credo, / believe, giveth a denomination to 
the whole confession of faith, from thence commonly called 
the Creed ; so is the same word to be imagined not to stand 
only where it is expressed, but to be carried through the whole 
body of the confession. For though it be but twice actually 
rehearsed, yet must we conceive it virtually prefixed to the 
head of every article : that as we say, I believe in God the Father 
Almighty, so we are also understood to say, / believe in Jesus 
Christ his only Son, our Lord ; as / believe in the Holy Ghost, so 
also I believe the Catholic Church. Neither is it to be joined 
with every complete article only ; but where any article is not 
a single verity, but comprehensive, there it is to be looked 
upon as affixed to every part, or single truth, contained in that 
article : as, for example, in the first, / believe in God, I believe 
that God to be the Father, I believe that Father to be Almighty, 
I believe that Father Almighty to be the Maker of heaven atid 
earth. So that this Credo, I believe, rightly considered, mul- 
tiplieth itself to no less than a double number of the articles, 
and will be found at least twenty-four times contained in the 
Creed. Wherefore, being a word so pregnant and diffusive, 
so necessary and essential to every part of our confession of 
faith, that without it we can neither have Creed nor Confes- 
sion, it will require a more exact consideration, and more ample 
explication, and that in such a notion as is properly applicable 
to so many and so various truths. 

Now by this previous expression, / believe, thus considered, 
every particular Christian is first taught, and then imagined, 
to make confession of his faith ; and, consequently, this word, 
so used, admits a threefold consideration : First, As it sup- 
poseth belief, or faith, which is confessed. Secondly, As it is 
a confession, or external expression of that faith so supposed 
Thirdly, as both the faith and confession are of necessary ana 
particular obligation. When, therefore, we shall have clearly 
delivered. First, What is the true nature and notion of belief 
Secondly, What the duty of confessing of our faith; Thirdly, 

B 



2 



ARTICLE I. 



What obligation lies upon every particular person to believe 
and confess ; then may we be conceived to have sufficiently 
explicated the first word of the Creed, then may every one 
understand what it is he says, and upon what ground he pro- 
ceeds, when he professeth, / believe. 

For the right understanding of the true nature of Christian 
faith, it will be no less than necessary to begin with the general 
notion of belief ; which being first truly stated and defined, 
then by degrees deduced into its several kinds, will at last 
make the nature of Christian faith intelligible : a design, if I 
mistake not, not so ordinary and usual, as useful and necessary. 

Belief in general I define to be an assent to that which is cre- 
dible, as credible. By the word assent * is expressed that act 
or habit of the understanding, by which it receiveth, acknow- 
ledgeth, and embraceth any thing as a truth ; it being the na- 
ture t of the soul so to embrace whatsoever appeareth true 
unto it, and so far as it so appeareth. Now this assent, or 
judgment of any thing to be true, being a general act of the 
understanding, and so applicable to other J habits thereof as 
well as to faith, must be specified by its proper object, and so 
limited and determined to its proper act, which is the other 
part left to complete the definition. 

This object of faith is expressed by that which is credible ; 
for every one who believeth any thing, doth thereby without 
question assent unto it as to that which is credible : and there- 
fore all belief whatsoever is such a kind of assent. But thouo-h 

o 



Bsio.q o-vyKctTcLbta-iq. Clem. Alex. Strom. 
1. ii. p. 156. lin. 17. ed. Commelin. 1592. 
nicrrii; {xh ovv Ig-ri a-vyKo-ra^ta-iq a^iax^irog 
rZv aKova-Qivroov Iv 7rX»go<|)ogia rnq aXnQsictq 
tZv iir]^v)(Bivraiv @£ov p^a^iTt. S. Basil. 
Ascet. de Fide, c. t. The Basilidians, 'O^l- 
l^ovrai yoZv oi cl'tto Baa-iKii^ov thv TrtVrtv 
orvyKaraQi^iV ir^oq ti tc5v (jM hivovvtci))/ 
ai(TQna'iv ^la, to fxn ita^i^vcti, Clem. Alex. 
Strom. I. ii. p. 160. 11. KaTa Se tov h(ji.i- 
TE^ov Xoyov, ma-Tiq ecttiv sxovtrioq Tnq -^^^^i 
a-vyxaraSsa-ig. Theodoret. Therap. Serm. 1. 
And yet he also afterward acknowledgelh 
they had that definition from the Greeks : 
Thv fxsv ya^ ttiVtiv koi ol vfxiTi^oi <piXotro<poi 
m^ia-avTO slvai IBsXovtiov rnq 4'^)(nq cvynaTa- 
S'SfTjv. * Credere est cum assensione co- 
gitare,' S. August, de Prcedestin. Sanct. 
§. 5. And de Spir. et Litter, ad Marcellin. 
lib. §. 54. ' Quid est credere, nisi con- 
sentire verum esse quod dicitur V So I 
take the ff-vynaTaSsa-ii; used by the Greek 
fathers to signify assensum or assensionem, 
as A. Gellius translateth the Stoic, crvyita,' 
TctTiQsrai, sua assensione approbat, 1, xix. 1. 
and before him Cicero/ Nunc deassensione 
atque approbatione, quam Graeci a-vy>ia.Ta- 
Sso-iv vocant, pauca dicamus.' hi Lucullo, 
§, 37. So ttTTjc-Tict and s-vynara^ea-iq, are op- 



posed by the Greeks. As Sextus Empiri- 
cus, speaking of Admetus seeing Alcestis 
brought back by Hercules from Hades : 
Ettej fxsvToi flhi on Tt^vnKs, TrspiBiTTraro 
avTov h Jjftvota utto Tnj (rvyxaraQicreooq, nal 
tr^oq ama-Ticty EjcXtVE. Pyrrh. Hypot. 1. i. 33. 

t C>iXaX>j&»5; h ■^'^X^ oliSettote xctra to 
•^eZ^oq anx'^fjf.ivy) StctTi'&£o-5a», aXXa naTa 
<pavBV aXjiSsf iravT'xq naX iv^vq. Simplic. in 
3. Arist. de Anima. Kaiv Tiq raM^lq o-kott!), 
ev^hasi TOV avOpooTTov <pvo-Bi ^letBsBXyifxEvov fxiv 
Trpoq Tnv too -^Bv^ovq o-vynctTaQBcrtv, Ep^ovrct S'g 
a<po§y,af -nrfoj TrisTTiv TaX»&ouj. Clem, Alex. 
Strom. 1. ii. p. 165. 48. 

$ As a-vyKctTa^iiriq the Greek word 
used for this assent is applied to other 
acts of tlie understanding as well as that 
of belief, so Clemens Alexandrinus speak- 
ing of the definition of faith: "axxoi 
a.'pAyovq Tr^ayyaToq hooroLnv a-vy)ia,Ta.QBa-iv 
a.'nrB^MKav bIvch 7r,v TftTTiv, oo(rTTsp ky.B'KBi Try 
ana^Bi^iV ayvoovfxBVOu TT^ayfxaroq <pavB§av avy- 
KATaQsa-iv. Strom, 1. ii. p. 156. 21. And 
again : Uas-a ovv ^o^a, Kol K^iaiq, xat Irto- 
'Kri-\,iq, naX jxa^sria-Lq, olq I^Z/ulbv xal uvvBs-^iv 
a.zi, tS> yivBi tZv av^^'JiTToov a'vy'/.a.TaQBo-iq 
e<7Tiv h y ovHv aXXo t] mo-Tiq Bin civ n ts 
ftTncTTi'a, anocrvTTci.criq uiia-a Tnq Trlo-TBcoq, 
^v'.'ccThv ^bUvvs-i Tnv cvyiKXTaQes-iv re nal ttL- 
o-Tiv. p. 165, 45. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



3 



all belief be an assent to that which is credible, yet every such 
assent may not be properly faith ; and therefore those words 
make not the definition complete. For he that sees an action 
done, knows it to be done, and therefore assents unto the truth 
of the performance of it because he sees it : but another per- 
son to whom he relates it, may assent unto the performance of 
the same action, not because himself sees it, but because the 
other relates it ; in which case that which is credible is the ob- 
ject of faith in one, of evident knowledge in the other. To 
make the definition therefore full, besides the material object or 
thing believed, we have added the formal object, or that where- 
by it is properly believed, expressed in the last term, as credible, 
which being taken in, it then appears, that. First, Whosoever 
believeth any thing, assenteth to something which is to him 
credible, and that as it is credible ; and again, Whosoever as- 
senteth to any thing which is credible, as it is credible, believ- 
eth something by so assenting : which is sufficient to shew the 
definition complete. 

But for the explication of the same, farther observations will 
be necessary. For if that which we believe be something 
which is credible, and the notion under which we believe be the 
credibility of it, then must we first declare what it is to be cre- 
dible, and in what credibility doth consist, before we can under- 
stand what is the nature of belief . 

Now that is properly credible which is not apparent of itself, 
nor certainly to be collected, either antecedently by its cause, 
or reversely by its effect ; and yet, though by none of these 
ways, hath the attestation of a truth. For those things which 
are apparent of themselves, are either so in respect of our sense, 
as, that snow is white, and fire is hot; or in respect of our 
understanding, as, that the whole of any thing is greater than 
any one part of the whole, that every thing imaginable either is 
or is not. The first kind of which being propounded to our 
sense, one to the sight, the other to the touch, appear of 
themselves immediately true, and therefore are not termed cre- 
dible, but evident to sense ; as the latter kind, propounded to 
the understanding, are immediately embraced and acknow- 
ledged as truths apparent in themselves, and therefore are not 
called credible, but evident to the understanding. And so those 
things which are*' apparent, are not said properly to be believed, 
but to be known. 

Again, other things, though not immediately apparent in 
themselves, may yet appear most certain and evidently true, 
by an immediate and necessary connexion with something for- 
merly known : for, being every natural cause actually applied 
doth necessarily produce its own natural effect, and every na- 

* * Apparentia non habent fidem, sed modo videt, verum esse quod nondum 

agnitionem.' Greg. 4. Dial. cap. h. ' Ha- videt, et quibus certissime videt, nondum 

bet Fides oculos suos, quibus quodam- se videre quod credit.' S. August. Ep. 22'Z. 

B 2 



4 



ARTICLE I. 



tural effect wholly dependeth upon, and absolutely presup- 
poseth its own proper cause ; therefore there must be an im- 
mediate connexion between the cause and its effect. From 
whence it follows, that if the connexion be once clearly per- 
ceived, the effect will be known in the cause, and the cause by 
the effect. And by these ways, proceeding from principles 
evidently known by consequences certainly concluding, we 
come to the knowledge of propositions in mathematics, and 
conclusions in other sciences ; which propositions and conclu- 
sions are not said to be credible, but scientijical ; and the com- 
prehension of them is not faith, but science. 

Besides, some things there are, which, though not evident of 
themselves, nor seen by any necessary connexion to their 
causes or effects, notwithstanding appear to most as true by 
some external relations to other truths; but yet so, as the ap- 
pearing truth still leaves a possibility of falsehood with it, and 
therefore doth not incline to an assent. In which case, what- 
soever is thus apprehended, if it depend upon real arguments, 
is not yet called credible, hut probable ; and an assent to such a 
truth is not properly /«2Y/i, hut opinion. 

But when any thing propounded to us is neither apparent 
to our sense, nor evident to our understanding, in and of itself, 
neither certainly to be collected from any clear and necessary 
connexion with the cause from which it proceedeth, or the 
effects which it naturally produceth, nor is taken up upon any 
real arguments, or reference to other acknowledged truths, 
and yet notwithstanding appeareth to us true, not by a mani- 
festation, but attestation of the truth, and so moveth us to as- 
sent not of itself, but by virtue of the testimony given to it; 
this is said* properly to be credible ; and an assent unto this, 
upon such credibility, is in the proper no\^\oi\ faith or belief. 

Having thus defined and illustrated the nature of faith in 
general, so far as it agreeth to all kinds of belief whatsoever, 
our method will lead us on to descend by way of division, to 
the several kinds thereof, till at last we come to the proper 
notion of faith in the Christian's confession, the design of our 
present disquisition ; and being we have placed the formality 
of the object of all belief in credibility, it will clearly follow, 
that diversity of credibility in the object, will proportionably 
cause a distinction of assent in the understanding, and conse- 
quently a several kind faith, which we have supposed to be 
nothing else but such an assent. 

Now the credibility of objects, by wdiich they appear fit to 
be believed, is distinguishable according to the diversities of 
its foundation, that is, according to the different authority of 
the testimony on which it depends : for we having no other cer- 
tain means of assuring ourselves of the truth, and consequently 
no other motives of our assent in matters of mere belief, than 

* Ai Sii rZv fjLA^rv^oov pctStoi Trls-niq. Aristot. prohL sect. 18. 3. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



5 



the testimony w^on which we believe ; if there be any fundamen- 
tal distinction in the authority of the testimony, it will cause the 
like difference in the assent, which must needs bear a proportion 
to the authority of the testimony, as being originally and essen- 
tially founded upon it. It is therefore necessary next to con- 
sider, in what the authority of a testimony consisteth, and so to 
descend to the several kinds of testimonies founded upon several 
authorities. 

The strength and validity of every testimony must bear pro- 
portion with the* authority of the iestijier ; and the authority of 
the testifier is founded upon his ability ^nd integrity : his ability 
in the knowledge of that which he delivereth and asserteth ; his 
integrity in delivering and asserting according to his knowledge. 
For two several ways he which relateth or testifieth any thi no- 
may deceive us: one, by being ignorant of the truth, and so 
upon that ignorance mistaking, he may think that to be true 
vv^hich is not so, and consequently deliver that for truth which 
in itself is false, and so deceive himself and us ; or if he be not 
ignorant, yet if he be dishonest or unfaithful, that which he 
knows to be false he may propound and assert to be a truth, 
and so, though himself be not deceived, he may deceive us. 
And by each of these ways, for want either of ability or integrity 
in the testifier, whoso grounds his assent unto any thing as a truth, 
upo-n the testimony of another, may equally be deceived. 

But whosoever is so able as certainly to know the truth of 
that which he delivereth, and so faithful as to deliver nothing 
but what and as he knoweth, he, as he is not deceived, so de- 
ceiveth no man. So far, therefore, as any person testifying ap- 
peareth to be knowing of the thing he testifies, and to be 
faithful in the relation of what he knows, so far his testimony 
is acceptable, so far that which he testifies is properly credible. 
And thus the authority of every testifier or relater is grounded 
upon these two foundations, his ability and integrity. 

Now there is in this case, so far as it concerns our present 
design,t a double /esr/wowj/; the testimony of man to man, relying 
upon human authority, and the testimony of God to man, founded 
upon divine authority : which two kinds of testimony are re- 
spective grounds of two kinds of credibility, human and divine ; 
and,consequently, there is a twofold faith distinguished by this 
double object, a human and a divine faith. 

Human faith is an assent unto any thing credible merely upon 
the testimony of man. Such is the belief we have of the words 
and affections one of another. And upon this kind of faith we 
proceed in the ordinary affairs of our life; according to the 



* Tw ya§ Tfoiov riva <pam(T6a,i tov \iyovrci, 
iria-rBvofxsv rovro S' erTtv, av ayaflo? <f)aiv>)Taj, 
ri tu\»vg, ri aiJ,<pco. Aristot. Rhet. 1. i. c. 8. 

t ' Testimoniorum qu<e sunt genera 1 
Divinum et humanum. Divinura, ut ora- 
cula, ut auspicia, ut vaticinationes, et 



responsa sacerdotum, aruspicum, conjec- 
torum : humanum, quod spectatur ex auc- 
toritate, et ex voluntate, et ex oratione 
aut libera aut expressa ; in quo insunt 
scripta, pacta, promissa, jurata, quajsita.' 
Cic. Oral. Parlit. c. 2. 



6 



ARTICLE I. 



opinion we have of the ability and fidelity of him who relates 
or asserts any thing we believe or disbelieve. By this a friend 
assureth himself of the affection of his friend ; by this the^son 
acknowledgeth his father, and upon this is his obedience wrought. 
By virtue of this human faith it is that we doubt not at all of 
those things which we never saw, by reason of their distance 
from us, either by time or place. Who doubts whether there be 
such a country as Italy, or such a city as Constantinople, though 
he never passed any of our four seas? Who questions now 
whether there were such a man as Alexander in the east, or 
Csesar in the west? And yet the latest of these hath been 
beyond the possibility of the knowledge of man these sixteen 
hundred years. There is not science taught without original 
belief, there are no J letters learnt without preceding faith. 
There is no justice executed, no commerce maintained, no 
business prosecuted, without this ;§ all secular affairs are trans- 
acted, all great achievements are attempted, all hopes, desires, 
and inclinations, are preserved, by this human faith grounded 
upon the testimony of man. 

In which case we all by easy experience may observe the 
nature, generation, and progress, of belief. For in any thing 
which belongeth to more than ordinary knowledge, we believe 
not him whom we think to be ignorant, nor do we assent the 
more for his assertion, though never so confidently delivered ; 
but if we have a strong opinion of the knowledge and skill of 
any person, what he affirmeth within the compass of his know- 
ledge, that we readily assent unto ; and while we have no other 
ground but his affirmation, this6JS5e«^ is properly belief. Whereas, 
if it be any matter of concernment in which the interest of him 
that relateth or affirmeth any thing to us is considerable, there 
it is not the skill or knowledge of the relater which will satisfy 
us, except we have as strong an opinion of his fidelity and in- 
tegrity : but if we think him so just and honest, that he has no 
design upon us, nor will affirm any thing contrary to his know- 
ledge for any gain or advantage, then we readily assent unto 
his affirmations; and this assent is our belief. Seeing then our 
belief relies upon the ability and integrity of the relater, and 
being the knowledge of all men is imperfect, and the hearts 
of all men are deceitful, and so their integrity to be suspected, 
there can be no infallible universal ground of human faith. 

But what satisfaction we cannot find in the testimony of 



* ' Non dicant, non credimus, quianon 
Tidimus; quoniam, si haec dicant, coguntur 
fateri incertos sibi esse Parentes suos.' 
De fide rerum invisib. §, 4, amongst the 
works of St. Augustin. 

Alitov yaj ov^sl; o7h, rou TTor lyevero' 
'AXX' vTrovoovfAsv TTavng, »j ma-rivofxsv. 
Menander apud Stoh. ap, Eustath. in Horn, 
p. 1412, 14. 



t 'TTToBaQ^a fXBvroL xat xp^mg Tvg lirierrn- 
fxrtg h Ttia-rig. Theodor. Therap. Serm, 1. 

i OiiSI ya^ ra Tr^Zra crToip^eTa fxaQsiv oTov 
TS fA,ri nrS) y^af/.fxaTii7T^ TrsTTJ^rTSyxoTa, Ibid, 

§ TJavra ra Iv rZ Koa-fxcc nXoCfxeva, Kal rk 
vTTo rZv aWor^loov rng luKXricriag rn ir'^aru 
n'Ktirai. S. Cyril. Hier. Catech. 5. Orig. 
cont. Cehum, I. i. §. 11. Ei/s. de prcep. 
Evang. 1. i. c. 5. Arnob. adver. Gen. 1. ii. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



7 



man, we may receive in the testimony of God ; " If we receive 
the witness of man, the witness of God is greater." (1 John 
V. 9.)* Yea, let God be true/' the ground of our divine, 
" and every man a liar," (Rom. iii. 4.) the ground of our 
human faith. 

As for the other member of the division, w^e may now plainly 
perceive that it is thus to be defined : Divine faith is an assent 
nnto something as credible upon the testimony of God. This 
assent is the highest kind oi faith, because the object hath the 
highest credibility, because grounded upon the testimony of 
God, which is infallible. Balaam could tell Balak thus much, 

God is not a man, that he should lie (Numb, xxiii. 19.) 
and a better prophet confirmed the same truth to Saul ; ** The 
Strength of Israel will not lie;" (1 Sam. xv. 29.) and be- 
cause he will not, because he cannot, he is the Strength of 
Israel, even my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.'' 
(Psal. xviii. 2.) 

For, First, God is of infinite knowledge and wisdom, as 
Hannah hath taught us, The Lord is a God of knowledge,"t 
(1 Sam. ii. 3.) or rather, if our language will bear it, of know- 
ledges, which are so plural, or rather infinite in their plurality, 
that the Psalmist hath said, Of his understanding there is 
no number." (Psal. cxlvii. 5.)J He knoweth therefore all 
things, neither can any truth be hidden from his knowledge, 
who is essentially truth, and essentially knowledge, and, as so, 
the cause of all other truth and knowledge. Thus the under- 
standing of God is infinite in respect of comprehension,^ 
and not so only, but of certainty also and evidence. Some 
things we are said to know which are but obscurely known, 
we see them but as in a glass or through a cloud : but God 
is light, and in him is no darkness at all (1 John i. 5.) he 
seeth without any obscurity, and whatsoever is propounded to 
his understanding is most clear and evident ; '* neither is there 
any creature that is not manifest in his sight ; but all things 
are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have 
to do." (Heb. iv. 13.) Wherefore, being all things are within 
the compass of his knowledge; being all things which are sc, 
are most clear and evident unto him ; being the knowledge he 
hath of them is most certain and infallible ; it inevitably fol- 
loweth that he cannot be deceived in any thing. 

Secondly, The justice of God is equal to his knowledge, nor 
is his holiness inferior to his wisdom : A God of truth (saith 
Moses) and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deut. 



* ' Quam indignum, ut humanis testi- 
moniis de alio credamus : Dei oraculis 
de se non credamus !' S. Ambros. lib. de 
Abraham, c. 3. n£; S' oy>t BvXoydrepov, 
TtivToov tZv avQ^a)7rivct>v ttiVteci;? ri^rt]fA,kvcDV, 
susivaiv, (xaXkov 'numviiv too ; Orig, 
cont. Cels. 1. i. §. 11. 



t mn" myn ba LXX. Geo? yma-soovKvfiog. 

t In the Heb. -laoD ya in^innb 

§ ' Cujus sapientia simpliciter multi- 
plex, et uniformiter multiformis, incom- 
prehensibili comprehensione omnia in- 
comprehensibilia comprehendit.' S. Au- 
gust, de Civit. Dei, 1. xii. c. 18. 



8 



ARTICLE I. 



xxxii. 4.) From which internal, essential, and infinite recti- 
tude, goodness, and holiness, followeth an impossibility to de- 
clare or deliver that for truth which he knoweth not to be 
true. For if it be against that finite purity and integrity which 
are required of man, to lie, and therefore sinful, then must we 
conceive it absolutely inconsistent with that transcendent 
purity and infinite integrity which is essential unto God. 
Although therefore the power of God be infinite, though he 
" can do every thing ;" (Job xlii. 2.) yet we may safely say, 
without any prejudice to his omnipotence,'*'' that he cannot 
speak that for truth which he knoweth to be otherwise.t For 
the perfections of his will are as necessarily infinite as those 
of his understanding ; neither can he be unholy or unjust, more 
than he can be ignorant or unwise. ^* If w^e believe not, yet 
he abideth faithful, he cannot deny himself." (2 Tim. ii. 13.) 
Which words of the apostle, though properly belonging to the 
promises of God, yet are as true in his respect of his asser- 
tions ; neither should he more deny himself in violating his 
fidelity, than in contradicting his veracity. It is true, that 
God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of pro- 
mise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath ; 
that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for 
God to lie, we might have a strong consolation:" (Heb. vi. 
17, 18.) but it is as true, that all this confirmation is only for 
our consolation ; otherwise it is as hnpossihle for God to lie, 
without an oath, as with one : for being he can swear by no 
greater, he sweareth only by himself," (Heb, vi. 13.) and so 
the strength even of the oath of God relieth upon the veracity 
of God. Wherefore being God, as God, is of infinite rectitude, 
goodness, and holiness ; being it is manifestly repugnant to his 
purity, and inconsistent with his integrity, to deliver any thing 
contrary to his knowledge ; it clearly followeth, that he cannot 
deceive uuy man. 

It is therefore most infallibly certain, that God being infi- 
nitely wise, cannot be deceived :% being infinitely good, can- 
not deceive :§ and upon these two immoveable pillars stand- 
eth the authority of the testimony of God. For since we can- 
not doubt of the witness of any one, but by questioning his 
ability, as one who may be ignorant of that which he affirmetb, 
and so deceived ; or by excepting against his integrity, as one 
who may affirm that which he knoweth to be false, and so have 
a purpose to deceive us : where there is no place for either of 
these exceptions, there can be no doubt of the truth of the tes- 



eTvtti, Jttti <To<^oq tlvai, ovx, l^ia-rarai, Orig, 
contra Celsum, 1. iii. §. 70. 

t ' Si velint invenire quod omnipotens 
non potest ; babent prorsus, ego dicam, 
mentiri non potest.' S. August, de Civ. 



Dei, 1. xxii. c. 25. 

t ' Ut sit omnium potens, mori non 
potest, falli non potest, mentiri non po- 
test.' S. August, de Symb. ad CatP.chum. 
1. i. c. 1. 

§ ' Deus facere fraudem nescit, pati 
non potest.' Chrysol. Sern, 62. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



9 



timony. But where there is an intrinsical* repugnancy of 
being deceived in the understanding, and of deceiving in the 
will, as there certainly is in the understanding and will of God, 
there can be no place for either of those exceptions, and con- 
sequently there can be no doubt of the truth of that which .God. 
testifieth. And whosoever thinketh any thing comes from him, 
and assenteth not unto it, must necessarily deny him to be wise 
or holy : *' He that believeth not God (saith the apostle), hath 
made him a liar." (1 John v. 10.) That truth then which is 
testified by God, hath a divine credibilitj/ : and an assent unto it, 
as so credible, is divine faith. In which the material object is 
the doctrine which God delivereth, the formal object is that 
credibility founded on the authorityf of the deliverer. And 
this I conceive the true nature of divine faith in general. 

Now being the credibility of all which we believe is founded 
upon the testimony of God, we can never be suflSciently in- 
structed in the notion of faith, till we first understand how this 
testimony is given to those truths which we now believe. To 
this end it will be necessary to give notice that the testimony 
of God is not given unto truths before questioned or debated; 
nor are they such things as are at first propounded and doubted 
of by man, and then resolved and confirmed by interposing 
the authority of God : but he is then said to witness when he 
doth propound, and his testimony \^ given byway of Revelation, 
which is nothing else but the delivery or speech of God unto 
his creatures. And therefore upon a diversity of delivery must 
follow a difference, though not of faith itself, yet of the means 
and manner of asseitt. 

Wherefore it will be farther necessary to observe, that divine 
Revelation is of two kinds, either immediate, or mediate. An 
immediate Revelation is that by which God delivereth himself 
to man by himself, without the intervention of man. A me- 
diate Revelation is the conveyance of the counsel of God unto 
man by man. By the first he spake unto the prophets ; by the 
second in the prophets, and by them unto us. Being then 
there is this difference between the revealing of God unto the 
prophets and to others, being the faith both of prophets and 
others relieth wholly upon divine Revelation, the {difference 



• ' Auctoritas Dei consistit in intriu- 
seca repiignantia deceptionis seu falsi- 
tatis, quam. habet divinum judicium, et 
in intrinseca repugnantia actus voluntatis 
imperantis testimonium extrinsecum non 
consentiens judicio interno ; quee per ter- 
minos positivos actus intellectus infalli- 
biliter veri, et actus voluntatis intrinsece 
et necessario recti, poterit explicari.' 
Fraiicisc. de Ovied. Tract, de Fide, Contr. 
ii. punc. 2. 

t ' Divina est auctoritas, cui credimus : 
divina est doctrina, quam sequimur.' Leo, 



Serm. 7. in Nativ. 

t ' Sicut duplex est auditus et locutio, 
scilicet exterior sive corporalis, et interior 
ac spiritualis ; ita duplex est fides, una 
quae oritur in cordibus fidelium per audi- 
tum exteriorem, cum scil. Deus per ali- 
quos homines aliis credenda proponit ; et 
ista est fides, quae nobis sive communi 
statui fidelium convenit, ex eo quod adhae- 
remus revelationibus Prophetis et Apos- 
tolis factis : alia est quje oritur in aliqui^ 
bus per spiritualem locutionem, qua Deu.s 
aliquibus perinternaminspiratiouem ore- 



10 



ARTICLE I. 



of the manner of assent in these several kinds of believers will 
be very observable for the explanation of the nature of ourjaith. 

Those then to whom God did immediately speak himself, 
or by an angel representing God, and so being in his stead, 
and bearing his name (of which I shall need here to raake no 
distinction), those persons, I say, to whom God did so reveal 
himself, did, by virtue of the same Revelation, perceive, know, 
and assure themselves, that he who spake to them was God ; 
so that at the same time they clearly understood both what 
was delivered, and by whom : otherwise we cannot imagine 
that Abraham would have slain his son, or have been com- 
mended for such a resolution, had he not been most assured that 
it was God who by an immediate Revelation of his will clearly 
commanded it. Thus " by faith Noah being warned of God of 
things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark, to 
the saving of his house (Heb. xi. 7.) which '^warning of God 
was a clear Revelation of God's determination to drown the 
world, of his will to save him and his family, and of his com- 
mand for that end to build an ark. And this Noah so received 
from God, as that he knew it to be an oracle of God, and was 
as well assured of the author as informed of the command. 
Thus the judgments hanging over Judah were revealed in the 
ears of Isaiah ^* by the Lord of hosts." (Isa. xxii. 14.) Thus 

the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh (I Sam. iii. 
21.) at first indeed he knew him not; that is, when the Lord 
spake, he knew it not to be the voice of God : " Now Samuel 
did not yet know the Lord ; neither was the word of the Lord 
yet revealed unto him;" (1 Sam. iii. 7.) but after that he knew 
him and was assured that it was He who spake unto him, the 
Scripture teaching us that the fears of Samuel were revealed, 
and the J word of God revealed, and God§ himself revealed to 
him. By all which w^e can understand no less, than that 
Samuel was so illuminated in his prophecies, that he fully 
understood the words or things themselves which were de- 
livered, and as certainly knew that the deliverer was God : so 
Samuel the Seer, so the rest of those prophets believed those 
truths revealed to them by such a faith as was a firm assent 
unto an object credible upon the immediate testimony of God. 

But those faithful people to whom the prophets spake, be- 
lieved the same truth, and upon the testimony of the same God, 
delivered unto them not by God, but by those prophets, whose 
words they therefore assented unto as certain truths, because 

denda revelat, nullo homiais ministerio by God : o fxh ©eo? x?V' ° '*''9pa'7rc? fxav- 

utens ; sicut est fides Apostolorumet Pro- rsuirai. Moschopulus, 'Ovofx. 'Arrijc. v. 

phetarum, qui ab ipso Deo per intrinse- X?^^' 

cam illuminationem sunt de credendis in- t bxifSU' ]1H nn nbj mn* Kvpiog ajreKa- 

structi.' Francisc, Ferrariensis in Thorn. Xu^e to wti'ov jafxovvy^, 1 Sam. ix. 15. 

cwit. Gent. c. 40. j nin- "im vbx nba- mta tt^Iv ^ aTroxa. 

*ni'£rT£i ;^p«|uaTj(r9£i?,which word comes KiKpQhai alrS p^fxa Kvpiov, 1 Sam. iii. 7. 

from the original x^°^^> appropriated by § bH^r2^v mn" nbJS a.'7TBKa\v<^9r] Kvfioj 

the Greeks to an oracle, or answer given voog 2af/.ovh'^, 1 Sam. iii. 21. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



11 



they were assured that what the prophets spake was immedi- 
ately revealed to them by God himself, without which assur- 
ance no faith could be expected from them. When God ap- 
peared unto Moses *'in a flame of fire out of the midst of a 
bush," (Exod. iii. 2.) and there immediately revealed to him 
first himself, saying, " I am the God of thy fathers, the God 
of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," and 
then his will to bring the children of Israel out of the land of 
Egypt, Moses clearly believed God both in the revelation of 
himself and of his will, and was fully satisfied that the Israel- 
ites should be delivered, because he was assured it was God 
who promised their deliverance : yet notwithstanding still he 
doubted whether the Israelites would believe the same truth, 
when it should be delivered to them, not immediately by God, 
but by Moses; " And Moses answered and said, But behold, 
they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they 
will say. The Lord hath not appeared unto thee." (Exod. iv. 1.) 
Which words of his first suppose, that if they had heard the 
voice of God, as he had, they would have assented to the truth 
upon a testimony Divine ; and then as rationally affirm, that 
it was improbable they should believe, except they were as- 
sured it was God who promised, or think that God had promised 
by Moses, only because Moses said so. Which rational objection 
was clearly taken away, when God endued Moses with power 
of evident and undoubted miracles ; for then the rod which he 
carried in his hand was as infallible a sign to the Israelites, 
that God had appeared unto him, as the flaming bush was to 
himself; and therefore they who saw in his hand God's omnipo- 
tency, could not suspect in his tongue God's veracity ; inso- 
much as when Aaron became to Moses ''instead of a mouth," 
and Moses to Aaron ''instead of God," (Exod. iv. 16.)" Aaron 
spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, 
and did the signs in the sight of the people, and the people 
believed." (Exod. iv. 30, 31.) For being persuaded by a lively 
and active presence of omnipotency that God had appeared 
unto Moses, and what was delivered to them by him came to 
him from God, and being sufficiently assured out of the very 
sense and notion of a Deity, that whatsoever God should speak, 
must of necessity be true, they presently assented, " and believed 
the Lord and his servant Moses ;" (Exod. xiv. 31.) Moses, as 
the immediate propounder; God, as the original revealer: they 
believed Moses that God had revealed it, and they believed the 
promise, because God had revealed it. So that the faith both 
of Moses and the Israelites was grounded upon the same testi- 
mony or revelation of God, and differed only in the proposition 
or application of the testimony ; Moses receiving it immediately 
from God himself, the Israelites mediately by the ministry of 
Moses. 

In the like manner the succeeding prophets were the instru- 



12 



ARTICLE I. 



ments of Divine Revelation, which they first believed as re- 
vealed to them, and then the people as revealed by them : for 
what they delivered was not the testimony of man, but the tes- 
timony oT God delivered by man. It was ** he loho spake by 
the mouth of his holy prophets which have been sin<?.e the 
world began (Luke i. 70.) the mouth, the instrument, the ar- 
ticulation, was theirs; but the words were God's. ** The 
Spirit of the Lord spake by me (saith David), and his word 
was in my tongue." (2 Sam. xxiii. 2.) It was the word of the 
Lord, which he spake by the hand of Moses/' (1 Kings viii. 
53.) and " by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet." 
(1 Kings xiv. 18.) The hand the general instrument of man, 
the mouth the particular instrument of speech, both attributed 
to the prophets as merely instrumental in their prophecies. 
The words which Balaam's ass spake were as much the ass's 
words, as those which Balaam spake were his; for "the Lord 
opened the mouth of the ass," (Numb. xxii. 28.) and the 
Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth ;" (Numb, xxiii. 5.) and 
not only so, but a bridle with that word, " only the word that 
I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak." (Numb. xxii. 
35.) The prophets as they did not frame the notions or con- 
ceptions themselves of those truths which they delivered from 
God, so did they not loosen their own tongues of their own 
instinct, or upon their own motion, but as moved, impelled, 
and acted by God. So we may, in correspondence to the an- 
tecedent, and subsequent words, interpret those words of St. 
Peter, that "no prophecy of the Scripture is of any* private in- 
terpretation :" (2 Pet. i. 20.) that is, that no prophecy which 
is written did so proceed from the prophet who spake or wrote 
it, that he of himself, or by his own instinct, did open his 
mouth to prophesy; but that all prophetical revelations came 
from God alone, and that whosoever first delivered them was 
antecedently inspired by him, as it followeth, " for the pro- 
phecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men 
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Pet. 
i. 21.) That therefore which they delivered was the Word, 
the Revelation of God; which they assented unto, as to a cer- 
tain and infallible truth, credible upon the immediate testi- 
mony of God, and to which the rest of the believers assented 
upon the same testimony of God immediately delivered by the 
hands of the prophets. 

Thus, " God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, 
spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets," (Heb. 
i. 1.) and by so speaking propounded the object of faith both 
to the prophets and the fathers, " hath in these last days 
spoken unto us by his Son," (Heb. i. 2.) and by so speaking 
hath enlarged the object of faith to us by him, by which means 
it comes to be " the faith of Jesus." (Rev. xiv. 12.) Thus the 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



13 



" only-begotten Son, who was in the bosom of the Father," 
(John i. 18.) the express image of his person/' (Heb. i. 3.) 
he " in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should 
dwell,'' (Col. i. 19.) he *' in whom dwelleth all the fulness of 
the Godhead bodily," (Col. ii. 9.) revealed the will of God to 
the apostles ; who being *^ assured that he knew all things," 
and convinced that he came forth from God," (John xvi. 30.) 
gave a full and clear assent unto those things which he deli- 
vered, and grounded their faith upon his words, as upon the 
immediate testimony of God. I have given unto them (saith 
Christ unto his Father) the words which thou gavest me, and 
they have received them, and have knov/n surely that I came 
out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send 
me." (John xvii. 8.) Besides this delivery of these words by 
Christ to the apostles, they received the promise of the " Spi- 
rit of truth, who should guide them into all truth," (John xvi. 
13.) and "teach them all things, and bring all things into their 
remembrance whatsoever Christ hath said unto them." (John 
xiv. 26.) So clearly, so fully, so constantly, were they fur- 
nished with divine Illuminations, and Revelations from God, 
upon which they grounded their own faith ; that each of them 
might well make that profession of St. Paul, " I know whom 
I have believed." (2 Tim. i. 12.) Thus the faith of the apo- 
stles, as of Moses and the prophets, was grounded upon the 
immediate Revelations of God. 

But those believers to whom the apostles preached, and 
whom they converted to their faith, believed the same truths 
which were revealed to the apostles, though they were not so 
revealed to them as they were unto the apostles, that is, im- 
mediately from God. But as the Israelites believed those 
truths which Moses spake to come from God, being convinced 
by the constant supply of miracles wrought by the rod which 
he carried in his hand : so the blessed apostles, being so plen- 
tifully endued from above with the power of miracles, gave 
sufficient testimony that it was God who spake by their 
mouths, who so evidently wrought by their hands. They who 
heard St. Peter call a lame man unto his legs, speak a dead 
man alive, and strike a living man to death with his tongue, 
as he did Ananias and Sapphira, might easily be persuaded 
that it was God who spake by his mouth, and conclude that 
where they found him in his omnipotency, they might well ex- 
pect him in his veracity. These were the persons for whom 
our Saviour next to the apostles prayed, because by a way 
next to that of the apostles they believed. " Neither pray 1 
for these alone (saith Christ), but for them also who shall be- 
lieve on me through their word." (John xvii. 20.) Thus the 
apostles believed on Christ through his own word, and the 
primitive Christians believed on the same Christ through the 
apostles' word, and this distinction our Saviour himself hath 



14 



ARTICLE I. 



clearly made ; not that the word of the apostles was really 
distinct from the word of Christ, but only it was called theirs, 
because delivered by their ministry, otherwise it was the same 
word which they had heard from him, and upon which they 
themselves believed, That which was from the beginning 
(saith St. John), which we have heard, which we have seen with 
our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have 
handled of the word of life, that which we have seen and heard 
declare we unto you." (1 John i. 1.3.) And this was the 
true foundation of faith in all them who believed, that they 
took not the words which they heard from the apostles to be 
the words of the men who spake them, no more than they did 
the power of healing the sick, or raising the dead, and the rest 
of the miracles, to be the power of them that wrought them; but 
as they attributed those miraculous works to God working 
by them, so did they also that saving word to the same God 
speaking by them. When St. Paul preached at Antioch, 
" almost the whole city came together to hear the word of 
God (Acts xiii. 44.) so they esteemed it, though they knew 
him a man whom they came to hear speak it. This the apo- 
stle commendeth in the Thessalonians, that, *'v*^hen they re- 
ceived the word of God, which they heard of him, they received 
it not as the word of man, but (as it is in truth) the word of 
God;" (1 Thess. ii. 13.) and receiving it so, they embraced it 
as coming from him who could neither deceive nor be deceived, 
and consequently as infallibly true ; and by so embracing it, 
they assented unto it, and by so assenting unto it, they believed 
it, ultimately upon the testimony of God, immediately upon 
the testimony of St. Paul, as he speaks himself, ** because our 
testimony among you was believed." (2 Thess. i. 10.) Thus 
the faith of those which were converted by the apostles was an 
assent unto the ivord as credible upon the testimony/ of God de- 
livered to them by a testimony apostolical. Which being thus 
clearly stated, we may at last descend into our own condition, 
and so describe the nature of our own faith, that every one 
may know what it is to believe. 

Although Moses was endued with the power of miracles, 
and conversed with God in the mount, and spake with him 
face to face at the door of the Tabernacle: although upon these 
grounds the Israelites believed what he delivered to them as the 
word of God ; yet neither the miracles nor Moses did for ever 
continue with them; and notwithstanding his death, they and 
their posterity to all generations were obliged to believe the, 
same truths. Wherefore it is observable which St. Stephen 
saith, he " received the lively oracles to give unto them ;" 
(Acts vii. 38.) the Decalogue he received from the hand of 
God, " written with the finger of God ;" (Exod. xxxi. 18.) the 
rest of the divine patefactions he wrote himself, and so deli- 
vered them not a mortal word to die with him, but living ora- 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



15 



cleSy^ to be in force when he was dead, and oblige the people 
to a belief, when his rod had ceased to broach the rocks and 
divide the seas. Neither did he only tie them to a belief of 
what he wrote himself, but by foretelling and describing the 
prophets which should be raised in future ages, he put a farther 
obligation upon them to believe their prophecies as the revela- 
tions of the same God. Thus all the Israelites, in all ages, be- 
lieved Moses : while he lived, by believing his words; after his 
death, by believing his writings. " Had ye believed Moses 
(saith our Saviour), ye would have believed me ; for he wrote 
of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe 
my words?" (John v. 46, 47.) Wherefore tho, faith of the 
Israelites in the land of Canaan was an assent unto the truths of 
the law as credible upon the testimony of God delivered unto them 
in the writings of Moses and the prophets. 

In the like manner is it now with us. For although Christ 
first published the Gospel to those who beheld his glory, the 
glory as of the only-begotten of the Father (John i. 14.) al- 
though the apostles first converted those unto the faith who 
heard them speak with tongues they never learned, they never 
heard before, and discover the thoughts of men they never saw 
before ; who saw the lame to walk, the blind to see, the dead 
to revive, and the living to expire at their command : yet did 
not these apostles prolong their lives by virtue of that power 
which gave such testimony to their doctrine, but rather short- 
ened them by their constant attestation to the truth of that 
doctrine farther confirmed by their death. Nor did that power 
of frequent and ordinary miraculous operations long survive 
them; and yet they left as great an obligation upon the Church 
in all succeeding ages to believe all the truths which they de- 
livered, as they had put upon those persons who heard their 
words and saw their works ; because they wrote the same 
truths which they spake, assisted in writing by the same Spirit 
by which they spake, and therefore require the same readiness 
of assent so long as the same truths shall be preserved by those 
writings. While Moses lived and spake as a mediator be- 
tween God and the Israelites, they believed his words, and so 
the prophets while they preached. When Moses was gone 
up to Mount Nebo, and there died, when the rest of the pro- 
phets were gathered to their fathers, they believed their writ- 
ings, and the whole object of their faith was contained in them. 
When the Son of God came into the world to reveal the will of 
his Father, when he '* made known unto" the apostles, as his 

friends, all things that he had heard of the Father," (John 
XV. 15.) then did the apostles believe the writings of Moses 
and the prophets, and the words of Christ, and in these taken 
together was contained the entire object of their faith, •* and 
they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had 

* Aoyia ^oivTa. 



16 



ARTICLE I. 



said." (John ii. 22.) When Christ was ascended up into hea- 
ven, and the Holy Ghost came down, when the words which 
Christ had taught the apostles were preached by them, and 
many thousand souls converted to the faith, they believed the 
writings of the prophets and the words of the apostles ; and 
in these two was comprised the complete object of their faith. 
When the apostles themselves departed out of this life, and 
confirmed the truth of the Gospel preached by the last of suf- 
ferings, their death, they left the sum of what they had re- 
ceived in writing, for the continuation of the faith in the 
churches which they had planted, and the propagation thereof 
in other places, by those that succeeded them in their ordinary 
functions, but were not to come near them in their extraordi- 
nary gifts. These things were written (saith St. John, the 
longest liver, and the latest writer), that ye might believe, that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye 
might have life through his name." (John xx. 31.) 

Those Christians then which have lived since the apostles* 
death, and never obtained the wish of St. Augustin, to see 
either Christ upon earth, or St. Paul in the pulpit, have be- 
lieved the writings of Moses and the prophets, of the apostles 
and evangelists, in which together is fully comprehended what- 
soever may properly be termed matter of divine faith ; and so 
" the household of God is built upon the foundation of the 
apostles and prophets,"* (Eph. ii. 20.) who are continued unto 
us only in their writings, and by them alone convey unto us the 
truths which they received from God, upon whose testimony 
we believe. And therefore he which put their writings into the 
definition of faith, considering faith as it now stands with us, 
is none of the smallest of the Schoolmen.f From whence we 
may at last conclude, that the true nature of the faith of a 
Christian, as the state of Christ's Church now stands, and shall 
continue to the end of the world, consists in this, that it is an 
assent unto truths credible upon the testimony of God delivered 
unto us in the writings of the apostles and prophets. 

To believe therefore as the word stands in the front of the 
Creed, and not only so, but is diffused through every article 
and proposition of it, is to assent to the whole and every part 
of it, as to a certain and infallible truth revealed by God (who 
by reason of his infinite knowledge cannot be deceived, and 
by reason of his transcendent holiness cannot deceive), and 
delivered unto us in the writings of the blessed apostles and 
prophets, immediately inspired, moved, and acted by God, out 
of whose writings this brief sum of necessary points of faith 



* ' Prophetati et Apostoli, super quos 
omnium Ecclesiarum fundamenta locan- 
tar.* S. Hieron. in Psal. xvii. ' Super 
Prophetas aedificatur orbis terrarum, cre- 
dens in Domino.* Ruffin. ibid. 



t ' Fides est habitus, quo assentimus 
dictis Scripturaj propter auctoritatem Dei 
revelantis.' Dnrand. 1, iii. Dist. 24 q. 1. 
§. 9. 



I BELIEVE, &c. i? 

was first collected.* And as this is properly to believe, which 
was our first consideration ; so to say / believe, is to make a 
confession or external expression of the faith, which is the 
second consideration propounded. 

Faith is a habit of the intellectual part of man, and therefore 
of itself invisible ; and to believe is a spiritual act, and conse- 
quently immanent and internal, and known to no man but bira 
who believeth : For what man knoweth the things of a man, 
save the spirit of a man which is in him?" (1 Cor. ii. 11.) 
Wherefore Christ being not only the great Apostle, sent to 
deliver these revealed truths, and so the author of our faith, but 
also the head of the Church, whose body consisteth of faithful 
members, and so the author of union and communion, which 
principally hath relation to the unity of faith, he must needs be 
imagined to have appointed some external expression and com- 
munication of it: especially considering that the sound of the 
apostles was to go forth unto the ends of the world, and all 
wations to be called to the profession of the Gospel, and gathered 
into the Church of Christ; which cannot be performed without 
an acknowledgment of the truth, and a profession of faith, 
without which no entrance into the Church, no admittance to 
baptism. ^' What doth hinder me to be baptized ? (saith the 
eunuch.) And Philip said. If thou believest wdth all thine heart, 
thou maycst. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus 
Christ is the Son of God.'' (Acts viii. 36, 37.) So believing 
with all his heart, as Philip required, and making profession of 
that faith he was admitted. " For with the heart man believeth 
unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made 
unto salvation." (Rom. x. 10. )f The6e/ie/'of the heart is the 
internal habit residing in the soul, an act of faith proceeding 
from it, but terminated in the same. The confession of the mouth 
is an external signification of the inward habit or act of faith, 
by words expressing an acknowledgment of those truths which 
we believe or assent to in our souls.J The ear receiveth the 
word, faith cometh by hearing (Rom. x. 17.) the ear con- 
veyeth it to the heart, which being opened receiveth it, receiving 
believeth it; and then *' out of the abundance of the heart the 
mouth speaketh." (Matt. xii. 34.) In the heart faith is seated ; 
with the tongue confession is made ; between these two salvation 
is completed. § ** If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the 

* Ovx^tOoqs^o^EvavQ^ci'TroiQfO-unr'iQrirartit; corde fit coiifessio ad justitiam ; habes 

nia-TEDot;, aXX'l>t 'sraa-tjg ypa<prig to, aat^itiraTa unde debeas confiteri, ore confessio fit ad 

a-u'K'Ks)(Qivra, fxietv am7rX>)for tw T)?? TTiVrgaj; salutem.' Chrysol. Serm. 56. 

StSao-KaXt'av. S. Cyril. Catech. 5. fin. ' Ec- ^ ' Sermo creat auditum, auditus con- 

clesiarum Patres, de populorum salute cipit fidem, credulitatem parturit fides, 

eoliciti, ex diversis voluminibus Scriptu- confessionem credulitas nutrit, confessio 

rarum collegerunt testimonia divinis gra- perpetuam dat salutem.' Chrysol. Serm 60. 

vida Sacramentis.' Euseb. Gall, in &ym. § ' Magnum, filioli, pernoc fidei nostraj 

Horn. i. in Bibliolh. Pair. Lat. t. v. par. videmus esse compendium, quarido inter 

i. p. 552. cor at liuguam totum salutis humanae ver- 

t ' Habes, homo, unde credere debeas, satur et geritur Sacramentum.' Chrysol. 



18 



ARTICLE I. 



Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath 
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) 
This faith the heart everyone ought, and is presumed to have; 
this confession of the mouth every one is known to make, when 
he pronounceth these words of the Creed, I believe ; and if 
true, he may with comfort say, the word of faith is nigh me, 
even in my mouth and in my heart (Rom. x. 8.)"^' first in my 
heart really assenting, then in my mouth clearly and sincerely 
professing with the prophet David, '* I have believed, therefore 
have I spoken." (Psalm, cxvi. 10 ) Thus briefly from the second 
consideration concerning confession implied in the first words 
/ believe, we shall pass unto the third consideration, of the 
necessity and particular obligation to such a confession. 

If there were no other argument, yet being the object of faith 
is supposed infallibly true, and acknowledged to be so by every 
one that believeth, being it is the nature of truth not to hide 
itself, but rather to desire the light that it might appear; this 
were sufficient to move us to a confession of our faith. But 
besides the nature of the thing, we shall find many arguments 
obliging, pressing, urging us to such a profession. For, first, 
from the same God, and by the same means by which we have 
received the object of our faith, by which we came under a pos- 
sibility of faith, we have also received an express command to 
make a confession of the same : " Be ready (saith St. Peter), 
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason 
of the hope that is in you;" (1 Pet. iii. 15.) and there can be 
no reason of hope but what is grounded on faith, nor can there 
be an answer given unto that without an acknowledgment of 
this. Secondly, it is true indeed that the great promises of the 
Gospel are made unto faith, and glorious things are spoken of 
it ; but the same promises are made to the confession of faith , 
(Rom. x. 10.) together with it ; and we know who it is hath 
said, " Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I con- 
fess also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. x. 32.) 
Besides the profession of the faith of one Christian confirmeth 
and edifieth another in his, and the mutual benefit of all layeth 
an obligation upon every particular. Again, the matters of 
faith contain so much purity of doctrine, persuade such holiness 
of life, describe God so infinitely glorious, so transcendently 
gracious, so loving in himself, so merciful in his Son, so won- 
derful in all his works, that the sole confession of it glorifieth 
God ; and how can we expect to enter into that glory which is 
none of ours, if we deny God that glory which is his? Lastly, 
the concealing those truths which he hath revealed, the not ac- 
knowledging that faith which we are thought to believe, is so 



Serm. 56. ' Quod a te et pro te reposcitur, 
intra te est, i. e. oris famulatus et cordis 
afFectus.' Eusefe. Gall, de Symb. Horn. ii. 
p. 554. 



• ' De hoc sine dubio legimus per Pro- 
phetam, Prope est (inquit) in ore tuo, et 
in corde tuo.' Euseb. Gall. ibid. 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



19 



far from giving God that glory which is due unto him, that it 
dishonoureth the faith which it refuseth or neglecteth to pro- 
fess, and casteth a kind of contumely upon the author of it, as 
if God had revealed that which man should be ashamed to ac- 
knowledge. Wherefore he that came to save us hath also said 
unto us, " Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, 
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come 
in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." 
(Luke ix. 26.) Such a necessity there is of confession of faith, 
in respect of God, who commanded it, and is glorified in it; in 
respect of ourselves, who shall be rewarded forit ; and in respect 
of our brethren, who are edified and confirmed by it. Which 
necessity the wisdom of the Church in former ages has thought a 
sufficient ground to command the recitation of the Creed at 
the first initiation into the Church by baptism* (for which pur- 



Kari-)(MV, ov Jta rov $A7tria-[xa.ro(; ii'Kri<^z. 
Iren. J. i. c. 1. ' Cum sub tribus et tes- 
tatio fidei et sponsio saiutis pignerentur, 
necessario adjicitur Ecclesiae mentio, quo- 
niam ubi tres, id est, Pater, Filius, et 
Spiritus Sanctus, ibi Ecclesia, quae trium 
corpus est.' Tertull. de Baptis. c. 6. • In 
quern tingueret ? in poenitentiam 1 quo 
ergo illi praecursorem 1 in peccatorum 
remissionem, quam verbo dabat 1 iu aeme- 
tipsum, quem humilitate celabat 1 in Spi- 
ritum Sanctum, qui nondum a Patre de- 
scenderat 1 in Ecclesiara, quam nondum 
Apostoli struxerant 1' Ibid.c. 11.' Dehinc 
ter mergimur.amplius aliquid responden- 
tes quam Dominus in Evangelio deter- 
minavit.' Id. de Cor. Militis, c. 3. ' Sed 
et ipsa interrogatio, qua? fit in Baptismo, 
testis est veritatis, nam cum dicimus, 
Credis in vitam (Eternam, et remissionem pec- 
catorum per sanctum Ecclesiam? intelligi- 
mus remissionem peccatorum non nisi in 
Ecclesia dari.' iS. Cyprianus, ep. ad Janua- 
rium, &c. §. 2. ' Quod si aliquis illud 
opponit, ut dicat, eandem Novatianum 
Legem tenere quam Catbolica Ecclesia 
teneat, eodem Symbolo quo et nos bap- 
tizare, eundem nosse Deum Patrem, eun- 
dem Filium Christum, eundem Spiritum 
Sanctum, ac propterea usurpare eum po- 
testatem baptizandi posse, quod videatur 
in interrogatione Baptismi a nobis non 
discrepare : sciat quisquis hoc opponen- 
dum putat, non esse unam nobis et schis- 
maticis Symboli Legem, neque eandem 
interrogationem. Nam cum dicunt, Credis 
remissionem peccatorum, et vitam ctternam 
per Sanctum Ecclesiam ? mentiuntur in in- 
terrogatione, quando non habeant Eccle- 
siam.' Idem Ep'ist. ad Magnum, §. 6. 
*Mosibi (id est, Romae) servatur antiquus, 
eos, qui gratiam Baptismi suscepturi sunt, 
publice, i. e. fideiium populo audiente, 



Symbolumreddere.' Ruffin.in Symb. 3. 
* Solenne est in lavacro, post Trinitatis 
confessionem interrogare, Credis in Sanc- 
tum Ecclesiam ? Credis remissionem peccato- 
rum?' S. Hierun. contra Lucifer, col. 618. 
ed. M. Victor. 1609. ' Mens Haeretica 
reliquit Doctorem a quo fidem Ecclesias 
didicerat,oblita est pacti Dei sui, hoc est, 
fidei ipsius Dominicfe quae in Symbolo con- 
tinetur, quam se die baptismatis servatu- 
ram esse promiserat.' Id. Com. in Prov. 
c. ii. V. 17. ' Interrogatus es.Credisin Deum 
Patrem omuipotentem? dixisti Credo; et 
mersisti hoc est, sepultus es. Iterum in- 
terrogatus es, Credis in Dominum nostrum 
Jesum Christum, et in crucem ejus? dixisti. 
Credo, et mersisti, ideo et Christo es conse- 
pultus. Tertio interrogatus, Credis in Spi- 
ritum Sanctum? dixisti, Credo; tertio mer- 
sisti : ut multiplicem lapsum superioris 
aetatis absolveret trina confessio.' Atnbms. 
de Sacrum. 1. ii. c. 7. Leo speaks thus of 
Eutyches in his Epistle to Flavianus : 
' Quam enim eruditionem de sacris Novi 
et Veteris Testamenti paginis acquisivit, 
qui ne ipsius quidem Symboli initia com- 
prehendit? et quod per totum mundum 
omnium regenerandorum voce depromitur, 
istius adhuc senis corde non capitur.' Ep. 
X. c. 1. And in the 12. Book deTrinitute, 
p. 304. ed. Chifflet. 1664. (formerly at- 
tributed to Athauasius, but more probably 
now thought to belong to Vigilius Tap- 
sensis) : ' Nec non et ilia magna et beata 
Confessio Fidei, imo ipsa Fides Sanctorum, 
et Testamentum quod disposuimus ad 
Patrem, Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum, ad 
sacrum lavacrum regenerationis venien- 
tes, Credo in Deum Patrem omuipotentem, 
et in Jesum Christum Filium ejus unigcni- 
tum, et in Spiritum Sanctum.' KaBax; ^ra- 
^£'Ka$o/j.£v TTct^a toov tt^o hfxZv eTrKmoTrm ev 
re Ttl vpMTri Kctrri-^han, kcu ots to XouTfov 
IXafx^ivofASv. Euseb. of the Confession of 

2 



• 



20 



ARTICLE I. 



pose it was taught and expounded to those which were to be 
baptized immediately* before the great solemnity of Easter), 
and to require a particularf repetition of it publicly, as often as 
the sacrament of the Eucharist was administered, and a con- 
stant and perpetual inculcation of the same by the clergy to the 
people.J 

And as this necessity is great, as the practice useful and 
advantageous ; so is the obligation of believing and confess- 
ing particular, binding every single Christian, observable in 
the number and person expressed, / believe. As if Christ did 



Faith which he exhibited to the council 
of Nice, Socr. 1. i. c. 8. Theodor. 1. i. c. 
12. ' AbrenunciOjinquis, Diabolo,pompis, 
spectaculis,et operibus ejus,et quid postea? 
Credo, inquis, in Deum Patrem omnipoten- 
tetn.' Salvianus de Gubern. Dei, lib. vi. 
p. 208. ed. Altorf. 1611. al. p. 182. And 
when this Creed was enlarged by the 
council of Nice, and after that by others, 
Epipiianius commends it to the Catechu- 
meni, to be repeated at their baptism: 

Tcic ay'i-ji 'Kovr^M TrpoJ-JEvat, ovfxovov BTrayyiKkBiv 

O^ilXsTi TO ma^TSVSlV TOig kaVTWV vloTg £V XLiptCtf, 

aX\k nal SiSas-XEiV frnToug, ooQ TTaVTfiov h avrri 
[xhrn^ vfxSov -re nal hfxZv to IIi<r- 
'revofASv si? sva Qiov, &c. Epiphan. in Anco- 
rata, §. 119. And when he had yet far- 
ther enlarged it by reason of some new 
emergent heresies, he commends it : /xa- 
"Kia-Ta. ToTf Too aylai Xovr^S '7f^0(riQva-iv'i!vct aTTcty- 
ykW'xa-i acti "Kiyxa-iv oZtooq. Ibid. The first 
council of Constantinople confirms the 
Nicene confession, as: TrpEo-^uTaTMv te oZa-av 
Kcu ax.oXot;9ov to) BaTTricFfA.itTi. Theodor. lib. 
V. cap. 9. And the council of Chalcedon 
of the same : r,v, ooq koivov l^kyioov a-vv9nfA,a, 
Ti/Tf fA,voufxhoi(; tt^lq tw tB? vloQna-iag tto.- 
fsyyvS)fj(.Bv as-^a'Ksiav. Parte tertia. The 
Synod at Jerusalem : to ayiov TufxCoXov slg 

0 IQciwris-^rifxiv act] ^aTTTt'^O/aev. The Synod 
al Tyre : iv avroj ^aTTTJcr&EVTE? Kal ^xirri- 
^ovTig. And the council of Constantino- 
pie under Menna, to which the former 
sent their synodical letters : to ayiov crvfA- 
QoKov iv w TraVTEf ISaTTTiVS^jUEV. Concil. 
Cotistuniinop. sub Agap. et Men)ia, Act. 5. 
Basiliscus and Marcus in two several 
edicts, confirmed the same Nicene Creed 
with these words : eI? o hfxsXg ts «.ai Trivrsg 

01 97^0 hfj<.^v TTiffTBuiraVTBg lQa'frTi:r9ri/iLSv. 
Erugr. 1. iii. cap. 4. et7. And the edict 
of the emperor Justinian -. ' Anathemati- 
zaverunt eos, qui aliam definitionem fidei, 
sive Symbolum, sive Mathema, tradunt 
accedentibus ad sanctum bajitisma.' 

* "O'ri JeT Tovt; (paiTi^o/nivovg Tnv Tria-TiVBK- 
fxavBavBiVyHai tt? TtifxitTri -rng tQ^ofxaloQ kiray- 
j/HXXstv TOJ litio-iLOTtai n roTg 'SXfBtrBvrB^oig. 
CoiwiL Laodic. Can. 46. Where it is to 
be observed that mWi? is taken for the 



Creed or Symbolum Fidei, and was so 
translated anciently, as appeareth bj the 
Canon preserved in the Canon-law, and 
rendered thus : * Baptizandos o-portet 
Fidei Symholum discere, et quinta feria 
ultima* septimanaB vel Episcopo vel Pres- 
byteris reddere.' De Consec. dist. 4. cap. 
58. ' Symbolum etiamplacuitab omnibus 
Ecclesiis una die, i. e. ante octo dies 
Dominicse resurrectiouis, publice in Ec- 
clesia competentibus prcedicari.' Concil. 
Agath. cap. 13. ' Sicut antiqui Canones 
jubent, ante viginti dies Baptismi ad pur- 
gationem exorcisini Catechumeni currant, 
in quibus viginti diebus omnino Catechu- 
meni Symbolum, quod est. Credo in Deum 
Patrem omnipotentem, specialiter doce- 
antur.' Concil. Braarr. 2. cap. 1. The 
Canon of the Laodicean Council, already 
mentioned, is verbatim rehearsed in the 
sixth council in Trulla, Can. 78. It ap- 
peareth therefore a general command of 
the church, that those who were to be 
baptized, should have a certain time al- 
lotted for the learning and rehearsing of 
the Creed. And in case of necessity, if 
any were baptized, they were to learn'the 
Creed immediately after their Baptism : 
oTi S£r(not as it is in the edition of Binius, 
both in this canon and in the former most 
absurdly, "Oti ol hX) tovq Iv votrw ira.^oKa.fji.- 
Bivovrag to cpxrierfxa, Jtai £?Ta avcLtrravrag 
BKfxavQavBtv rriv ttiVtiv, Haj yivxa-KSiv o't( Qeiag 
^ai§Ba,g narrj^iuiQr.s-M. Cone. Laod. Can. 47 . 

t As appears in the ancient Greek 
Liturgies, and the Decree of the third 
council of Toledo : ' Ut omni sacrificii 
tempore ante communionem corporis 
Christi et sanguinis, juxta Orientalium 
partium morem, unanimiter clara voce sa- 
cratissimum fidei recenseant Symbolum.' 
t. ii. par. 2. p. 278. Concil. Geri. ed. Bin. 
Which custom as they call it of the Orien- 
tal parts, is said first to be introduced by 
Petrus Mongus at Alexandria,and after by 
Timotheus at Constantinople, as appe.Ars 
out of the fragments of Theodorus Lector. 

t 'Symbolum, quod est signaculum 
fidei, et Orationem Dominicam discere, 
semper admoneant sacerdotes populum 
Christianum.' ConciL Mogunt. cap. 45, 



I BELIEVE, &c. 



21 



question every one in particular, as he did him who was born 
blind, after he had restored him his sight (and we are all in 
his condition), '* Dost thou believe on the Son of God 
Every single Christian is taught to make the same answer 
which he made, Lord, I believe." (John ix. 35, 38.) As if 
the Son of God did promise to every one of them which are 
gathered together in his name, what he promised to one of 
the multitude, whose son had a dumb spirit. If thou canst be- 
lieve, all things are possible to him that believeth each one 
for himself returneth his answer, Lord, I believe ; Lord, help 
my unbelief." (Mark ix. 17, 23, 24.) Not that it is unlawful 
or unfit to use another number, and instead of /, to say We be- 
lieve : for in taking in of others, we exclude not ourselves; 
and addition of charity can be no disparagement to confession 
of faith. St. Peter answered for the twelve, We believe, 
and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living 
God." (John vi. 69.) For though Christ immediately replied 
1hat ** one of them had a devil," yet is not St. Peter blamed, 
who knew it not. But every one is taught to express his own 
faith, because by that he is to stand or fall. The effectual 
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (James 
v. 16.) for the benefit of his brother, but his faith availeth no- 
thing for the justification of another. And it is otherwise very 
fit that our faith should be manifested by a particular confes- 
sion, because it is effectual by particular application; there- 
fore must it needs be proper for me to say, I believe, and to 
make profession of my '* faith in the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave himself for me." (Gal. ii. 20.) 

Being then I have described the true nature and notion of 
belief, the duty of confessing our faith, and the obligation of 
every particular Christian to believe and to confess ; being in 
these three explications all, which can be imaginably con- 
tained in the first word of the Cubed, must necessarily be 
included ; it will now be easy for me to deliver, and for every 
particular person to understand what it is he says, and upon 
what ground he proceeds, when he begins his confession with 
these words., I believe, which I conceive may in this manner be 
fitly expressed. 

Although those things which I am ready to affirm be not 
apparent to my sense, so that I cannot say I see them; al- 
though they be not evident to my understanding of themselves, 
nor appear unto me true by the virtue of any natural and ne- 
cessary cause, so that I cannot say I have any proper know- 
ledge or science of them : yet, being they are certainly con- 
tained in the Scriptures, the writings of the blessed apostles 
and prophets ; being those apostles and prophets were endued 
with miraculous power from above, and immediately inspired 
with the Holy Ghost, and consequently what they delivered 
was not the word of man. but God himself ; being God is of 



22 



ARTICLE I. 



that universal knowledge and infinite wisdom, that it is im- 
possible he should be deceived, of that indefectible holiness 
and transcendent rectitude, that it is not imaginable he should 
intend to deceive any man, and consequently whatsoever he 
hath delivered for a truth must be necessarily and infallibly 
true; I readily and steadfastly assent unto them as most cer- 
tain truths, and am as fully and absolutely, and more concern- 
ingly persuaded of them, than of any thing I see or know. 
And because that God who hath revealed them hath done it, 
not for my benefit only, but for the advantage of others, nor, 
for that alone, but also for the manifestation of his own glory ; 
being for those ends he hath commanded me to profess them, 
and hath promised an eternal reward upon my profession of 
them ; being every particular person is to expect the justifi- 
cation of himself, and the salvation of his soul, upon the 
condition of his own faith; as with a certain and full persua- 
sion I assent unto them, so with a fixed and undaunted reso- 
lution I will profess them ; and with this faith in my heart, 
and confession in my mouth, in respect of the whole body of 
the Creed, and every article and particle in it, I sincerely, 
readily, resolvedly say, I believe. 

I BELIEVE in God, 

Having delivered the nature of faith, and the act of belief 
common to all the articles of the Creed, that we may under- 
stand what it is to believe ; we shall proceed to the explication 
of the articles themselves, as the most necessary objects of 
our faith, that we may know what is chiefly to be believed. 
Where immediately we meet with another word as general as 
the former, and as universally concerned in every article, 
which is God; for if to believe be to assent upon the testimony 
of God, as we have before declared, then wheresoever belief 
is expressed, or implied, there is also the name of God under- 
stood, upon whose testimony we believe. He therefore whose 
authority is the ground and foundation of the whole, his ex- 
istence begins the Creed, as the foundation of that authority. 
For if there can be no divine faith without the attestation of 
God, by which alone it becomes divine, and there can be no 
such attestation, except there were an existence of the testifier, 
then must it needs be proper to begin the corfession of our 
faith with the agnition of our God. If his ^name were thought 
fit to be expressed in the front of every action, even by the 
heathen, because they thought no action prospered but by 
his approbation ; much more ought we to fix it before our 
confession, because without him to believe as we profess, is 
no less than a contradiction. 

Now these words, / believe iti God, will require a double 
consideration ; one, of the phrase or manner of speech ; an- 

^ ©eog, 0£o;- "EBog h, o'rav xcira^^oiVTo rivog, 9so; "KBysiv, e7reu<priy.i^ofA,evii.g. Hesych, Lex. 



1 BELIEVE IN GOD. 



23 



other, of the thing or nature of the truth in that manner ex- 
pressed. For to believe with an addition of the preposition in, 
is a phrase or expression ordinarily conceived fit to be given to 
none but to God himself, as always implying, beside a bare act 
of faith, an addition of hope, love, and affiance. An observa- 
tion, as I conceive, prevailing especially in the Latin church, 
grounded principally upon the authority of St. Augustin.* 
Whereas among the Greeks, in whose language the New Tes- 
tament was penned, I perceive no such constant distinction in 
their deliveries of the Creed; and in the Hebrew languagef 



* For Ser. 181. which is upon the 
Creed, we find these words : ' Non di- 
cit, Credo Deum, vel Credo Deo, quam- 
vis et hsec saluti necessaria sint. Aliud 
enim est credere illi, aliud credere ilium, 
aliud credere in ilium. Credere illi, est 
credere vera esse quae loquitur; Credere 
ilium, credere quia ipse est Deus ; Cre- 
dere in ilium, diligere ilium.' And 
though that collection of Sermons de tem- 
pore under the name of St. Augustin be 
not all his (divers of them being transla- 
tions of the Greek Homilies), yet this 
distinction may be collected out of other 
parts of his works. For, first, he distin- 
guisheth very clearly and seriously be- 
tween credere Deo, and credere in Deum. 
'Nunquam aliquis Apostolorum dicere au- 
deret. Qui credit in me. Credimus Apo- 
stolo, sed non credimus in Apostolum.' 
Tract. 54. in Psalm. And again : ' Credi- 
mus Paulo, sed non credimus in Paulum ; 
credimus Petro, sed non credimus in Pe- 
trum.' Tract. 29. in loan. Secondly, he 
distinguisheth between credere Deum, and 
credere in Detim. * Multum interest, 
utrum quis credat ipsum esse Christum, 
et utrum credat in Christum. lUe credit 
in Christum, qui et speratin Christum, et 
diligit Christum.' De verbis Dom. Serm. 
61 . And, which is the sum of all, he puts 
a high value upon the preposition, as if, 
by virtue of the addition of in, the phrase 
did properly signify so great an accession 
unto faith : ' Quid est credere in Deum? 
Credendo amare, credendo diligere, cre- 
dendo in eum ire, et ejus membris incor- 
porari.' Tract. 29. in Joan. Which doc- 
trine of St. Augustin 's being taken notice 
of by Peter Lombard, hath since been 
continued by the School-men ; and Aqui- 
nas, Sum. ii, 22. q. 2. §. 2. ad prim, bring- 
ing all three under one act of faith, hath 
been contradicted by Durand. in S. Se^it. 
dis. 23. q. 7. §. 6. ' Credere in Deum 
non est precise actus fidei, sed fidei et 
caritatis simul ; et sunt etiam plures, et 
non unus actus tantum.' By whose subtile, 
but yet clear, determination (as many of 
his are beyond the rest of the Schools), 
whatsoever is added by the preposition to 



believe, appears not to be a part of belief, 
but an act superadded to the act of faith, 

t For lOK is sometimes joined with 
sometimes with n : when with b, it 
answers properly to ma-reveiv tw &sS, 
credere Deo, (b being nothing else but a 
significator of the case) ; when with n it 
corresponds to ttis-teweiv elg tov ©eov, credere 
in Deum, (n being a preposition of the 
same nature with eI? or in). But yet there 
is so little, or rather no difference in the 
Hebrew, that in the first place where it is 
used, and that of the Father of the Faith- 
ful, even for the act of justifying faith, 
mrr-n ]ONm Gen. xv. 6. it is translated by 
the LXX. )iai eTrlj-TBvcriv 'A^^a/x tw @eS, 
not elg ©eov, and that translation warrant- 
ed by St. Paul, Rom. iv. 3. Gal. iii. 6. 
and St. James ii. 23. In the same man- 
ner, 2 Kings xvii. 1 4. mn-n i^-axn ab iv;h 
Dn-nbxis translated by the LXX. (as that 
translation is preserved in the Alexan- 
drian and Complutensian copies), oi ovk 
BTriirreva-av Kv^io) ©Ea? avrZv. Besides, 
the same phrase is used in the same 
place both to God and to man, as 
Exod. xiv. 31. 1121; nii'Dm mn-n irDN-i 

and they believed in God, and in his ser- 
vant Moses; which the Chaldee para- 
phrase explaineth thus, iD-O-m 

nnn; nii'DT n-nmam ""i n-)?3-d Jona- 
than and Onkelos "-n'Nnn-Dn I^D-N-I 
n-nny nu^D niN-am and they believed in 
the word of God, and in the prophecy of 
Moses his servant. And 2 Chron. xx. 20. 

VN^nn la-ONH i2DKm oa-nbx mn*n iD^oKn 

in-'75filT Believe in the Lord your God, so 
shall ye be establislied ; believe in his pro- 
phets, so shall ye prosper. For although the 
Vulgar Latin, which our translation fol- 
loweth,hath made that distinction which 
the Hebrew maketh not : ' Credite in 
Domino Deo vestro, et securi eritis ; cre- 
dite prophetis ejus, et cuncta evenient 
prospera :' yet the Septuagint acknow- 
ledgeth no necessity of receding from the 
original phrase : £fx,7ria-Tev(7-aTE ev nv^ica ra; 
&sS vfjiSiv, nai Ifx.'jns-rivQha-ea-^v E/x'rria-TSv- 
a-cLTt Iv 7ir^o<pKTaig avrov, Koi evo^ctiQhasa-^e. 
Nor is it only attributed to Moses as 
joined with God, and so taken as it were 



24 



ARTICLE I. 



of the Old, from which the Jewish and Christian Greeks re- 
ceived that phrase of believing iriy it hath no such pecuHar and 
accumulative signification. For it is sometimes attributed to 
God, the author and original cause f sometimes to the prophets, 
the immediate revealers of the faith ; sometimes it is spoken 
of miracles, the motives to believe; sometimes of the Law of 
God, the material object of our faith. Among all which va- 
rieties of that phrase of speech, it is sufficiently apparent that 
in this confession of faith it is most proper to admit it in the 
last acceptation, by which it is attributed to the material ob- 
ject of belief. For the Creed being nothing else but a brief 
comprehension of the most necessary matters of faith, whatso- 
ever is contained in it beside the first w^ord / believe, by which 
we make confession of our faith, can be nothing else but part of 
those verities to be believed, and the act of belief in respect to 
them nothing but an assent unto them as divinely credible and 
infallible truths. Neither can we conceive that the ancient 
Greek Fathers of the Church could have any farther meaning 
in it, who make the whole body of the Creed to be of the same 
nature, as so many truths to be believed, acknowledged, and 
confessed ; insomuch as sometimes they use not believing in,^ 
neither for the Father, S^on, nor Holy Ghost ; sometimes using 
it as to them, they continue the same to the following articles 
of, the Catholic Church, the Communion of Saint&,f &c. and ge- 



into the same phrase, but separately by 
himself, as Exod. xix, 9. "The Lord 
said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in 
a thick cloud, that the people may hear 
when I speak with thee, •yt^H" "ja Dai 
ChX^b and believe in thee for ever." And 
therefore when it was objected to St. 
Basil, that they did believe in Moses, as 
well as that they were baptized into 
Moses, and generally : h ms-riq Soy.o'Ko- 
ymcti Yi^n xat gi? rovq av&pwTTou? yiytmo-^ai : 
the Father doth not deny the language, 
but interprets it : h elg avrov Tr'nrn; Ittj to» 
Kv^iov avci<pB§erai. .De Sp. S. c. 14. Neither 
is this only spoken of Moses and the pro- 
phets, that the Israelites believed in them, 
but of David, not as a prophet, but as 
a bare relater of his own actions, 1 Sam. 
xxvii. 12. n-ri irOK IDN-T koI i'jTia-rtvBn 
AetwS Iv TO) 'Ay)(oZ(;, LXX. ' Et credidit 
Achis in David,' Vulg. ' Est ergo fides 
nostra primo quidem omnium in Domi- 
num nostrum Jesum Christum, conse- 
quenter vero etiam in omnes sanctos Pa- 
triarchas, vel Prophetas, vel Apostolos 
Christi.' Orig. in Apol. Pamplnl. p. 489. 
To conclude, this general phrase of be- 
lieving ill, is originally attributed some- 
times to the supreme author of our Faith, 
as to God ; sometimes to the intervenient 
messengers, as the Prophets ; sometimes 
to the motives of our Faiih,Psal.lxxviii.32. 



VnxbSn ■O-aNn Hbl LXX. koI qU Wia-nv- 
a-av h ro7g ^avfxacrloiq avrov, and they be- 
lieved not in his wondrous works ; some- 
times to the object of it, or that which is. 
believed, as Psalm cxix. 66. l-mvna 
-nSDNn I have believed in thy command - 
7nents, as Mark i. 15. TrierTevBre Iv r£ 
elayys'Kla}. 

* nis-Tevo/xsv ovv Hat ofxo\oyovfXBv sva /uovov 
a^nQtvov Ka] aya^ov Qeov, Hal ha rn fxovoyBvrj 
avTov vtiv, Kal sv /utovov irvsZ^a ayiov, S. Ba- 
sil, de Fide, c. 4. 

t Arius and Euzoius in their confession 
delivered to Constantine : Unrrtvofxsv sIq 
ha Qsh TTflTEgtt, jtai slg ha nvpiov 'irs-oZv, ical 
elg TO ayiov mBvfxa, iuti s\<; c-ap^oi; avairraa-iv, 
Kai slg ^oom tov fxsXXovrog alaivog, xaj slg 
^atri\stav ovpavxv, Kal slg (xiav xaS-oXtxw Ix- 
}t\na-lav tou ®sou Socrat. Hist. Eccl. I. i. 
c. 26. Sozomen. 1. ii. c. 27. Karh^ricrig tZv 
(pccTi^ofxsvoDV c-)^s^ia<T8s7c-a slg to Trvsu/ot-a 
ayiov, nal slg fxiav ay'iav Kabohinr^ IxJcXnirtav, 
Ha] slg aafKog avacrraaiv , nal slg ^oohv aluiviov. 
S. Cyril. Hiercsol. Catech. 18. El? to ttvbv- 
fxa TO ayiov, slg fx'iav ayiav na^dkiKhv nal 
a7ro<TToKiy.riv iKKXritriav. S. Epiphan. in Anc. 
§. 120. And in a larger confession : nj- 
o-TBvofASV Elf /ut'av naQoXiKm nal aTtoi^ro'Kiiin* 
lxxX»!<rtttv, Xttj slg h BaTrria-fxa fASravoiag, Kal 
slg ava<rraa-iv vsa^Zv, Kal elf 0*o-<X£iav olfavZVt 
Kai slg ^oohv alaiviov, §, 121. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD, 



25 



nerally speak of the Creed* as nothing but mere matter of 
faith, without any intimation of hope, love, or any such no- 
tion included in it.t So that believing in, by virtue of the 
phrase or manner of speech, w^hether we look upon the original 
use of it in the Hebrew, or the derivative in the Greek, or the 
sense of it in the first Christians in the Latin Church, can be 
of no farther real importance in the Creed in respect of God, 
who immediately follows, than to acknowledge and assert his 
being or existence. Nor ought this to be imagined a slender 
notion or small part of the first Article of our faith, when it 
really is the foundation of this and all the rest; that as tlie 
Creed is fundamental in respect of other truths, this is the 
foundation:!: even of the fundamentals : *^ for he that cometh to 
God must believe that he is." (Heb. xi. 6.) And this I take 
for a sufficient explanation of the phrase, / believe in Goc?, that 
is, / believe that God is. 

As for the matter or truth contained in these words so ex- 
plained, it admits a threefold consideration, first, of the notion 
of God, what is here understood by that name ; secondly, of 
the existence of God, how we know or believe that he is ; 
thirdly, the unity of God, in that though " there be gods many, 
and lords many," (1 Cor. viii. 5.) yet in our Creed we mention 
him as but one. When, therefore, we shall have clearly de- 
livered what is the true notion of God in whom we believe, 
how and by what means we come to assure ourselves of the 
existence of such a Deity, and upon what grounds we appre- 
hend him of such a transcendent nature that he can admit no 
competitor ; then may we be conceived to have sufficiently 
explicated the former part of the first Article ; then may every 
one understand what he says, and upon what ground he pro- 
ceeds, when he professeth, / believe in God. 

The name of God is attributed unto many, but here is to be 
understood of him who by way of eminency and excellency 
bears that name, and therefore is styled God of gods ; " the 



* Greg. Nyss. calls them elasBsXi; wegi 
©sou vTroXh-^iK;. And Eusebius in his Con- 
fession exhibited to the council of Nice, 
concludes : mcrTeuo^wev nal el? 'iv mivfjict 
ayiov, Tovraiv snaa-rov elvat Koi uTrapp^eiv wi- 
crrsuovrei : signifying that every particular 
which he had rehearsed he believed to 
be. And that was all in the confession 
intended. Alexander, bishop of Alexan- 
dria, after a long declaration of the former 
articles concerning the Father and the Son, 
draws to a conclusion on the latter article 
thus ; ITfo? T? Bvc-sBiio, (1. evosBsT^ rav- 

rrj TTE^i vraTpog nai vloZ Jo^jj eV msufxct 

aytov ofJLoKoyovfxiV fxiav acu fxovnv xa&oXj- 

Jt^y T^y «7rc3-ToXjKriy iKH^ria-ictv |M.£Ta rov- 

Toy (vel TOvTo) in vexpiSv a.vaa-Ta<riv otSafxsv. 
Theodor. Hut. EccL I. i. c. 4. So Tertull. de 
Pr<jfscript. adv. Hccret. c. 13. ' Regula est 



fidei ilia qua creditur.Unum omnino Deum 
esse:' and aiiy.P?-«ica?n, c. 2. where he makes 
another rehearsal of his Creed, he begins 
with : * Unicum quidem Deum credimus.' 

t ' Non est amor Dei Articulus, neque 
etiam amor proximi ; quia etiamsi sint 
prjecepta generalia activa, tamen cum 
actio contineatur, non oportet eum consti- 
tuere articulum : sed ista sunt fidei dog- 
mata, quae sunt columnae et fundamenta 
legis divinse.' Is. Abnivanel de cap. fidei, 
c. 11. 'Primus est deorum cultus, deos 
credere.' Sen. Epist. xcv. p. 470. 

KJfarbD N-'ifQD Nnm IIU'N-I -I^^O DU' the foun- 
dation of foundations and pillar of wisdoms 
is to know, that the first Being is, and thoit 
it giveth existence to every thing which is, 
Maimonides de Fuudamen. Legis, c. 1. 




ARTICLE I. 



Lord our God is God of gods, and Lord of lords : (Deut. x. 
17. Psalm cxxxvi. 2. Dan. ii. 47. xi. 36.) and in the same re- 
spect is called the most high God/' (Gen. xiv. 18—20. 22.) 
(others being but inferior, or under him), and, " God over or 
above all." (Rom. ix. 5. Ephes. iv. 6.)=^ This eminency and 
excellency, by which these titles become proper unto him, 
and incommunicable to any other, is grounded upon the Divine 
nature or essence, which all other who are called gods have 
not, and therefore are not by nature gods. " Then when ye 
knew not God (saith St. Paul), ye did service to them which 
by nature are not gods." (Gal. iv. 8.) There is then a God by 
nature, and others which are called gods, but by nature are 
not so : for either they have no power at all, because no being, 
but only in the false opinions of deceived men, as the gods of 
the heathen; or if they have any real power or authority, from 
whence some are called god^-\ in the Scripture, yet they have 
it not from themselves or of their own nature, but from him who 
" only hath immortality," (1 Tim. vi. 16.) and consequently 
only Divinity, and therefore is 'Hhe only true God." (John 
xvii. 3.) So that the notion of a Deity doth at last expressly 
signify a Being or nature of infinite perfection ;J and the infi- 
nite perfection of a nature or being consisteth in this, that it 
be absolutely and essentially necessary, an actual being of 
itself ; and potential or causative of all beings beside itself, 
independent from any other, upon which all things else de- 
pend, and by which all things else are governed. It is true, 
indeed, that to give a perfect definition of God is impossible, 
neither can our finite reason hold any proportion with infinity; 
but yet a sense of this Divinity we have, and the first and 
common notion of it consists in these three particulars ; that it 
is a Being of itself, and independent from any other ; that it is 
that upon which all things which are made depend ; that it 
governs all things. And this I conceive sufiicient as to the first 
consideration, in reference to the notion of a God, 

As for the existence of such a Being, how it comes to be 
known unto us, or by what means we are assured of it, is not 
so unanimously agreed upon, as that it is. For although some 
have imagined that the knowledge of a Deity is connatural to 
the soul of man, so that every man hath a connate inbred no- 
tion of a God; yet I rather conceive the soul of man to have 
no connatural knowledge at all, no particular notion of any 
thing in it, from the beginning ; but being we can have no 
assurance of its pre-existence, we may more rationally judge it 
to receive the first apprehensions of things by sense, and by 

* * Imprimis necesse est concedatis esse ego dixi, loquentis est potius sermo quam 

aliquem sublimiorem Deum et mancipem rei nomen.' S. Hilar, de Trin. 1. vii. c. 10. 

quendam divinitatis, qui ex hominibus | ' Deus plenae ac perfects divinitatis 

Deos fecerit.' Tertull. adv. Gentes, c. 11. est nomen.' S. Hilar.de Trin. 1. xi. c. 48. 

t * Ego dixi, Dii estis ; sed in eo induiti ' Deus substantise ipsius nomen, id est, 

nominis significatio est : et ubi refertur, divinitatis.' Tertull. adv. Herm. c 3. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



27 



them to make all rational collections. If then the soul of 
man be at the first like a fair smooth table, without any actual 
characters or knowledge imprinted in it; if all the knowledge 
which we have comes successively by sensation, instruction, 
and rational collection ; then must we not refer the apprehen- 
sion of a Deity to any connate notion or inbred opinion ; at 
least we are assured God never charged us with the know- 
ledge of him upon that account. 

Again, although others do affirm, that the existence of God 
is a truth evident of itself, so as whosoever hears but these 
terms once named, that God is, cannot choose but acknow- 
ledge it for a certain and infallible truth upon the first appre- 
hension : that as no man can deny that the whole is greater 
than any part, who knoweth only what is meant by whole, and 
what hy part: so no man can possibly deny or doubt of the 
existence of God, who knows but what is meant by God, and 
what it is to be ; yet can we not ground our knowledge of 
God's existence upon any such clear and immediate evidence: 
nor were it safe to lay it upon such a ground, because who- 
soever should deny it, could not by this means be convinced ; 
it being a very irrational way of instruction to tell a man that 
doubts of this truth, that he must believe it because it is evi- 
dent unto him, when he knows that he therefore only doubts 
of it, because it is not evident unto him. 

Although therefore that, God is, be of itself an immediate, 
certain, necessary truth, yet must it be* evidenced and made 
apparent unto us by its connexion to other truths ; so that 
the being of a Creator may appear unto us by his creature, 
and the dependency of inferior entities may lead us to a clear 
acknowledgment of the supreme and independent Being. 
The wisdom of the Jews thought this method proper, *' for by 
the greatness and beauty of the creatures, proportionably the 
Maker of them is seen (Wisd. of Sol. xiii. 5.) and not only 
they, but St. Paul hath taught us, that " the invisible things of 
God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being 
understood by the things that are made, even his eternal 
power and Godhead." (Rom. i. 20.)t For if Phidias could so 



* ' Hsec propositio, Deus est, quantum 
in se est, per se nota est, quia preedica- 
tum est idem cum subjecto, Deus enim 
est suum esse. Sed quia nos non sciraus 
de Deo quid est, non est nobis per se 
nota, sed indiget demonstrari per ea quae 
sunt magis nota quoad nos, et minus nota 
quoad naturam, scilicet per eflfectus.' 
Aquin. 1. p. q. art. 2. 

t This place must be vindicated from 
the false gloss of Socinus, who contends, 
that it cannot be proved from the crea- 
ture that there is a God, and therefore to 
this place of St. Paul answers thus : 
' Sciendum est verba a creatione mundi 



debere conjungi cum verbo invisibilia — ait 
igitur eo in loco Apostolus, cEternam. divi- 
nitatem Dei, i. id quod nos Deus perpetuo 
facere viilt (Divinitas enim hoc sensu alibi 
quoque apud ipsum enunciatur, ut Col. 
ii. 9.), (Eternamque potentiam, i. promis- 
siones quae nunquam intercident (quo 
sensu paulo saperius dixerat Evangelium 
esse potentiam Dei), haec, inquam, quae 
nunquam postquam mundus creatus est 
ab hominibus visa fuerant, i. non fuerant 
eis cognita, per opera, hoc est, per mira- 
biles ipsius Dei et divinorum hominum, 
prsesertim vero Christi et Apostolorum 
ejus, operationes, conspecta fuisse,' la 



28 



ARTICLE I. 



contrive a piece of his own work,* as in it to preserve the 
memory of himself, never to be obliterated without the de- 
struction of the work, well may we read the great Artificer of 
the world in the works of his own hands, and by the existence 
of any thing demonstrate the first cause of all things. 

We find by the experience of ourselves, that some things in 
this world have a beginning, before which they were not ; the 
account of the years of our age sufl&ciently infer our nativities, 
and they our conceptions, before which we had no being. 
Now if there be any thing which had a beginning, there must 
necessarily be something which had no beginning, because 
nothing can be a beginning to itself. Whatsoever is, must of 
necessity either have been made, or not made ; and something 



which explication there is nothing which 
is not forced and distorted ; for though 
his first observation seems plausible, yet 
there is no validity in it. He bringeth 
only for proof, Matt. xiii. 35. KB>t^ufj,fxiva 
aiTo Ka.ra.Qo'kng Kos-fAov, which proves not 
at all that aTto jctiVew; has the same 
sense : and it is more probable that it 
hath not, because that is usually ex- 
pressed by aTr' apX"! XTitrga;;, Mark X. 6. 
and xiii. 19. 2 Pet. iii. 4. never by airo 
KTiasoDg. Besides the KSHfivfAjusva. in St. 
Matthew bears not that analogy with 
aopara which Socinus pretends, signifying 
not things unseen or unkno-woi till then, 
but only obscure sayings or parables ; for 
which purpose those words were pro- 
duced out of the Psalms by the Evange- 
list, to prove that the Messias was to 
speak in parables, in the original rm-n 
mp"''3D LXX. TTfoQ'Knfxa.ra aTr' ap'^v;, i. 
wise ancient sayings, which were not un- 
seen and unknown, for it immediately 
followeth, which loe have heard and known, 
and our fathers have told us, Psal.lxx\'iii. 3. 
And though he would make out this in- 
terpretation, by accusing other interpre- 
ters of unfaithfulness : ' Plerique inter- 
pretes, ex preepositionc a, ex fecerunt, 
contra ipsorum GraBcorum Codicum fidem, 
qui non Ix. nrlasooq, sed aTro }tTiVg»f habent :' 
yet there is no ground for such a calumny, 
because eTro may be, and is often ren- 
dered e or ex as well as in, as Matt. iii. 4. 
alio Tfi;^iiiv KafxriXov, e pilis camelinis, vii.4. 
aTTo Tov o<p9a'hfj(,ov <rov, ex oculo tuo, 16. am 
axavflsSv, ex spinis ; and even in the sense 
which Socinus contends for, Matt. xvii. 18. 
a'no rng £p>5; Ineivng, V.T. ex ilia hora, as 
Tully, 1 de Fin. 51. ' Ex ea die,' and 
Virgil, ' Ex illo Corydon, Corydon est 
tempore nobis,' Eel. vii. 70. and, ' Tem- 
pore jam ex illo casus mihi cognitus 
urbis Trojanse.' ^n.i. 623. So the Greek 
aTTo fji'ipovi; the Latins render ex parte, ano 
Tov la-Qv, ex (cquo : of which examples are 
innumerable. There is no unfaithfulness 



then imputable to the interpreters : nor 
can such pitiful criticisms give any ad- 
vantage to the first part of Socinus's ex- 
position. Howsoever the Catholic inter- 
pretation depends not on those words 
a-ffiro Kria-exi;, but on the consideration of 
the persons, that is the Gentiles, and the 
other words, 7roiKfA,aa-i voovfxsva, which he 
farther perverts, rendering them the mi- 
raculous operations of Christ and his apo- 
stles, or, as one of our learned men, their 
doings, mistaking mokixa, which is from 
the passive TrsTroirfxai, for iroincig, from 
the active Imtncra : for cro/n/xa is properly 
the thing made or created, not the opera- 
tion or doing of it ; as icria-ig is sometimes 
taken for the creature, sometimes for the 
creation, but nTio-fxa is the creature only. 
As therefore we read, 1 Tim. iv. 4. way 
KTka-fxa Qeou kuXov, so Eph. ii. 10. avrou 
yap liTfxEv moirifxa. In this sense spake 
Thales properly : U^ij-Qvrarov tZv ovraiv 
©eo?, ayhwrov ya^' KaWnrTOV Koc/jiog, Troirjfjta. 
yap @£ov. Laert, Thai. p. 9. ed. Rom. 
1594. The other interpretations, which 
he was forced to, are yet more extrava- 
gant : as when he renders the eternal 
Godhead, ' that which God would always 
have us do,' or * his everlasting will/ 
and proves that rendition by anotherplace 
of St. Paul, Col. ii. 9. " For in him 
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead 
bodily;" that is, says he, ' all the will of 
God' (whereas it is most certain, that 
where the Godhead is, especially where 
the fulness, even all the fulness of the 
Godhead is, there must be all the attri- 
butes as well as the will of God) : and 
when he interprets the eternal power to be 
' the promises which shall never fail ;* 
and thinks he has sufficiently proved it, 
because the same apostle calls the Gos- 
pel the power of God. For by this way of 
interpretation no sentence of Scripture 
can have any certain sense. 

* In the shield of Pallas, Arist. de 
Mundo, c. \i.post med. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



29 



there must needs be which was never made, because all things 
cannot be made. For whatsoever is made, is made by ano- 
ther, neither can any thing produce itself ; otherwise it would 
follow, that the same thing is and is not at the same instant in 
the same respect: it is, because a producer; it is not, because 
to be produced : it is therefore in being, and is not in being ; 
which is a manifest contradiction. If then all things which 
are made were made by some other, that other which produced 
them either was itself produced, or was not : and if not, then 
have we already an independent being ; if it were, we must at 
last come to something which was never made, or else admit 
either a circle of productions, in which the effect shall make 
its own cause, or an * infinite succession in causalities, by 
which nothing will be made : both which are equally impos- 
sible. Something then we must confess was never made, 
something which never had beginning. And although these 
effects or dependent beings, singly considered by themselves, 
do not infer one supreme cause and maker of them all, yet the 
admirable order and t connexion of things shew as much ; and 
this one supreme Cause is God. For all things which we see 
or know have their existence for some end, which no man who 
considereth the uses and utilities of every species can deny. 
NovV whatsoever is and hath its being for some end, of that the 
end for which it is must be thought the cause ; and a final 
cause is no otherwise the cause of any thing than as it moves 
the efficient cause to work ; from whence we cannot but collect 
a prime efficient Cause of all things, endowed with infinite 
wisdom, who having a full comprehension of the ends of all, 
designed, produced, and disposed all things to those ends. 

Again, as all things have their existence, so have they also 
their operations for some end; J and whatsoever worketh so, 
must needs be directed to it. Although then those creatures 
which are endued with reason can thereby apprehend the 
goodness of the end for which they work, and make choice of 
such means as are proportionable and proper for the obtain- 
ing of it, and so by their own counsel direct themselves unto 
it: yet can we not conceive that other natural agents, whose 
operations flow from a bare instinct, can be directed in their 
actions by any counsel of their own. The stone doth not 
deliberate whether it shall descend, nor doth the wheat take 
counsel whether it shall grow or not. Even men in natural 
actions use no act of deliberation : we do not advise how our 



* AXXa (uw oTt y I^ttjv a.^'xj^ Tt?, x,a\ ovK 
avBi^a Ta aina nrZv ovrcov, our £i? Sv6ua)^tav, 
OUTS nar' sTJo?, S^Xov. Aristot, Metaph. I. ii. 
c. 2. ^ind again: elVef /otJjSav la-rt to 7rp5- 
Tov, o'x^wj aiTWV ouSev la-Ti. 

t UoOev SSXov, Et o?vaj? IcrTt Qeoq ; 'Ek t>j? rZv 
QvTcov JuTTuTivq T£ KOI hafAovn;. Juitin. 



QucEst. et Resp. ad Grcecos, quaest. iii. 6. p. 
204. ed. Colon. 1686. 

I 'Ev oiToit; teXoj ri ea-rl, rourov hexa Trpar- 

TSrai TO TrpOTEJOV KCtl TO B<pi^r,q. OVX.OVV ft)? TTgaT- 
T3TiSt, OVTCO tTEfpUHc' Httl (Wf 7i:i<pUKEV, CtV [xh Ti 

IfA-Vooi^rifOUTa} TrpaTTETaJ BKcta-roV ir^amrai 
OB hcKo, rov, y.cd 'T[B<^viiBV asa roviov hcxa. 
Arislot, Phys. 1. ii. c. 8. 



30 



ARTICLE I. 



heart shall beat, though without that pulse we cannot live ; 
when we have provided nutriment for our stomach, we take 
no counsel how it shall be digested there, or how the chyle is 
distributed to every part for the reparation of the whole ; the 
mother which conceives takes no care how that conceptus shall 
be framed, how all the parts shall be distinguished, and by 
what means or ways the child shall grow within her womb : 
and yet all these operations are directed to their proper ends, 
and that with a greater reason, and therefore by a greater wis- 
dom, than what proceeds from any thing of human understand- 
ing. What then can be more clear, that that those natural 
agents which work constantly for those ends which they them- 
selves cannot perceive, must be directed by some high and 
overruling wisdom? And who can be their director in all their 
operations tending to those ends, but he who gave them their 
beings for those ends? And who is that, but the great Artifi- 
cer who works in all of them ? For art is so far the imitation 
of nature, that if it were not in the artificer, but* in the thing 
itself which by art is framed, the works of art and nature 
would be the same. Were that w^hich frames a watch within 
it, and all those curious wheels wrought without the hand of 
man, it would seem to grow into that form ; nor would there 
be any distinction between the making of that watch, and the 
growing of a plant. Now what the artificer is to works of art, 
who orders and disposes them to other ends than by nature 
they were made, that is the Maker of all things to all natural 
agents, directing all their operations to ends which they can- 
not apprehend ; and thus appears the Maker to be the ruler 
of the world,t the steerer of this great ship, the law of this 
universal commonwealth, the general of all the hosts of hea- 
ven and earth. By these ways, as by the J testimony of the 
creature, we come to find an eternal and independent Being, 
upon which all things else depend, and by which all things 
else are governed; and this we have before supposed to be 
the first notion of God. 

Neither is this any private collection or particular ratioci- 
nation, but the public and universal reason of the world. § 
No age so distant, no country so remote, no people so bar- 
barous, but gives a sufficient testimony of this truth. When 
the Roman Eagle flew over most parts of the habitable world, 
they met with atheism no where, but rather by their miscellany 
deities at Rome, which grew together with their victories, they 



* 'Atottov to juij otec-Qat 'ivma roZ yivea-Qai^ 
£av fxh 'i^Mcri to xivovv Bov'Kevo-a.fxsvov naiToi not 
h T^xyyi ov ^ovXevsrai' Kal yap Bi lv«v Iv rS 
^6Kci) h vavnrtiyiiiri , ofMioog av tk (pinrsi IwoUi. 
Aristot. ibid. 

+ Ka9oXoy, oVef Iv vm KvQe^vfiTV?, Iv ap/nart 
Wop^oj, Iv X'^i'? !COPv<paXo(; , Iv tto'Xe* S"! vofxog, 
iv ar^a roTri^oj Si hyefAcior toSto @eog Iv K6<^(xa}, 



Aristot. de Mund. c. 6. post vied. 

X ' Habet Dominus testimonium totum 
hoc quod sumus, et in quo sumus.' Ter- 
tidl. 

$ 'Afp^at'o? TJf Xoyo? nai varptog ea-rt TtcL<riv 
av^^divotg, oog In ©Hoy to, <rta.vra Koi Sia ©£0U 
hfjiAv cruvso-rmiv. Aristot, de Mundo, c. 6. 
init, 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



31 



shewed no nation was without its God. And since the later 
art of navigation improved hath discovered another part of 
the world, with which no former commerce hath been known, 
although the customs of the people be much different, and 
their manner of religion hold small correspondency with any 
in these parts of the world professed, yet in this all agree, that 
some religious observances they retain, and a Divinity they 
acknowledge. Or if any nation be discovered which maketh 
no profession of piety, and exerciseth no religious observ- 
ances, it followeth not from thence that they acknowledge no 
God ; for they may only deny his providence, as the Epicu- 
reans did ; or if any go farther, their numbers are so few, that 
they must be inconsiderable in respect of mankind. And 
therefore so much of the Creed hath been the general con- 
fession of all nations,^ I believe in God. Which were it not 
a most certain truth grounded upon principles obvious unto 
all, what reason could be given of so universal a consent; or 
how can it be imagined that all men should conspire to de- 
ceive themselves and their posterity ? + 

Nor is the reason only general, and the consent unto it uni- 
versal, but God hath still preserved and quickened the wor- 
ship due unto his name, by the patefaction of himself. Things 
which are to come are so beyond our knowledge, that the 
wisest man can but conjecture : and being we are assured of 
the contingency of future things, and our ignorance of the 
concurrence of several free causes to the production of an ef- 
fect, we may be sure that certain and infallible predictions 
are clear divine patefactions. For none but he who made all 
things and gave them power to work, none but he who ruleth 
all things and ordereth and directeth all their operations to 
their ends, none but he upon whose will the actions of all 
things depend, can possibly be imagined to foresee the effects 
depending merely on those causes. And therefore by what 
means we may be assured of a prophecy, by the same we 
may be secured of a Divinity. Except then all the annals of 
the world were forgeries, and all remarks of history designed to 
put a cheat upon posterity, we can have no pretence to suspect 
God's existence, having so ample testimonies of his influence. 

The works of nature appear by observation uniform, and 
there is a certain sphere of every body's power and activity. 
If then any action be performed, which is not within the 
compass of the power of any natural agent ; if any thing be 
wrought by the intervention of a body which beareth no pro- 
portion to it, or hath no natural aptitude so to work ; it must 
be ascribed to a cause transcending all natural causes, and 



* * Nulla gens usquam est adeo con- 
tral ages moresque projecta, ut non ali- 
quos Deos credat.' Sen, epist. cxvii. p. 
577. 



t * Nec in hunc furorem omnes mor- 
tales consensissent alloquendi surda nu- 
mina et inefficaces Deos.' Snn. 1. iv. 'le 
benef. c. 4. 



32 



ARTICLE I. 



disposing all their operations. Thus every miracle proves its 
author, and every act of omnipotency is a sufficient demon- 
stration of a Deity. And that man must be possessed with a 
strange opinion of the wickedness of our fathers, and the tes- 
timony of all former ages, who shall deny that ever any mira- 
cle was wrought. We have heard with our ears, O God, 
our fathers have told us what works thou didst in their days, 
in the times of old. — Blessed be the Lord God, who only doeth 
wondrous works." (Psal. xliv. 1. Ixxii. 18.) 

Nor are we only informed by the necessary dependency of 
all things on God, as effects upon their universal cause, or 
his external patefactions unto others, and the consentient ac- 
knowledgment of mankind ; but every particular person hath 
a particular remembrancer in himself, as a sufficient testimony 
of his Creator, Lord, and Judge. We know there is a great 
force of conscience in all men, by which their thoughts are 
ever accusing, or excusing them (Rom. ii. 15.) they feel a 
comfort in those virtuous actions which they find themselves 
to have wrought according to their rule, a sting and secret 
remorse for all vicious acts and impious machinations. Nay 
those who strive most to deny a God, and to obliterate all 
sense of Divinity out of their own souls, have not been least 
sensible of this remembrancer in their breasts. It is true 
indeed, that a false opinion of God, and a superstitious per- 
suasion which hath nothing of the true God in it, may breed 
a remorse of conscience in those who think it true ; and there- 
fore some may hence collect that the force of conscience is 
only grounded upon an opinion of a Deity, and that opinion 
may be false. But if it be a truth, as the testimonies of the 
wisest writers of most different persuasions , and experience 
of all sorts of persons of most various inclinations, do agree, 
that the remorse of conscience can never be obliterated, then 
it rather proveth than supposeth an opinion of a Divinity; 
and that man which most peremptorily denieth God's exist- 
ence is the greatest argument himself that there is a God. Let 
Caligula profess himself an atheist, and with that profession 
hide his head, or run under his bed, when the thunder strikes 
his ears, and lightning flashes in his eyes ; those terrible 
works of nature put him in mind of the power, and his own 
guilt of the justice of God; whom while in his wilful opinion 
he weakly denieth, in his involuntary action he strongly as- 
serteth. So that a Deity will either be granted or extorted, 
and where it is not acknowledged it will be manifested. Only 
unhappy is that man who denies him to himself, and proves 
him to others ; who will not* acknowledge his existence, 
of whose power he cannot be ignorant, God is not far from 
every one of us." (Acts xvii. 27.) The proper discourse of 

* ♦ Haec est summa delicti, nolle agnoscere quern iguorare non possis.' 
S. Cyprian, de Idol. Van, §. 5. fin. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



33 



St. Paul to the philosophers of Athens was, that " they might 
feel after him and find him." (Ibid.) Some children have 
been so ungracious as to refuse to give the honour due unto 
their parent, but never any so irrational as to deny they had 
a father. As for those who have dishonoured God, it may 
stand most with their interest, and therefore they may wish 
there were none ; but cannot consist with their reason to assert 
there is none, when even the very poets of the heathen have 
taught us that we are his offspring." (Acts xvii. 28.) 

It is necessary thus to believe there is a God, First, Be- 
cause there can be no divine faith without this belief. For 
all faith is therefore only divine, because it relieth upon the 
authority of God giving testimony to the object of it ; but that 
which hath no being can have no authority, can give no tes- 
timony. The ground of his authority is his veracity, the 
foundations of his veracity are his omniscience and sanctity, 
both which suppose his essence and existence, because what 
is not is neither knowing nor holy. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe a Deity, that thereby 
we may acknowledge such a nature extant as is worthy of, 
and may justly challenge from us, the highest worship and 
adoration. For it were vain to be religious and to exercise 
devotion, except there were a Being to which all such holy 
applications were most justly due. Adoration implies sub- 
mission and dejection, so that while we worship we cast down 
ourselves : there must be therefore some great eminence in the 
object worshipped, or else we should dishonour our own nature 
in the worship of it. But when a Being is presented of that 
intrinsical and necessary perfection, that it depends on no- 
thing, and all things else depend on that, and are wholly 
governed and disposed by it, this worthily calls us to our knees, 
and shews the humblest of our devotions to be but just and 
loyal retributions. 

This necessary truth hath been so universally received, that 
we shall always find all nations of the world more prone unto 
idolatry than to atheism, and readier to multiply than to deny 
the Deity. But our faith teacheth us equally to deny them 
both, and each of them is renounced in these words, / believe 
in God. First, in God affirmatively, / believe he is, against 
atheism. Secondly, in God exclusively, not in gods, against 
polytheism and idolatry. Although therefore the existence and 
unity of God be two distinct truths, yet are they of so necessary 
dependence and intimate coherence, that both may be expressed 
by^ one word, and included in one f Article. 

* * Solum Deura confirmas, quein tan- Patrem omnipotentem, et in Jesum Chris- 
tum Deum nominas.' TertulL. cle Teitim. turn Filium ejus :' one of the Eutychians 
Anim(e,c.2. When Leo, bishop of Rome, objected with this question : 'Cur non 
in an Epistle to Flavianus, had written dixerit in «»mm Deum Patrem, et in tuutm 
these words, ep. x. c. 2. ' Fidelium uni- Jesum, juxta Nicjeni Decretum Conciliil' 
versitas profitetur credere ae in Deum To which Vigilius, bishop of Trent, or 



34 



ARTICLE I. 



And that the unity of the Godhead is concluded in this Ar- 
ticle is apparent, not only because the Nicene Council so ex- 
pressed it by way of exposition, but also because this Creed 
in the ^churches of the east, before the Council of Nice, had 
that addition in it, / believe in one God, We begin our Creed 
then as +Plato did his chief and prime epistles, who gave this 
distinction to his friends, that the name of God was prefixed 
before those that were more serious and remarkable, but of gods, 
in the plural, to such as were more vulgar and trivial. Unto 
thee it was shelved (saith Moses to Israel), that thou mightest 
know that the Lord he is God, there is none else beside him." 
(Deut. iv. 35.) And as the Law, so the Gospel teacheth us the 
same. " We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and 
there is none other God but one." (1 Cor. viii. 4.) This unity 
of the Godhead will easily appear as necessary as the existence, 
so that it must be as impossible there should he more gods than 
one, as that there should be none : w^iich will clearly be de- 
monstrated, first, out of the nature of God, to which multipli- 
cation is repugnant ; and secondly, from the government as he 
is Lord, in which we must not admit confusion. 

For, first, the nature of God consists in this, that he is the 
prime and original cause of all things, as an independent 
Being upon which all things else depend, and likewise the ulti- 
mate end or final cause of all ; but in this sense two prime 
causes are imaginable, and for all things to depend of one, and 
to be more independent beings than one, is a clear contradic- 
tion. This primity God requires to be attributed to himself ; 
" Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called, I am he, I 
am the first, I also am the last." (Isa. xlviii. 12.) And from 
this primity he challengeth his unity; Thus saith the Lord, 
the King of Israel, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hosts, I am 
the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God." 
(Isa. xliv. 6.) 



rather of Tapsus, gives this answer : 
* Sed Roma? et antequam Nicsena Syno- 
dus conveniret, a temporibus Apostolorum 
usque ad nunc, ita fidelibus Symbolum 
traditur, nec prjejudicant verba ubi sen- 
sus incolumis permanet : magis enim cum 
D. J. Christi sententia hcec fidei professio 
facit, dicentis, Creditis in Deum, et in me 
credite : (loan. xiv. l.)nec dixit in in^um 
Deum Patrem, et in uninn meipsum. 
Qais enim nesciat, unum esse Deum, et 
unum J. Christum Filium ejus.' Vigil. 
I. iv. contra Eutvch. §. 1. 

t Rab. Chasdai in Or Adonai. R. Jo- 
seph Albo in Hikkarim. 

* ' Orientales Ecclesife omnesista tra- 
dunt : Credo in inium Deum Patrem omni- 
pptentem.' Ruff, Symb, §. 4. ' Bene 
haec omnia poterunt ad solos Haereticos 
pertinere, quia falsaverunt Symbolum, 



dum alter dixerit duos Decs, cum Deus 
unus sit.' Optat. 1. i. p. 13. ed. Lond. 
1631. ' Nos enim et scimus, etlegimus, 
et credimus, et tenemus, unum esse 
Deum, qui fecit coelum pariter ac terram, 
quoniam nec alterum novimus, nec nosse, 
cum nullus sit, aliquando poterimus.' 
Kovatianiis de Trinit. c. 30. And before 
all these Ireneeus, citing under the title 
of Scripture, a passage out of the book 
of Hermas, called Pastor : ' Bene ergo 
Scriptura dicit, Primo omnium crede quo- 
niam unus est Deus, qui omnia constituit 
et consummavit, et fecit ex eo quod non 
erat, ut essent omnia, omnium capax, et 
qui a nemine capiatur.' 1. iv. c. 37. 

t Etiseh. in demonstr. Evaiig. 1. iii. §. 
r'. p. 129. The passage is yet extant in 
the epistles of Plato. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



35 



Again, if there were more gods than one, then were not all 
perfections in one, neither formally, by reason of their distinc- 
tion, nor eminently and virtually, for then one should have 
power to produce the other, and that nature which is produc- 
ible is not divine. But all acknowledge God to be absolutely 
and infinitely perfect, in whom all perfections imaginable which 
are simply such must be contained formally, and all others 
which imply any mixture of imperfection virtually. 

But were no arguments brought from the infinite perfections 
of the divine nature able to convince us, yet were the consi- 
deration of his supreme dominion sufficient to persuade us. 
The will of God is infinitely free, and by that freedom doth he 
govern and dispose of all things. *^ He doth according to his 
will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the 
earth,'' (Dan. iv. 35.) said Nebuchadnezzar out of his experi- 
ence ; and St. Paul expresseth him as working all things after 
the counsel of his own will." (Ephes. i. 11.) If then there 
were more supreme governors of the world than one, each of 
them absolute and free, they might have contrary determina- 
tions concerning the same thing, than which nothing can be 
more prejudicial unto government. God is a God of order, 
not confusion; and therefore of unity, not admitting multipli- 
cation. If it be better that the *Universe should be governed 
by one than many, we may be assured that it is so, because 
nothing must be conceived of God but what is best. He there- 
fore who made all things, by that right is Lord of all, and be- 
cause all tpower is his, he alone ruleth over all. 

Now God is not only one, but hath a n?iiti/X peculiar to 
himself by which he is the onli/ God; and that not only by 
way of actuality, but also of possibility. Every individual 
man is one, but so as there is a second and a third, and con- 
sequently every one is part of a number, and concurring to a 
multitude. The sun indeed is one; so as there is neither 



* To, ovra. ov BovXerai 7roXsT£i;s<r&a» xajta!;* 
OvH. aya.6ov '^roXunoipavir:, Big noifavog. Aristot. 
Metaph. 1. xii. c. ult. 

t ' Uims omnium Domiuus est Deus : 
neque enim ilia sublimitas potest habere 
consortem, cum sola omnem teneat po- 
testatem.' S. Cypriun. de Idol. Vanit.'^.o. 
im" xbT d-dt:' x"? Kin inx ht mbx t 
p nnx rmn-o rxu' inx xbx n^^ir by 
xinu' r^n Tnx xb -obiyn □"'x-:fD3n onnxn 
pbm K)r])i/ cjiai inx xbi -nmn onnx bbiD 
inn Tin"" r^^^ ^nx xbx mii^pbi mpbn?:b 

: Dbiya im?3D God is one, not two, or 
more than two, but only one ; whose unity 
is not like to that of the individuals of this 
world, neither is he one by way of species 
cornprehending many individuals, neither one 
in the manner (fa body which is divisible 
into parts and extremes : but he is so one, 
as no unity like his is to be found in the 



world. Moses Maim, de Fundam. Legis, 
c. i. §. 4. ' Quod autem diximus, Ori- 
entis Ecclesias traders unum Patrem 
Omnipotentem, et unum Dominum, hoc 
modo intelligendum est, unum non nu- 
mero dici, sed universitate : verbi gratia, 
si quis dicat unum hominem, aut unum 
equum, hie unum pro numero posuit, 
potest enim et alius homo esse, et terdus, 
vel equus. Ubi autem secundus et ter- 
tius non potest jungi, unus si dicatur, 
non numeri, sed universitatis est nomen. 
Ut si exempli causa dicamus unum So- 
lem, hie unus ita dicitur ut alius vel ter- 
tius addi non possit ; multo magis Deus 
cum unus dicitur, unus non numeri, sed 
universitatis vocabulo nuncupatar, id est, 
qui propterea unus dicatur, quod alius 
non sit.' Rnffin. in Symh. §. 6. 

2 



36 



ARTICLE i. 



third nor second sun, at least within the same vortex : but 
though there be not, yet there might have been ; neither in the 
unity of the solar nature is there any repugnancy to plurality ; 
for that God which made this world, and in this " the sun to 
rule the day," might have made another world by the same 
fecundity of his omnipotency, and another sun to rule in that. 
Whereas in the divine nature there is an intrinsical and es- 
sential singularity, because no other being can have any ex- 
istence but from that; and whatsoever essence hath its exist- 
ence from another is not God. " I am the Lord (saith he), 
and there is none else, there is no God besides me : that they 
may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that 
there is none besides me, I am the Lord, and there is none 
else." (Isa. xlv. 5, 6. Deut. iv. 35. and xxxii. 39. Psal. xviii. 
31.) He who hath infinite knowledge knoweth no other God 
beside himself. " Is there a God besides me? yea, there is no 
God, I know not any," (Isa. xlv. 18. 21, 22. and xliv. 8.) 
And we who believe in him, and desire to enjoy him, need 
for that end to know no other God but him : For this is life 
eternal, that they might know thee the only true God ;" (John 
xvii. 3.)* as certainly owe, as God. 

It is necessary thus to believe the unity of the Godhead, 
that being assured there is a nature worthy of our devotions, 
and challenging our religious subjection, w^e may learn to 
know whose that nature is to which we owe our adorations, 
lest our minds should wander and fluctuate in our worship 
about various and uncertain objects. If we should apprehend 
more gods than one, I know not what could determine us in 
any instant to the actual adoration of any one : for w^here no 
difference doth appear (as, if there were many, and all by na- 
ture gods, there could be none), what inclination could we 
have, what reason could we imagine, to prefer or elect any one 
before the rest for the object of our devotions ? Thus is it 
necessary to believe the unity of God in respect of us who are 
obliged to worship him. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe the unity of God in re- 
spect of him who is to be worshipped. Without this acknow- 
ledgment we cannot give unto God the things which are God's, 
it being part of the worship and honour due unto God, to ac- 
cept of no compartner with him. When the Law was given, 
in the observance whereof the religion of the Israelites con- 



* ' Veritas Christiana districte pro- 
nunciavit, Deus si 7ion umis est, non est ; 
quia dignius credimus iion esse, quodcun- 
que non ita faerit ut esse debebit.' Ter- 
tull. adv. Marclon. 1. i. c. S. ' Deus cum 
summum magnum sit, recte Veritas nostra 
pronunciavit, Deus si non unus est, iicni est. 
Non quasi dubitemus esse Deum, di- 
cendo, si non uaus, non est Deus ; sed 



quia, quern confidimus esse, idem defini- 
amus esse, quod si non est, Deus non est, 
summum scilicet magnum. Porro, sum- 
mum magnum unicum sit necesse est, 
ergo et Deus unicus erit, non aliter Deus, 
nisi summum magnum ; nec aliter sum- 
mum magnum, nisi parem non habens ; 
nec aliter parem non habens, nisi unicu 
fuerit.' Ibid. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. 



37 



sisted, the first precept was this prohibition, " Thou shalt have 
no other gods before me (Exod. xx. 3.) and whosoever 
violateth this, denieth the foundation on which all the rest de- 
pend, as the Jews observe. This is the true reason of that 
strict precept by which all are commanded to give divine 
worship to God only, " Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, 
and him only shalt thou serve (Matt. iv. 10.) because he 
alone is God : him only shalt thou fear, because he alone hath 
infinite power; in him only shalt thou trust, because "he only 
is our rock and our salvation;" (Psal. Ixii. 2.) to him alone 
shalt thou direct thy devotions, because " he only knoweth 
the hearts of the children of men." (2 Chron. vi. 30.) Upon 
this foundation the whole heart of man is entirely required of 
him, and engaged to him. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God 
is one God : And (or rather. Therefore) thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and 
with all thy might." (Deut. vi. 4, 5.) Whosoever were truly 
and by nature God, could not choose but challenge our love 
upon the ground of an infinite excellency, and transcendent 
beauty of holiness ; and therefore if there were more Gods 
than one, our love must necessarily be terminated unto + more 
than one, and consequently divided between them ; and as our 
love, so also the proper effect thereof, our cheerful and ready 
obedience, which, like the child propounded to the judgment 
of Solomon, as soon as it is divided, is destroyed. No man 
can serve two masters : for either he will hate the one, and 
love the other: or else he will hold to the one, and despise the 
other." (Matt. vi. 24.) 

Having thus described the first notion of a God, having de- 
monstrated the existence and unity of that God, and having in 
these three particulars comprised all which can be contained 
in this part of the Article, we may now clearly deliver, and 
every particular Christian understand, what it is he says when 
he makes his confession in these words, / believe in God: which 
in correspondence with the precedent discourse may be thus 
expressed : 

Forasmuch as by all things created is made known the 
eternal power and Godhead," (Rom. i. 20.) and the depen- 
dency of all limited beings infers an infinite and independent 
essence ; whereas all things are for some end, and all their 
operations directed to it, although they cannot apprehend 
that end for which they are, and in prosecution of which they 



* Moses Maimon. de Fundam. Legis, 
c. 1. §. 3. 

t • Numerus divinitatis summa ra- 
tions constare deberet, vel quoniam et 
cultura ejus in anceps deduceretur. Ecce 
enim, duos intuens Deos tam pares quam 
duo summa magna, quid facerem si ambos 
colerem 1 Vererer, ne abundantia officii 



superstitio potius quam religio crede- 
retur : quia duos tam pares et in altero 
ambos possem in uno demereri : hoc ipso 
testimonium praestans parilitati et unitati 
eorum, dum alterum in altero venerarer, 
dum in uno mihi duo sunt.' Tertidl. adi\ 
Marcion. I. i. c. 5. 



38 



ARTICLE I. 



work, and therefore must be guided by some universal and 
overruling wisdom; being this collection is so evident, that 
all the nations of the earth have made it ; being God hath not 
only written himself in the lively characters of his creatures, 
but hath also made frequent patefactions of his Deity by most 
infallible predictions and supernatural operations : therefore I 
fully assent unto, freely acknowledge, and clearly profess, this 
truth, that there is a God. 

Again, being a prime and independent Being supposeth all 
other to depend, and consequently no other to be God ; being 
the entire fountain of all perfections is incapable of a double 
head, and the most perfect government of the Universe speaks 
the supreme dominion of one absolute Lord; hence do I ac- 
knowledge that God to be but one, and in this unity, or rather 
singularity of the Godhead, excluding all actual or possible 
multiplication of a Deity, I believe in God. 

I BELIEVE IN God the Father. 

After the confession of a Deity, and assertion of the divine 
unity, next consideration is concerning God's pate rriity ; 
for that one God is Father of all,'' (Eph. iv. 6.) and " to us 
there is but one God, the Father." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) 

Now, although the Christian notion of the Divine paternity 
be some way peculiar to the evangelical patefaction ; yet* 
wheresoever God hath been acknowledged, he hath been un- 
derstood and worshipped as a Father : the very heathent poets 
so describe their gods, and their vulgar names did cmy father^ 
in them, as the most popular and universal notion. 

This name of Father is a relative ; and the proper founda- 
tion of paternity, as of a relation, is generation. As therefore 
the phrase of generating is diversely attributed unto several 
acts of the same nature with generation properly taken, or by 
consequence attending on it; so the title of Father is, given 
unto divers persons or things, and for several reasons unto the 
same God. " These are the generations of the heavens and 
the earth, when they were created, in the day that the Lord 



* * Omnem Deum qui ab homine co- 
litur, necesse est inter solennes ritus et 
precationes Patrem nuncupari ; non tan- 
tum honoris gratia, sed et rationis, et quod 
antiquior est homine, et quod vitam, sa- 
lutem, victum prajstat, ut pater. Itaque 
et Jupiter a precantibus Pater vocatur, et 
Satumus, et Janus, et Liber, et caeteri 
deinceps.' Lactan. de ver. Sap. 1. iv. c. 3. 

t That so frequent in Homer, Trarh^ 
av^pZv TE S^sSv TV ' eundemque appellans 
dicit Ennius : Divumque hominumque 
pater rex.' Var. de L. L. 1. iv. p. 18. ed. 
1581. As Servius observes of Virgil : 
- A poeta pene omnibus Diis nomen Pa- 



ternum additur, ut fiant venerabiliores:' 
And before him Lucilius : 
* Ut nemo sit nostrum, quin pater optimu' 
Divum, 

Ut Neptunu' Pater, Liber, Saturnu' Pa- 
ter, Mars, 

Janu', Quirinu' Pater nomen dicatur ad 
unum.' Lactan. lb. 

X A& Jupiter, which is Jovis Pater, or 
TjivTrkroo^, otherwise Diespiter, or AuVaTw^ : 
and Marspiter, of whom Servius, • apud 
Pontifiees Marspiter dicitur,' ^neid. l.iii. 
v. 35. So Semipater for Semo, and SapS'o- 
TTaTwp for Sardus, the proper Deity of 
Sardinia. Piolem. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



39 



God made the earth and heavens," (Gen. ii. 4.) saith Moses. 
So that the creation or production of any thing by which it is, 
and before was not, is a kind of generation, and consequently 
the creator or producer of it a kind of Father. " Hath the rain 
a Father ? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew ?" (Job 
xxxviii. 28.) by which words Job signifies, that as there is no 
other cause assignable of the rain but God, so may he as the 
cause be called the Father of it, though not in the most proper 
sense,"* as he is the Father of his Son : and so the t philoso- 
phers of old, who thought that God did make the world, called 
him expressly, as the Maker, so the Father of it. And thus 
" to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all 
things (1 Cor. viii. 6.) to which the words following in the 
Creed may seem to have relation, the Father Almighty, Maker 
of heaven and earth. But in this mass of creatures and body of 
the Universe, some works of the creation more properly call 
him Father^ as being more rightly sons : such are all the ra- 
tional and intellectual offspring of the Deity. Of merely na- 
tural beings and irrational agents he is J the creator; of ra- 
tional, as so, the Father also : they are his creatures, these his 
sons. Hence he is styled the " Father of spirits." (Heb. xii. 9.) 
and the blessed angels, when he laid the foundations of the 
earth, his sons ; " When the morning stars sang together, and 
all the sons of God shouted for joy (Job xxxviii. 7.) hence 
man, whom he created after his own image, is called his off- 
spring," (Acts xvii. 28.) and Adam, the immediate work of 
his hands, the son of God :" (Luke iii. 38.) hence may we 
all cry out with the Israelites taught by the prophet so to 
speak, *^ Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God 
created us ?" (Malac. ii. 10.) Thus the first and most universal 
notion of God's 'paternity in a borrowed or metaphorical sense 
is founded rather upon creation than procreation. 

Unto this act of creation is annexed that of conservation, 
by which God doth uphold and preserve in being that which 
at first he made, and to which he gave its being. As there- 



aKovBi, Koi iT£f(Wf vlov. Seoerus, Cat. Patr, 
in Job. c. 26. p. 551. 

t Plutarch of Plato, calling God wa- 
re^a tvavTeDv Koi ttoihtw, says : t^i f/.era<pofa, 
^oofxBvog, coiTTrep si'wSe, tcv aWiov Tiare^a tou 
KocTfxov hbkXws. Ptaton. QucESt. ii. And Al- 
cimus : Tranp SI la-ri ahiot; sTvai Trhrm. 

X So Flutarcli answers the question, 
why Plato terms God the Maker and Fa- 
ther of all things : *H tSv ^.h ©eSv tZv 
j/swhtSv Kai TfiSv avB^cimtuv na-Tn^ ha-rr TTom- 
rng Se rSiv aXoycDv naX a-]'V-)(MV, Father of 
gods and men, Maker of all things inanimate 
and irrational. Ov ya§ p^opi'oy, <^nirt Xgu- 
(jiTtTtcq, itcLTi^a. KoJKiicr^ai rov 'nrapairj^ovTtt to 
vsTi^fAct, Kai-mBp Ik toZ a-i!rB^{/,arog ysyovoTog, 



Non enim agri pater, si Chrysippo credimus, 
is dicitur qici eum consevit, quanqiiam e se- 
mine deinde fruges nascantur : as the Latin 
translation most absurdly. Ibid. For 
there is neither com, nor field, nor any 
seed belonging to them, in the words of 
Plutarch. But ;i^;ojiov (not xiwfiov) is the 
secunda, the coat (or rather coats in the 
acceptation of Chrysippus, and the lan- 
guage of those times) in which the fa tus 
is involved in the mother's womb. Though 
therefore both the secxaidu and the foitns 
be made of the seed of the male in the 
philosophy of Chrysippus, yet he is not 
called the father of the after-birth, but of 
the child ; the one being endued with life 
and reason, and the other not. 



40 



ARTICLE I. 



fore it is the duty of the parent to educate and preserve the 
child as that which had its being from him ; so this paternal 
education doth give the name of ^ Father unto man, and con- 
servation gives the same to God. 

Again, redemption from a state of misery, by which a people 
hath become worse than nothing, unto a happy condition, is a 
kind of generation, which joined with love, care, and indulg- 
ence in the Redeemer, is sufficient to found a new paternity , 
and give him another title of a Father, Well might Moses 
tell the people of Israel, now brought out of the land of Egypt 
from their brick and straw, unto their quails and manna, unto 
their milk and honey, ^*Is not he thy Father that hath bought 
thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?" (Deut. 
xxxii. 6.) Well might God speak unto the same people as to 
" his son, even his first-born," (Exod. iv. 22.) Thus saith the 
Lord thy Redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb. 
Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of 
the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, 
which are carried from the womb." (Isa. xliv. 24. xlvi. 3.) 
And just is the acknowledgment made by that people instructed 
by the prophet, " Doubtless thou art our Father, though Abra- 
ham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not ; thou, 
O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, from everlasting is thy 
name." (Isa. Ixiii. 16.) And thus another kind of paternal 
relation of God unto the sons of men is founded on a restitution 
or temporal redemption. 

Besides, if to be born causeth relation to ^father, then to be 
born again maketh an addition of another: and if to generate 
foundeth, then to regenerate addeth a paternity. Now though 
we cannot " enter the second time into our mother's womb," nor 
pass through the same door into the scene of life again ; yet we 
believe and are persuaded that *' except a man be born again, he 
cannot see the kingdom of God." (Johniii. 4. 3.) A double 
birth there is, and the world+ consists of tw^o, the first and the 
second man. And though the incorruptible seed be the word 
of God, and the dispensers of it in some sense may say, as St. 
Paul spake unto the Corinthians, " I have begotten you through 
the Gospel:" (1 Cor. iv. 15.) yet he is the true Father, whose 
word it is, and that is God, even the Father of lights, who of 
his own will begat us with the word of truth." (James i. 17, 
18.) Thus " whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is 
born of God;" (1 John v. 1.) which regeneration is as it were 
a second creation : *'for we are God's workmanship, created in 
Christ Jesus unto good works." (Ephes. ii, 10.) And he 
alone who did create us out of nothing, can beget us again, and 



* So Eustaibius observes out of an inge- 
nious etymologist : Ylarh^ ®s.oq fxh, mi; tj 
7r*v TiipaSv* av^pxTTog ^e, w", roiiq TraTSa; t«- 



t ' Totum hominum genus quodam' 
modo sunt homines duo, primus et se- 
cundus.' Prosp. lib. Sentential'. ex August, 
sent. 299. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



41 



make us of the new creation. When Rachel called to Jacob, 
" Give me children, or else I die he answered her sufficiently 
with this question, ''Ami in God's stead?" (Gen. xxx. 1, 2.) 
And if he only openeth the womb, who else can make the soul* 
to bear? Hence hath he the name of Father, and they of sons 
who are born of him ; and so from that internal act of spi- 
ritual regeneration another title Q^ paternity redoundeth unto 
the Divinity. 

Nor is this the only second birth or sole regeneration in a 
Christian sense ; the soul, which after its natural being requires 
a birth into the life of grace, is also after that born again into 
a life of glory. Our Saviour puts us in mind of " the regenera- 
tion, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory." 
(Matt. xix. 28.) The resurrection of our bodies is a kind of 
coming out of the womb of the earth, and entering upon im- 
mortality, a nativity into another life. For *Hhey which shall 
be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection 
from the dead, are the sons of God, being the sons of the re- 
surrection," (Luke XX. 35, 36.) and then as sons, ** they 
become heirs, coheirs with Christ," (Rom. viii. 17.) receiv- 
ing the promise and reward of eternal inheritance." (Heb. ix. 
15. Col. iii. 24.) Beloved, now are we the sons of God," 
saith St. John, even in this life by regeneration, and it doth 
not yet appear, or, it hath not been yet made manifest,+ what 
we shall be ; but we know, that if he appear, we shall be like 
him:" (1 John iii. 2.) the manifestation of the Father being a 
sufficient declaration of the condition of the sons, when the 
sonship itself consisteth in a similitude of the Father. And 
*' blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which 
according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto 
a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the 
dead; to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that 
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us." (1 Pet. i. 3, 4.) 
Why may not then a second kind of regeneration be thought a 
fit addition of this paternal relation ? 

Neither is there only a natural, but also a voluntary and 
civil foundation o^ paternity ; for the laws have found a way by 
which a man may become a father without procreation : and 
this imitation of naturej is called adoption, taken in the gene- 
ral signification. § Although, therefore, many ways God be a 
Father ; yet, lest any way might seem to exclude us from being 
his sons, he hath made us so also by adoption. Others aie 



* Ov ya,^ avTi ©sou lyi elfjti, rou fxovov 5y- 
vcifxinv rai ^v^^^v [xhT^ctq amyvvva.i,Kai o-wbI- 
psfv Iv avra'i<; agera?, ncu ttouTv lyKVfXovag nai 
TUirova-aq ra. KaXa. Phiio de AUeg. 1. iii. 
p. 122. ed. Mang. 1742. 

t Kctt oiiTfoi) l<f)av£fOL-9i. 

t ' Adoptio natur?e similitudo est, ut 
aliquis filium habere possit, queiu non 



generavit.' Caii Inst. 1. tit. 5. §. 1. Ti 

la-riv vlodiTia. ; vo/t>c/^>) Tr^a^ig fxifxovfx'i'nn t«v 

Theoph. Inst. 1. t. 11. 

^ 'H vloQsa-ict 'Poofxaint}' (poovn XsyBrui aSoTT- 
Tiw avrn tZaa. yzviKoyhofxa si; ^vcn StaifErTctt, 

Theoph. ibid. 



42 



ARTICLE I. 



wont to fly to this, as to a comfort of their solitary condition, 
when either nature had denied them, or death bereft them of 
their offspring.* Whereas God doth it not for his own, but 
for our salies ; nor is the advantage his, but ours. " Behold 
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that 
we should be called the sons of God (1 Johniii. 1.) that we, 
the sons of disobedient and condemned Adam by natural ge- 
neration, should be translated into the glorious liberty of the 
sons of God by adoption ; that we, who were aliens, strangers, 
and enemies, should be assumed " unto the Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, of whom all the family f of heaven and earth is 
named," (Eph. iii. 14, 15.) and be made partakers of **the 
riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints." (Eph. i. 
18.) For as in the legal adoption, the father hath as full and 
absolute power over his adopted son as over his own issue 
so in the spiritual, the adopted sons have a clear and undoubted 
right of inheritance. He, then, who hath ''predestinated us 
unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself," (Eph. 
i. 5.) hath thereby another kind of paternal relation, and so 
we receive the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Fa- 
ther." (Rom. viii. 15.) 

The necessity of this faith in God as our Father appeareth, 
first, in that it is the ground of all our filial fear, honour, and 
obedience due unto him upon this relation. " Honour thy 
father is the first commandment with promise," (Eph. vi. 2.) 
written in tables of stone with the finger of God ; and, " chil- 
dren obey your parents in the Lord," is an evangelical precept, 
but founded upon principles of reason and justice ; " for this is 
right," saith St. Paul. (Ephes. vi. 1.) And if there be such a 
rational and legal obligation of honour and obedience to the 
fathers of our Jiesh, how much more must we think ourselves 
obliged to him whom we believe to be our heavenly and ever- 
lasting Father ? " A son honoureth his father, and a servant 
his master. If then I be a father, where is my honour? and 
if I be a master, where is ray fear? saith the Lord of hosts." 



* ' Spadones autem qui generare non 
possunt, adoptare possunt ; et, licet filios 
generare non possint, quos adoptaverunt 
filios habere possunt.' Caii Inst. 1. tit. 
5. §. 3. * Hi qui generare non possunt, 
velut spado, utroque modo possunt adop- 
tare. Idem juris est in ccelibe.' TJ lip. tit. 
9. §. 5. Tvxpv ova lyoi T(? TraTJaf S'ia to 

cflai II Tovrovq^ to Ik t??? (^va-iooq IXaTTCOfAa, 
n TO s-vy-^kv ^ua-Tv-xpy-o- ^ouXo'^svo? l'!TiMv<^i- 
aai, s'kaBsv eif vloBEiriav rtva. Theoph. Inst. 
i. tit. 11. ToTg arv)(ovs-iv airai^lav Xusiv 
^ouXofASvog TO ^va-rv^r]fxa vojxoQ vloBtrs^a-Qai 
TT^Qcrraa-a-ii, Koi yvcifxr, IhbTvo urao-Qai, o [xh 



Novel. 27. 

t ' In alienam familiam transitus,' is 
the description in Ageliius, 1. 5. 19. 
' Cum in alienam familiam inque libe- 
rorum locum extranei sumuntur, aut per 
preetorem fit, aut per populum : quod per 
prsetorem fit, adoptio dicitur ; quod per 
populum, arrogatio.' Ibid. 

I As appears out of the form of Roga- 
tion yet extant in this manner; ' Velitis, 
jubeatis, Quirites, uti Lucius Valerius 
Lucio Titio, tarn jure legeque filius sibi 
siet, quam si ex eo patre matreque fami- 
lias ejus natus esset, utique ei vitai necis- 
que in eo potestas siet, uti patri endo 
filio estr Ibid. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



43 



(Malac. i. 6.) If we be heirs, we must be coheirs with Christ ; 
if sons, we must be brethren to the only-begotten : but being 
he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent 
him, he acknowledgeth no fraternity but with such as do the 
same ; as he hath said, " Whosoever shall do the will of my 
Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother." (Matt. xii. 
50.) If it be required of a bishop in the church of God, to 
be " one that ruleth well his own house, having his children 
in subjection with all gravity (1 Tim.iii. 4.) what obedience 
must be due, what subjection must be paid, unto the Father of 
the family ? 

The same relation in the object of our faith is the life of our 
devotions, the expectation of all our petitions. Christ, who 
taught his disciples, and us in them, how to pray, propounded 
not the knowledge of God, though without that he could not 
hear us ; neither represented he his power, though without that 
he cannot help us ; but comprehended all in this relation. 
When ye pray, say. Our Father." (Luke xi.2.) This prevents 
all vain repetitions of our most earnest desires, and gives us full 
security to cut off all tautology, for " Our Father knoweth what 
things we have need of before we ask him." (Matt. vi. 8.) This 
creates a clear assurance of a grant without mistake of our pe- 
tition : " What man is there of us, who if his son ask bread, 
will give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he give him a 
serpent? If we then who are evil know how to give good gifts 
unto our children ; how much more shall our Father which is 
in heaven give good things to them that ask him." (Matt. vii. 
9—11.)^ 

Again, this paternity is the proper foundation of our Chris- 
tian patience, sweetening all afflictions with the name and 
nature of fatherly corrections. We have had fathers of our 
flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence : shall 
we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of spirits, 
and live?" especially considering, that " they chastened us 
after their own pleasure ; but he for our profit, that we might 
be partakers of his holiness:" (Heb. xii. 9, 10. )t they, as an 
argument of their authority ; he, as an assurance of his love : 
they, that we might acknowledge them to be our parents ; he, 
that he might persuade us that we are his sons : " for whom the 
Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he 
receiveth." (Heb. xii. 6.) And what greater incitement unto 
the exercise of patience is imaginable unto a suffering soul, 
than to see in every stroke the hand of a Father, in every afflic- 



To. ^iipno ai fovfj,Bvaiv avr] tS)v ^eXriomv. Zenob, 
'O S' avr] ittitovq crKo^Triov CTcka-aq. Lyco- 

ph'on. Cassund. ver. 476. 

t * Quod si a Domino nonnulla cre- 

dimus incuti, cui magis patientiam quam 

Domino pr^beamus ? Quin insuper gra- 



tulari et gaudere nos docet dignatione 
divinaj castigationis. Ego, inquit, quos 
diligo castigo. O servum ilium beatum, 
cujus emendationi Dominus instat, cui 
dignatur irasci, quern admonendi dissi- 
mulatione non decipit !' Tertull. de Pat. 
c. 11. 



44 



ARTICLE I. 



tion a demonstration of his love ? Or how canst thou repine, or 
be guilty of the least degree of impatiency, even in the sharp- 
est corrections, if " thou shalt know with thine heart, that as a 
man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee?" 
(Deut. viii. 5.) How canst thou not be comforted, and even 
rejoice in the midst of thy greatest sufferings, when thouknow- 
est that he which striketh pitieth, he which aflBicteth is as it 
were afflicted with it ? For like as a father pitieth his children, 
so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." (Psal. ciii. 13.) 

Lastly, the same relation strongly inferreth an absolute ne- 
cessity of our imitation ; it being clearly vain to assume the 
title of son without any similitude of the father. What is the"^ 
general notion of generation but the production of the like ; 
nature, ambitious of perpetuity, striving to preserve the species 
in the multiplication and succession of individuals ? And this 
similitude consisteth partly in essentials, or the likeness of 
nature ; partly in accidentals, or the likeness in figure,t or af- 
fections.J " Adam begat a son in his own likeness, after his 
image (Gen. v. 3.) and can we imagine those the sons of 
God which are no way like him ? A similitude of nature we 
must not, of figure we cannot pretend unto : it remains then 
only that we bear some likeness in our actions and affections. 
** Be ye therefore followers (saith the apostle), or rather^ imi- 
tators, of God, as dear children. (Ephes. v. l.)]] What he 
hath revealed of himself, that we must express within ourselves. 
Thus God spake unto the children of Israel, whom he styled his 
son, " Ye shall be holy, for I am holy." (Lev. xi. 44. xix. 2. 
XX. 7.) And the apostle upon the same ground speaketh unto 
us, as to *' obedient children " As he that hath called you is 
holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." (1 Pet. i. 
14, 15.) ^ It is part of the general beneficence and universal 
goodness of our God, that he maketh his sun to rise on the 
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the 
unjust:" (Matt. V. 45.)^ These impartial beams and undis- 
tinguishing showers are but to shew us what we ought to do, 
and to make us fruitful in the w^orks of God ; for no other rea- 
son Christ has given us this command, " Love your enemies, 
bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, that 
ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven." 
(Matt. V. 44, 45.)** No other command did he give upon this 



* nSv TO j/EwSSv ofxeiov iavrZ ymS. S. 
Epiphan, Har. Ixxvi. §. 6. 

t Ta ofA,oia yiyvBcrQcti TOig ymf)<ra<j-i to. 
snyovct, liiXoyov. Aristot. de Generat. Aiii- 
mai. I. i. c. 9. 

X ' Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis : 
Est in juvencis, est in equis patrum 
Virtus ; nec imbellem feroces 
Progenerant aquilse columbam.' 
Hor. Carm, 1. iv. Od. iv. v. 29. 



II * Filii hominum sunt quando male 
faciunt ; quando bene, filii Dei.' 5. Au' 
gust, in PsuL I'd. 

^ Vide S. August, in Psal. c. 

•* • Similitudinem patris actus indi- 
cent sobolis ; similitude operis similitu- 
dinem indicet generis : actus nomen con- 
firmet, ut nomen genus demonstret.' S. 
August, de Temp. Serm. 76. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



45 



ground, but, " Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father is mer- 
ciful." (Luke vi. 36.) 

So necessary is this faith in God, as in our Father, both for 
direction to the best of actions, and for consolation in the 
worst of conditions. 

But although this be very necessary, yet it is not the prin- 
cipal or most proper explication of God's paternity. For as 
we find one person in a more peculiar manner the Son of God, 
so must we look upon God as in a more peculiar manner the 
Father of that Son. " I ascend unto my Father and your 
Father," (John xx. 17.)^ saith our Saviour; the same of both, 
but in a different manner, denoted by the article prefixed before 
the one, and not the other : which distinction in the original 
we may preserve by this translation, I ascend unto the Father of 
me, and Father of you; first of me, and then of you : not there- 
fore his, because ours ; but therefore ours, because his. So 
far we are the sons of God, as we are like unto him; and our 
similitude unto God consisteth in our conformity to the like- 
ness of his Son. For whom he did foreknow, he did also 
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he 
might be the first-born among many brethren." (Rom. viii. 29.) 
He the first-born, and we sons, as brethren unto him : he ap- 
pointed heir of all things," (Heb. i. 2.) and we heirs of God, 
as joint-heirs with him." (Rom. viii. 17.) Thus God " sent 
forth his Son, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And 
because we are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son 
into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 4 — 6.)t By 
his mission are we adopted, and by his Spirit call we God our 
Father. So we are no longer " servants, but now sons ; and if 
sons, then heirs of God, but still through Christ." (Gal. iv. 7.) 
It is true, indeed, that *' both he that sanctifieth, that is, Christ, 
and they who are sanctified, that is, faithful Christians, are all 
of one, the same Father, the same God ; for which cause he is 
not ashamed to call them brethren :" (Heb. ii. 1 1.) yet are they 
J not all of him after the same manner, not the " many sons 
like the Captain of their salvation (Heb. ii. 10.) but Christ 



* 'AvaSaiW wgof tov TraTE^a fxov, Kai nta.- 
TEfct ujOcSv. Had TTaTE^tt in both places 
had its article, there would have seemed 
two Fathers : had the article been pre- 
fixed to TTttTEptt Ujuwv, he would have seem- 
ed first ours, then Christ's : but being 
prefixed to waTEga ^ov, it shews God to be 
principally and originally Christ's, and 
by our reference unto him, our Father. 
ITaTEpa jotoy jWEV xctTa <^U(rtv EV tJ) &£ot>5T<, 

S. Epiphan. Hceres. Ixix. §. 55. OvubIttoov 

'uT^OQ TOV 'TfttTS^ct VfXOOVf a'hha ^isXobv, Hal BlTfobV 
"TTgOITOV TO olniiOV, TTgO? TOV TTttTE^tt y.OV, oVsg 

nv Kara (putriv sJt BTravayayoiiv xat vars^a 
vy.oov, oTTE^ ^v Kara Setiv. S. Cyril, Hieros, 



Catech, 7. 'Ete^iw; ovv avrov Tfarri^, Kat 
Ir'i^wq hfAWV ; wavy ^ev ovv. EI ya^ ruiv 5j- 
aaioov kr'i^cioq ©eo? x.a\ nrccv ah'Kct)v av^fooTroov, 
'iro'KXS fxaXKov rou vlou y.a] h[xo!iv. 'E9T£i5av 
yag sTtts., Ei-ZJXE to~? a^s'K<poTq, I'va y-h aTTo Tou- 
Toy IVov Tj (pavraa-^aia-i, hUvva-i to IvuXXay- 
jUEvov. S. Chrysost, ad locum. 

t ' Hoc facit Deus ex filiis hominum 
filios Dei, quia ex filio Dei fecit Deus 
filium hominis.' S. August, in Psal, lii. 

t ' Dicimur et filii Dei, sed ille aliter 
filius Dei.' 5. August, in Psal. Ixxxviii. 

"EJ-TJ TOl'vyV 0 ©EO? TToWmV fA,h XttTap^gWJTTtXcSc 

trarri^, Evo? Se f.i6vov <bv(rii xaJ a'Kn^iia tov 
(xovoymvq vloZ. S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. 7. 



46 



ARTICLE L 



the beloved, the first-born, the only-begotten, the Son after a 
more peculiar and more excellent manner ; the rest with rela- 
tion unto, and dependance on, his Sonship ; as given unto him. 

Behold I, and the children which God hath given me 
(Isa. viii. 18. Heb. ii. 13.) as being so by faith in him, For 
we are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus ; (Gal. 
iii. 26.) as receiving the right of Sonship from him, " For as 
many as received him, to them gave he power to become the 
sons of God." (John i. 12.) Among * all the sons of God there 
is none like to that one Son of God. And if there be so great 
a disparity in the filiation, we must make as great a difference 
in the correspondent relation. There is one degree of sonship 
founded on creation, and that is the lowest, as belonging unto 
all, both good and bad : another degree above that there is 
grounded upon regeneration, or adoption, belonging only to the 
truly faithful in this life : and a third above the rest founded 
on the resurrection, or collation of the eternal inheritance, and 
the similitude of God, appertaining to the saints alone in the 
world to come : for " we are now the sons of God, and it doth 
not yet appear what we shall be ; but we know that when he 
shall appear, we shall be like him." (1 John iii. 2.) And there 
is yet another degree of filiation, of a greater eminency and a 
different nature, appertaining properly to none of these, but to 
the true Son of God alone, who amongst all his brethren hath 
only received the title of his " own Son," (Rom. viii. 32. )t and 
a singular testimony from heaven, This is my beloved Son," 
(Matt. iii. 17. xvii. 5.) J even in the presence of John the Bap 
tist, even in the midst of Moses and Elias (who are certainly 
the sons of God by all the other three degrees of filiation), and 
therefore hath called God after a peculiar way " his own Father." 
(John V. 18.)§ And so at last we come unto the most singular 
and eminent paternal relation, Unto the God and Father of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore (2 Cor. 
xi. 31.) the Father of him, and of us, but not the Father of us 
as of him. II Christ hath taught us to say. Our Father : a form 



* * Ergo nemo in filiis Dei similis erit 
filio Dei. Et ipse dictus est filius Dei, et 
nos dicti sumus filii Dei : sed quis erit 
similis Domino in filiis Dei 1 Ille unicus, 
nos multi. Ille unus, nos in illo unum. 
Ille natus, nos adoptati. Ille ab sstemo 
filius unigenitus per naturam, nos a tem- 
pore facti per gratiam.' S. August, in 
Psal. Ixxxviii. 

t ' Ut magnificentia Dei dilectionis 
ex comparationis genere nosceietur, non 
pepercisse Deum proprio filio suo docuit. 
Nec, titique pro adoptandis adoptato, ne- 
que pro creatis creaturje ; sed pro alienis 
suo, pro connuncupandis proprio. S. Hilar, 
] vi. de Tri7i. c. 45. 

I ' Anne tibi in eo quod dicitur, hie est, 



non boc significari videtur, Alios quidem 
cognominatos ab eo in filios, sed bic filius 
mens est 1 Donavi adoptionis plurimis 
noraen, sed iste mibi filius est.' Ibid. c. 23. 

§ TrarBpa, tSiov EXsyz tov ©sov, as Rom. 
viii. 32. og j/£ Tou ISiov vUv ovu l<pei!ra,ro. 

II ' Kon sicut Cbristi pater, ita et nos- 
ter pater. Nunquam enim Christus ita 
nos conjunxit, ut nullam distinctionem 
faceret inter nos et se. Ille enim filius 
aequalis patri, ille ajternus cum patre, pa- 
trique coaeternus : nos autem facti per 
filium, adoptati per unicum. Proinde 
nunquam auditum est de ore Demininos- 
tri Jesu Cbristi, cum ad discipulos loque- 
retur, dixisse ilium de Deo summo Patre 
suo, Pater noster 3 sed aut Pater meus 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



47 



of speech which he never used himself ; sometimes he calls 
him the Father ; sometimes my Father, sometimes your, but 
never our: he makes no such conjunction of us to himself, as to 
make no distinction between us and himself; so conjoining us 
as to distinguish, though so distinguishing as not to separate us. 

Indeed I conceive this, as the most eminent notion of God's 
paternity, so the original and proper explication of this Article 
of the Creed : and that not only because the ancient fathers 
deliver no other exposition of it ; but also because that which I 
conceive to be the first occasion, rise, and original of the Creed 
itself, requireth this as the proper interpretation. Immediately 
before the ascension of our Saviour, he said unto his apostles, 
** All power is given unto me in heaven and earth. Go ye there- 
fore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the 
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, xxviii. 
18, 19.) From this sacred form of baptism did the Church 
derive the rule of faith,* requiring the profession of belief in 
the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, before they could be baptized 
in their name. When the eunuch asked Philip, What doth 
hinder me to be baptized ? Philip said. If thou believest with 
all thine heart, thou mayest and when the eunuch replied, 
" I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; he baptized 
him.'" (Acts viii. 36, 37.) And before that, the Samaritans, 
*'when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning 
the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, were bap- 
tized, both men and w^omen." (Acts viii. 12.) For as in the 
Acts of the Apostles there is no more expressed than that they 
baptized "in the name of Jesus Christ :" (Acts ii. 38. viii. 16. 
X. 48. xix. 5.) so is no more expressed of the faith required in 
them who were to be baptized, than to believe in the same 
name. But being the Father and the Holy Ghost were like- 
wise mentioned in the first institution, being the expressing of 



dixit, aut Pater vester. Pater noster non 
dixit, usque adeo ut quodam loco poneret 
haeic duo, Vado ad Deum meiiin, inquit, et 
Deum vestrum. Quare non dixit Deum 
nostrum ? et Pattern meum dixit, et Pa- 
ttern vestrum ; ncn dixit Patrem nostrum? 
Sic jungit, ut distinguat ; sic distinguit, 
ut non sejungat. Unum nos vult esse in 
se, unum autem Patrem et se.' S. Au- 
gust. i)t loan. Tract, 21. §. 3. 

* Arius and Euzoius, in their Creed deli- 
vered to Constantine : Tavrm rhv iria-nv 
^a^ii.\ri^ay.tv BUTMV a.yut)V BvayyeXiaiv , XsyovTog 
rov Kv^iov ToT; lavTov fx,a9nraii;, UooBuQivrsg 
lxa.QrirBva-a.re Travra, rasOvti, ^aTrTt'^ovTEf av- 
rovg Etf ovofxa rov itar^oQ, xa< rov v\ov, xat rov 
ayiov mBvfxarog. Socrat. 1. i, c. 26, And 
upon exhibiting this Confession of Faith, 
they were restored to the Communion of 
the Church by the Synod of Jerusalem. 
.Sozom. 1, ii. c. 27. In the same manner 



Eusebius delivered his Creed unto the 
council of Nice, concluding and deducing 
it from the same text : xaQa, xai 6 x^'^tof 
hfxotiv, aTToa-ri'K'Koov bIq to ah^vyfxa rovg kavrov 
fxaQnrag, bTttb, nopeuSevTej fA.ciQrirBverarB, &c. 
Socrat. 1. i. c. 8. Theodor. 1. i. c. 12. The 
same is also alleged by the council of 
Antioch, under the emperor Constantius 
and pope Julius. Socrat. I. ii. c. 10. 
Vide S. Athanas. in Epist, ad iihique Or- 
thod. Orat. contra Gregales Sabellii, et con- 
tra Arianos ex Deo Dens, §. 1. Vide Basil. 
de Spirit. S. c. 12. So Vigilius Tapsen- 
sis, Dial. ]. i. §. 3. makes Arius and 
Athanasius jointly speak these words : 
' Credimus in Deum Patrem omnipoten- 
tem, et in Jesum Christum Filium ejus, 
Dominum nostrum, et in Spiritum S. 
Haec est fidei nostras regula, quam coelesti 
magisterio Dominus tradidit apostolis, 
diceus, Ite, baptizate, &c.' 



48 



ARTICLE 1. 



one doth not exclude the other, being it is certain that from 
the apostles' time the names of all three were used ; hence 
upon the same ground was required faith, and a profession of 
belief in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Again, as 
the eunuch said not simply, I believe in the Son, but I be- 
lieve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ;" as a brief expli- 
cation of that part of the institution which he had learned be- 
fore of Philip : so they who were converted unto Christianity 
were first taught not the bare names, but the explications and 
descriptions of them in a brief, easy, and familiar way ; which 
when they had rendered, acknowledged, and professed, they 
were baptized in them. And these being regularly and con- 
stantly used, made up the rule of faith, that is, the Creed. 
The truth of which may sufficiently be made apparent to any 
who shall seriously consider the constant practice of the 
Church, from the first age unto this present, of delivering the 
rule of faith to those which were to be baptized, and so requiring 
of themselves, or their sureties, an express recitation, profession, 
or acknowledgment of the Creed. From whence this observa- 
tion is properly deducible : that in what sense the name of Father 
is taken in the form of baptism, in the same it also ought to 
be taken in this Article. And being nothing can be more 
clear than that, when it is said. In the name of the Father, and 
of the Son, the notion of Father hath in this particular no other 
relation but to that Son whose name is joined with his ; and 
as we are baptized into no other son of that Father, but that 
only-begotten Christ Jesus, so into no other father, but the 
Father of that only-begotten : it followeth, that the proper ex- 
plication of the first words of the Creed is this, I believe in 
God the Father of Christ Jesus, 

In vain then is that vulgar distinction applied unto the ex- 
plication of the Creed, whereby the Father is considered both 
personally, and essentially : personally, as the first in the glo- 
rious Trinity, with relation and opposition to the Son ; essen- 
tially, as comprehending the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost. For that the Son is not here comprehended in 
the Father is evident, not only out of the original, or occasion, 
but also from the very letter of the Creed, which teacheth us 
to believe in God the Father, and in his Son; for if the Son were 
included in the Father, then were the Son the Father of himself. 
As therefore when I say, / believe in Jesus Christ his Son, I 
must necessarily understand the Son of that Father whom I 
mentioned in the first Article ; so when I said, / believe in God 
the Father, I must as necessarily be understood of the ^Father 
of him whom I call his Son in the second Article. 

Now as it cannot be denied that God may several ways be 
said to be the Father of Christ; first, as he was begotten by 

* ' Pater cum audis, Filii intellige Patrem, qui filius supradictae sit imago 
substantiae.' Ruff, in Sym. §. 4, 



I BELIEVE IN GOD. THE FATHER. 



49 



the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary (Luke i. 35.); secondly, 
as he was sent by him with special authority, as the King of 
Israel (John x. 35, 36. i. 49, 50.) ; thirdly, as he was raised from 
the dead, out of the womb of the earth unto immortal life, and 
made heir of all things in his Father's house (Acts xiii. 32, 33.): 
so must we not doubt but, beside all these, God is the Father 
of that Son in a more eminent and peculiar manner, as he is 
and ever was with God, and God (John i. 1.) : which shall be 
demonstrated fully in the second Article, when we come to 
shew how Christ is the only-begotten Son. And according 
unto this paternity by way of generation totally divine, in 
which he who begetteth is God, and he which is begotten the 
same God, do we believe in God, as the eternal Father of an 
eternal Son. Which relation is coeval with his essence : so 
that we are not to imagine one without the other; but as we 
profess him always God, so must we acknowledge him always 
Fathevy* and that in a far more proper manner than the same 
title can be given to any creature.f Such is the fluctuant 
condition of human generation, and of those relations which 
arise from thence, that he which is this day a son, the next 
may prove a father, and within the space of one day more, 
without any real alteration in himself, become neither son nor 
father, losing one relation by the death of him that begot him, 
and the other by the departure of him that was begotten by 
him. But in the Godhead these relations are more proper, 
because fixed ; the Father having never been a son, the Son 
never becoming father, in reference to the same kind of gene- 
ration. J 

A farther reason of the propriety of God's paternity appears 
from this, that he hath begotten a Son of the same nature and 
essence with himself, not only specifically, but individually, as 
J shall also demonstrate in the exposition of the second Ar- 
ticle. For generation being the production of the like, and 

* "AjUa yap lirrt ©£o? xai a^a Trarhp' oix de Temp. Serm. 132. 
vcrrs^i^ovcrav £'p(;»v tov bTvui rr,v yitvna-ir aXfC t 'Deus solus proprie verusest Pater, 

o[XQv TM sTvai Trarnf kcu v<psi:rrch<; Kai voovfxe- qui sine initio et fine Pater est ; non 

vof. S. Cyril. Alex. Dial, de Trin. 2. enim aliquando coepit esse quod Pater 

UdTri^ as) 'Trarh^, Kal ovh. m xaipo? Iv £ ovx h est, sed semper Pater est, semper liabens 

6 OTOT^f •arctrh^. S. Epiphmi. Hares. Ixii. Filium ex se genitum.' Faustimis lib. 

§. 3. ' Sicut nunquam fuit non Deus, ita contra Arianos. "Em t«? S^sotwtc? fxovr^g o 

nunquam fuit non Pater, a quo Filius Trarh^ y.v^iooQ 6 vaTn^ Ic-ri, xai 6 vloq nv^tMi; 

natus.' Gennad. de Eccles. dogm. c. 1. vloi; ea-ri, xal Im rouraiv fxivoov 'icrrvue to 

* Credimus in Deum, eundem confitemur <srarv^ aet 'rrarhp elvai, no.] to -Aot; aii ulo^sTvai. 
Patrem, ut eundem semper habuisse Fi- S. Alhanas. Orat. i. contra Arianos, §.21. 
Hum nos credamus.' Chrysol. Serm. 59. t 'EttI fA.mnq rtig Seothtoc to rnxTK^ yial to 

* Inest Deo pietas, est in Deo semper af- vlog ta-rmi ncti 'iirriv ati' rSiv fxh ya.^ avSpsu- 
fectio, pateruitas permanet apud ilium j ttouv d varh^ XBysrai ri?, aXX' Its^ou yeyovBv 
semper ergo Filium fuisse credas, ne Pa- uloj, xa] bI vloi; xsyBrai, «xx' btb^ou \Byirai 
trem semper non fuisse blasphemes.' Id, >7rarh^. ooa-rs W ivQ^oo'rrctiV (xh croo^sa-Qctt Kyptw? 
Serm. 62. * Advertite, quod cum Dei ro Trar^o^ y.at vlov ovofxa. S. Alhanas. torn. 
Patris nomen in confessione conjungit, 1. Tlctrh^ Kvpiccg, on fxh nai vlot;. ms-tts^ y.ctl 
ostendit quod non ante Deus esse coepe- vlo^ nu^iox;, on fxri not 'arttrh^. ra. ya.^ hfxe- 
rit et postea Pater, sed sine ullo initio et repa oL kv^imc, on koa afx<^M. S. Greg. 
Deus semper et Pater est.' S. August. Naz. Orat. 35. 



50 



ARTICLE I. 



that likeness being the similitude of substance;* where is the 
nearest indentity of nature, there must be also the most proper 
generation, and consequently he which generateth the most 
proper father. If therefore man, who by the benediction of 
God given unto him at his first creation in these words, " Be 
fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth," (Gen. i. 28.) 
begetteth a son in his own likeness, after his image;" (Gen. 
V. 3.) that is, of the same human nature, of the same substance 
with him, (which if he did not, he should not according to the 
benediction multiply himself or man at all,) with which simi- 
litude of nature many accidental disparities may consist, if by 
this act of generation he obtaineth the name of father, because, 
and in regard, of the similitude of his nature in the son, how 
much more properly must that name belong unto God himself, 
who hath begotten a Son of a nature and essence so totally 
like, so totally the same, that no accidental disparity can ima- 
ginably consist with that identity ? 

That God is the proper and eternal Father of his own eter- 
nal Son is now declared : what is the eminency or excellency 
of this relation followeth to be considered. In general then 
we may safely observe, that in the very name of father there is 
something of eminence which is not in that of son ;t and some 
kind of priority we must ascribe unto him whom we call the 
first, in respect of him whom we term the second person ; and 
as we cannot but ascribe it, so must we endeavour to pre- 
serve it.J 

Now that privilege or priority consisteth not in this,^ that the 
essence or attributes of the one are greater than the essence 
or attributes of the other (for we shall hereafter demonstrate 
them to be the same in both) ; but only in this, that the Father 
hath that essence of himself, the Son by communication from 
the Father. From whence he acknowledgeth that he is "from 
him," (John vii. 29.) that he liveth by him," (John vi. 57.) 
that the "Father gave him to have life in himself," (John v. 26.) 
and generally referreth all things to him, as received from him. 
Wherefore in this sense some of the ancients have not stuck 
to interpret those words," the Father is greater than I," (John 
xiv. 28.)!| of Christ as the Son of God, as the second person 



* ' Etiamsi Filius hominis homo in qui- 
busdam similis, in quibusdam sit dissi- 
milis Patri ; tamen quia ejusdem sub- 
stantiae est, negari verus Filius non potest, 
et quia verus est Filius, negari ejusdem 
substantias non potest.' 5. August. 1. iii. 
cont. Max. c. 15. Vide Tho. Sum. -p. 1. 
Quaest. 33. art. 2. ad quart. 

t Auto to ovo^a tov Trar^og fxs'i^ov lirri tov 
vlov. Syn. Sardic. Theod. 1. ii. c. 8. * In- 
sinuatur nobis in Patre auctoritas, in filio 
nativitas.' S. August. 

i To fxlv aymhTo) ira-Tfi oIjtsTov a^iaifxa 
<f'uX<4x.Tgov, f/,y^^Bva tov itvai avTM tov a'hiov 



Xlj/ovTa?. Alex, apnd Theod.]. i. c. 4. 

§ 'H(WeT? H KaTa [xh tw twv aWioov fr^og 
TO. If avTMV a-Xia-iv, ff^0T£Tap^9at tov viov tov 
'TTctTs^a (pifxEV, naTa tJJ? (pvaSoDg ^ia<po^kv 
olinBri. S. Basil, contra Eunom. 1. i. ^. 20. 

II Msi^uiv, eJttbv, ol fxiysBsi tivI, ov^s pffovfw, 
aXXa Sia. Thv 1^ avTov tov TraTS^o; yswrjciv, 
S. Aihanas. contra Arianos, ]. i. §. 58. 
AeiTrSTai To'ivvv xaTa tov t«? aiTiag \oyov Iv- 
TCLv^a. TO f^Bi'^ov Xsyso-Qai. S'srsiSh ya^ am tov 
TTaTpog h a^^ri tm vlS, xara. tovto /hsI^mv o 
TTUTn^, oog et'hiog Kttl ap')(h. nal o Kvpizg eTttsv, 
O Trarn^ fxov [j-si^oov fxov bs-tI, na^o TTctTri^ 
S»3XevoT{, TO TTUTvp Ti aXXo arifxaivn, r, ov'^l 



1 BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



51 



in the blessed Trinity; but still with reference not unto his 
essence, but his generation, by which he is understood to 
have his being from the Father, who only hath it of himself, 
and is the original of all power and essence in the Son. '* I 
can of mine own self do nothing," (John v. 30.) saith our Sa- 
viour, because he is not of himself;* and whosoever receives 
his being, must receive his power from another, especially 
where the essence and the power are undeniably the same, as 
in God they are. ''The Son then can do nothing of himself, 
but what he seeth the Father do," because he hath no power of 
himself but what the Father gave :t and being he gave him 



TOf ; S. Basil, contra E^mom. I. i. §. 21. 
And the same S. Basil doth not only ac- 
knowledge this to be true in respect of the 
divine nature of Christ, but thinketh the 
divinity of the Son may be proved from 
hence : Eyob Se y.ai In nravrriQ t«? <J)a>v^?, to 
ofxooviTiov bTvui rov vlov tS ttolt^] SnXoSo-S'at tte- 
mo-TSVita., Tat ya,^ a-vynfia-nq o75a avfLwt; ItcI 
tmv t>)? tti)T>j? ^virSMg yivojucsvag- ayyey^ov yk^ 
ayyeXov "KtyofXiv /t*6i^ovtt,jtat avB^wirov civO^cuvov 
^iKatore^ov, xal tttavov tttjivoS Tap^uTEpov. 6i 
Toivuv al cruyK^ia'Sig Ittj toov 6y,oEL^o!iv yivovrai, 
fA,£i^ciJV Si Kara a-vyn^ia-iv eVgnraj o Trarh^ too 
ulov, ofxoovo'iog tZ ftanr^i o vlog. Ad Ctssarien- 
ses Epist. 141. To fJ^Bi^ov fxiy Icrrt rng alriai;, 
TO Se la-ov tH? <f)uiT£iw?. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 36. 
et Orat. 40. ov nara rnv <pvcriv to /utei^oVf 
Kara rhv alriav Se, Vide S. Epiphan. in 
Ancor. c. 17. El SI Xlyot rig juisi^ova, sjvat rov 
TTctTEptt naBo airiog rov vlov, ouSe toDto avTS- 
fovfxsv. S. Chrys. Homil. in loan. 75. "la-og 
roiya^ovv nara, rov rtig ova-lag "Koyov h'rra^'XMV 
6 vlog rcc 'jrar^X, jiai ofxoiog nara Travra, fxsl^o- 
va avrov cfucriv oog avapyov, s)(^oov app^W Kara 
(xovov TO 1^ ou, Et Ka) <7vv^^OfA,ov avrS rhv utsT- 
a^^iv I'xpi. S. Cyril. Alex. Thesaur. c. 11. 
And Isidore Pelusiota, Epist. 334. 1. iii. 
cites this saying of an ancient father : Kai 
TO /txET^ov I'a-rarai n yivvriro}^, Ka] to la-ov Ka6o 
Seoj Kai ofA,oova-iog. So Vigilius professes 
to believe the Son : ' aequalem per omnia 
Patri, excepto eo quod ille ingenitus est, 
et iste genitus.' De Trin. 1. xi. c. 7. p. 285. 
' Ideo totum qxiod habet, quod potest, non 
tribuit sibi, sed Patri, quia non est a seip- 
so, sed a Patre. J5qualis est enim Patri, 
sed hoc quoque accepit a Patre.' S. Au- 
gust. Epist. 66. ' Necesseest.quodammodo 
prior sit, qua Pater sit ; quoniam ante- 
cedatnecesse est, eum qui habet originem, 
ille qui originem nescit. Simul ut hie 
minor sit, dum in illo esse se scit habens 
originem, quia nascitur.' Novatianus, de 
Trin. c. 31. ' Major itaque Pater filio est, 
et plane major, cui tantum donat esse 
quantus ipse est, cui innascibilitatis esse 
imaginem sacramento nativitatis impertit, 
quem ex se in forma sua generat.' S. 
BiLar. de Trin. 1. ix. c. 54. ' Non prai- 



stantem quenquam cuiquam genere sub- 
stantia, sed subjectum alterum alteri na- 
tivitate naturae : Patrem in eo majorem 
esse quod pater est, Filium in eo noa 
minorem esse quod filius sit.' Id. de 
Synod, contra Arianos, c. 64. ' Quis Patrem 
non potiorem confitebitur, ut ingenitum a 
genito, ut Patrem a Filio, ut eum qui 
miserit ab eo qui missus est, ut volentem 
ab eo qui obediat 1 et ipse nobis testis est, 
Pater major me est.' Id. de Trin. 1. iii. c. 
12. 'In eo quod in sese sunt, Dei ex Deo 
divinitatem cognosce ; in eo vero quod 
Pater major est, confessionem paternai auc- 
toritatis intellige.' Id. 1. xi. c. 12. And 
before all these Alexander bishop of Alex- 
andria : To Se aymrjrov rS> irar^l fxovov iSt«- 
fxa TTa^iUvai So^a^ovTEj , art S>) Kai avrov <paa-- 
Kcvrsg rov a-oorri^og, 'O nxarhf fxov fxsi^oov fxcti 
ia-ri. Theodor. Hist. 1. i. c. 4. Lastly, 
we have the testimony of Photius, that 
many of the ancient fathers so expounded 
it : Thv, 'O imarn^ fxou fXBi^oov fxov iar'i, rov 
Bvayys'klcu <^oovnv, ^ia<po^Q}g ol <u7ari^£g hfxZv 
l^£i\n<pao-iv' ol fxh ya^ <paiTi rS alria) fxei^ova 
slpri<rBai. Epist. 176. ' JEqualis Patri ; sed 
major Pater, quod ipse dedit ipsi omnia, 
et causa est ipsi Filio ut sit, ut isto modo 
sit ' Victor. Afr.adv. Arium, 1. i. in Bib- 
lioth. Patr. Lat. t. iv. p 192. 'Pater, 
inquit, major me est; merito major, quia 
solus hie auctor sine auctore est.' Phus- 
hadius, p. 96. 

* ' Quicquid Filius habet ut facial, a 
Patre habet ut faciat. Quare habet a 
Patre ut faciat ? quia a Patre habet ut 
Filius sit ; quia a Patre habet ut possit : 
quia a Patre habet ut sit/ S. August. 
Tract. 20. in loan. §. 4. 

t * Non alia potentia est in Filio, et 
alia substantia ; sed ipsa est potentia quae 
et substantia ; substantia ut sit, potentia 
ut possit. Ergo quia Filius de Patre est, 
ideo dixit, Non potest Filius a se facere 
qidcqnam ; quia non est Filius a se, ideo 
non potest a se.' Ibid. ' Totam quod est, 
de Patre est ; totum quod potest, de Patre 
est ; quoniam quod potest et est, hoc 
unum est, et de Patre totum est.' Ibid^ ^, 
8. ' Non potest Filius a se facere qnicqxiamf 

e2 



52 



ARTICLE I. 



all the power, as communicating his entire and undivided 
essence, therefore " what things soever he doeth, these also 
doeth the Son likewise," (John v. 19.) by the same power by 
which the Father worketh, because he had received the same 
Godhead in which the Father subsisteth. There is nothing 
more intimate and essential to any thing than the life thereof, 
and that in nothing so conspicuous as in the Godhead, where 
life and truth are so inseparable, that there can be no living 
God but the true, no true God but the living. The Lord is 
the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King," 
saith the prophet Jeremy (x. 10.) : and St. Paul putteth the 
Thessalonians in mind, how they turned from idols to serve 
the living and true God." (I Thess. i. 9.) Now life is other- 
wise in God than in the creatures : in him originally, in them 
derivatively; in him as in the fountain of absolute perfection, 
in them by way of dependence and participation; our life is in 
him, but his is in himself : and as the Father hath life in 
himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself ;" 
(John v. 26.)* both the same life, both in themselves, both in 
the same degree, as the one, so the other ; but only with this 
difference, the Father giveth it, and the Son receiveth it.f From 
whence he professeth of himself, " that the living Father sent 
him, and that he liveth by the Father." (John vi. 57. )J 

nisi quod viderit Patrem facxentcm : quia de 
Patre est totus Filius, et tota substantia 
et potentia ejus ex illo est qui genuit eum.' 
Id. Tract, in loan. "21. §. 2. ' Etprimum 
Filium cognosce, cum dicitui, "Non potest 
Filius a sefacere quicquam, nisi quod viderit 
Patrem facientem. Habes nativitatem 
Filii, quai ab se nihil potest facere nisi 
videat. In eo autem quod a se nihil 
potest, innascibilitatis adimit errorem. 
Ab se enim non potest posse nativitas.' 
S. Hilar, de Trin. 1. vii. c. 21. ' Dum 
non a se facit, ad id quod agit secundum 
nativitatem sibi Pater auctor est.' Ibid. 1. 
xi. c. 12. ' Auctorem discrevit cum ait, 
Non potest a sefacere : obedientiam signi- 
ficat cum addit : Nisi quod viderit patrem 
facientem.' Id. de Syn. c. 75. 

* ' Sicut habet Pater vitam in semeiipso, 
sic dedit et Filio vitam habere in semetipso : 
ut hoc solum intersit inter Patrem et 
Filium, quia Pater habet vitam in semet- 
ipso quam nemo ei dedit, Filius autem 
habet vitam in semetipso quam Pater 
dedit.' S. August. Tract. 19. in loan. ^. 
11. ' Incommutabilis est vita Filii, sicut 
et Patris, et tamen de Patre est : et in- 
separabilis est operatio Patris et Filii ; 
sed tamen ita operari Filio de illo est de 
quo ipse est, id est, de Patre.' Id. de Trin. 
1. ii. c. 1. 

t ' Sicut habet, dedit ; qualem habet, 
talem dedit ; quantam habet, tantam 
dedit.' Id. contra Maxim. 1, iii. c. 14. 



' Ergo quod dicitur dedit Filio, tale est ac 
si diceretur, genuit Filium ; generando 
enim dedit. Quomodo enim dedit ut 
esset, sic dedit ut vita esset, et sic dedit 
ut in semetipso vita esset.' Id. Tract. 
22. in loan. §. 10. 'Tali confessione ori- 
ginis SUES indiscretae naturaj perfecta nati- 
vitas est. Quod enim in utroque vita est, 
id in utroque significatur essentia ; et vita 
quae generatur ex vita, id est, essentia 
quae de essentia nascitur, dum non dissi- 
milis nascitur, scilicet, quia vita ex vita 
est, tenet in se indissimilem naturam 
originis suae, quia et nataa et gignentis 
essentiae, id est, vitje quae habetur et data 
est, similitudo non discrepet.' S. Hilar, de 
Synod, advers. Arianos, c. 16. ' Quia ergo 
apparet vita Patris hoc esse quod ipse est ; 
sicut habet vitam in se, sic dedit ; sic 
dedit Filio habere vitam, id est, sic est 
Esse Filii, sicut Esse Patris.' Vigil. Taps. 
Disput. in Biblioth. Patr. Lat. t. v. par. 
iii. p. 699. ' In vita naturae et essentia? 
significatio est, quae sicut habetur, ita data 
esse docetur ad habendum.' S. Hilar, de 
Synod, c. 19. 

I ' Propter Patrem vivit Filius, quod 
ex Patre Filius est : propter Patrem, 
quod eructatum est Verbum ex Patris 
corde, quod a Patre processit, quod ex 
paterno generatus est utero, quod fons 
Pater Filii est, quod radix Pater Filii est. 
S. Ambros. de Fide, 1. iv. c. 5. fin. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



53 



We must not therefore so far endeavour to involve ourselves 
in the darkness of this mystery, as to deny that glory which is 
clearly due unto the Father ; whose pre-eminence undeniably 
consisteth in this, that he is God not of any other, but of him- 
self, and that there is no other person who is God, but is God 
of him. It is no diminution to the Son, to say, he is from 
another, for his very name imports as much ; but it were a di- 
minution to the Father to speak so of him : and there must be 
some pre-eminence, where there is place for derogation. What 
the Father is,* he is from none; what the Son is, he is from 
him: what the first is, he giveth ; what the second is, he re- 
ceiveth. The first is a Father indeed by reason of his Son, but 
he is not God by reason of him ; whereas the Son is not so only 
in regard of the Father, but also God by reason of the same. 

Upon this pre-eminence (as I conceive) may safely be 
grounded the congruity of the divine mission. We often read 
that Christ was sent, from whence he bears the name of an 
" Apostle" (Heb. iii. 1.) himself, as well as those whom he 
therefore named so, because as the " Father sent him, so sent 
he them;" (John xx. 21.) the Holy Ghost is also said to be 
sent, sometimes by the Father, sometimes by the Son : but we 
never read that the Father was sent at all,t there being an au- 
thority in that name which seems inconsistent with this mis- 
sion.J In the parable, a certain householder which planted 



* • Pater de nullo Patre, Filius de Deo 
Patre: Pater quod est, a nullo est ; quod 
autem Pater est, propter Filium est. 
Filius veto et quod Filius est, propter 
Patrem est, et quod est, a Patre est.' 5. 
August. Tract. 19. in loan, §. 13. ' Filium 
dicimus Deum de Deo ; Patrem autem 
Deum tantum, non de Deo. Unde mani- 
festum est, quod Filius habeat alium de 
quo sit, et cui Filius est ; Pater autem 
non Filium de quo sit habeat, sed cui 
Pater sit. Omnis enim filius de patre est 
quod est, et patri filius est : nullus autem 
pater de filio est quod est.' Id. de Triu. 
1. ii. c. 1. ' Filius non hoc tantum habet 
nascendo, ut Filius sit, sed omnino ut sit.' 
Ibid. I. V. c. 15. • Filius non tantum ut 
sit Filius quod relative dicitur, sed omnino 
ut sit, ipsam substantiam nascendo habet.' 
Ibid. c. 15. ' Pater non habet Patrem de 
quo sit ; Filius autem de Patre est ut sit, 
atque ut illi coaeternus sit.' Ibid. 1. vi. c. 
10. ' Ab ipso, inquit, sum ; quia Filius de 
Patre, et quicquid est filius, de illo est 
cujus est filius. Ideo Dominum Jesum 
dicimus Deum de Deo, Patrem non di- 
cimus Deum de Deo, sed tantum Deum ; 
et dicimus Dominum Jesum lumen de lu- 
mine, Patrem non dicimus lumen de 
•umine, sed tantum lumen. Ad hoc ergo 
pertinst quod dixit, .'^Z' jp.sosiim.' Id. Tract. 
31. in loan. §. -I'. ' Pater nou est si non 



habeat Filium, et Filius non est si non 
habeat Patrem : sed tamen Filius Deus 
de Patre, Pater autem Deus, sed non de 
Filio : Pater Filii, non Deus de Filio ; 
ille autem Filius Patris, et Deus de Patre.' 
Id. Tract. 29. in loan. §. 5. ' Hoc tamen 
inter Patrem et Filium interest, quia Pater 
a nullo hoc accepit, Filius autem per ge- 
nerationem omnia Patris accepit.' S. 
Amhros. in Epist. ad Eph. c. 2. ' Est ergo 
Deus Pater omnium, institutor, et creator, 
solus originem nesciens.' Novat. de 
Trinit. c. 31. whereas he speaks after of 
the Son : ' Est ergo Deus, sed in hoc ip- 
sum genitus, ut esset Deus.' * Pater est 
Deus de quo Filius est Deus, de quo 
autem Pater nullus est Deus.' S. August. 
Epist. 66. al. 170. 

t ' Pater enim solus nusquam legitur 
missus.' S. August. 1. ii. de Trin. c. 5. 

I ' Solus Pater non legitur missus, quia 
solus non habet auctorem a quo genitus 
sit, vel a quo procedat. Et ideo non 
propter natur0e diversitatem, sed propter 
ipsam auctoritatem, solus Pater non di- 
citur missus : non enim splendor aut fer- 
vor ignem, sed ignis mittit sive splen- 
dorem sive fervorem.' S. August. Serm., 
co)itra Arian. c. 4. ' Qui mittit, potes- 
tatem suam in eo quod mittit, ostendit.* 
S. Hilar, de Trin. I. viii. c. 19. 



54 



ARTICLE I. 



a vineyard, ^rs^ sent his servants to the husbandoien, and again 
other servants, but last of all he sent unto them his son 
(Matt. xxi. 33, &c.) it had been inconsistent even with the 
literal sense of an historical parable, as not at all consonant to 
the rational customs of men^ to have said, that last of all the 
son sent his father to them. So God, placing man in the vine- 
yard of his Church, first sent his servants the prophets, by whom 
he " spake at sundry times and in divers manners, hut in the 
last days he sent his Son (Heb. i. 1, 2.) and it were as incon- 
gruous* and inconsistent with the divine generation, that the 
Son should send the Father into the world. ** As the living 
Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father," (John vi. 57.) 
saith our Saviour, intimating, that by whom he lived, by him 
he was sent, and therefore sent by him, because he lived by 
him, laying his generation as the proper ground of his mission* 
Thus he which begetteth sendeth, and he which is begotten is 
sent.f " For I am from him, and he hath sent me," (John vii. 
29.) saith the Son : from whom I received my essence by com- 
munication, from whom also received I this commission. As 
therefore it is more worthy to give than to receive, to send than 
to be sent; so in respect of the Sonship there is some priority 
in the divine paternity : from whence divers of the ancientsj 
read that place of St. John with this addition, ** the Father 
(which sent me) is greater than I." (John xiv.28.) He then is 
that God who " sent forth his Son, made of a woman, that God 
who hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 4. 6.) So that the authority of sending 
is in the Father : which therefore ought to be acknowledged, 
because upon this mission is founded the highest testimony of 
his love to man ; for herein is love (saith St. John), not that 



* ' Si voluissel Deus Pater per sub- 
jectam creaturam visibiliter apparere, ab- 
surdissime tamen aut a Fiiio, quern genuit, 
aut a Spiritu Sancto, qui de illo procedit, 
missu8 diceretur.' S.AugiLst, de T7'(«. lib. 
iv. cap. ult. 

t ' Filius est igitur a Patre missus, non 
Pater a Filio ; quia Filius est a Patre 
natus, non Pater a Filio.' Fulgent, fragm. 
1. viii. contra Fabianum, in Collect. Theo- 
dul. de S. S. ' Quis autem Christianus 
ignorat quod Pater miserit, missusque sit 
Filius 1 Non enim genitorem ab eo quern 
genuit, sed genitum a geuitore mitti opor- 
tebat.' S. August, contra Maximin. lib. iii. 
c. 14. ' Ubi audis. Ipse me misit, noliin- 
telligere naturae dissimilitudinem, sed ge- 
nerantis auctoritatem.' Id. Tract. 31. in 
loan. §. 4. 'Evrav9a ovv 6 aTToa-rsiXa? Kctt o 
uno'T'riK'Kofxivoq, i'va ^tl^n nroov TTavTwv aya^ooy 
f*txv zlva.1 Tnv Trriyhv, Tovrka-n tov Trari^a. 
S. Epiphan. Hcsres. Ixix. 54. Hence 
the language of the Schools : ' Missio im- 



portat processionem originis as Thorn. 
Aquin. 10. q. 43. art. 1. ad prim, or: 
' auctoritatem Principii :' as Durund. 1, 
i. dist. 15. q. 1. 

X AkyovTi ya.^ yo pnrov Toy Eva.yyi\iov Ka- 

fxiil^MV fxov IcTTt, saith Epiphanius of the 
Arians ; and answering, grants in these 
words which follow : mu Tr^Smv fjtiv 6 
avoa-TelXat; fxs TtaTrt^, (paa-nei, y.ai ol)(^, 6 
Kriirai; jus. Hceres. Ixix. 53. To the same 
purpose Athanasius de Hum. Nat. susc. §. 
4. and Cyril Thesaur, log. xi. p. 85. ed. 
Aubert. 1638. read it, 6 7rsfj(,^a,g fxi Trarng. 
And St. Basil makes Eunomius read it so, 
in his first book against him, c. '21. and 
with that addition answers it. So the se- 
cond confession of the council of Sirmium, 
both in the Latin original, and Greek 
translation. S. Hilar, de Syn. §.11. S. 
Athanas. de Synod, §. 28. et Socrat. I. iu 
c. 30. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



55 



we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the 
propitiation for our sins/' (1 John iv. 10.) 

Again, the dignity of the Father will farther yet appear from 
the order of the persons in the blessed Trinity, of which he is 
undoubtedly the first. For although in some passages of the 
apostolical discourses the Son may first be named (as in that of 
St. Paul, " the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of 
God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all 
(2 Cor. xiii. 14.) the latter part of which is nothing but an ad- 
dition unto his constant benediction) ; and in others the Holy 
Ghost precedes the Son (as " Now there are diversities of gifts, 
but the same Spirit; and there are differences of administra- 
tions, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of opera- 
tions, but it is the same God which worketh all in all (1 Cor. 
xii. 4 — 6.) yet where the three Persons are barely enumerated, 
and delivered unto us as the rule of faith,* there that order is 
observed which is proper to them ; witness the form of bap- 
tism. In the name of the Father , and of the Son, and of the Holy 
Ghost : which order hath been perpetuated in all confessions 
of faith, and is for ever inviolably to be observed.f For that 
which is not instituted or invented by the will or design of 
man, but founded in the nature of things themselves,^ is not to 
be altered at the pleasure of man. Now this priority doth pro- 
perly and naturally result from the divine 'paternity; so that 
the Son must necessarily be second unto the Father,^ from 



TOO vIm ff-vvaTrrei to msufxtt to ayiov. S. Basil. 
Episi. 80. 

t 'Axiv>jtov Kai a'Tra^iyx^lfriToy <ij>v\aa-aHy 
w^oa-ftHet rhv a>toXou&/av, vv 1^ avrrq tov kv 
fiou Tvg <poijvng ira.^i.'Ka.^ofj.iV, tlitovTOQ, riofsu- 
Sevtej fxa'bnTSvaa.Ti 'wavTa, &c. S. Basil. 
Epist. 78. 

I "Eo-ti TA^soug eTSo? OLiJt Ik Trig ma^ hfxaiv 
hiffiCtig a-vvia-Ta.fJt,£Vov, aXX' avTtj t? kclto, <pu<Tiv 
ano'KovBi/i (TVfAQaiVov, oog tS Trvft 'w^og to <pu)g 
la-Ti TO 1^ avTov' iv TovToig ya^ 'W^oTSfov to 
ahiov "KsyofA-sv, S'EwTSpov Sg to civtov. >mSig, 
ovv e'liXoyov a^vETa-Qai Tnv Ta^tv £<p' div la-r) Tf^o- 
TSfov Kctl hure^ov, cv kato, Tnv hfxeTB^ay ^ztiv, 
aXX' Ik Trig kclto, <^vt7iv auTof; ivv'na^-)(ova-y,g 
axoXou&taj ; S, Basil, advers. Eunom. 1. i. 
§.20. 

§ AtVTspsvsi fxh 0 vloq TOV TTetT^og tS> a\- 
tIu' JeyTspeu'et Kcti to irvzufxa, tov v\ov kuto. 
TOV Trig aWiag "Koyov. S. Basil, apud Georg. 
Pachym. Hist. 1. 7. 'ng /xsv yap vlog Tafet 
fjtev ^evTBpog tov Trar^og, o't» aTT EKsivov, Kai 
a^ictifxctTi, oTi a^X^ aiTt'ct toS sTvctt avTOv 
0 TraTjjf, Kai oTi 5»' avTov h if^do^og Ka\ ir^o- 
erayxyh ir^og tov &eov TTctTE^a, <^va-si II ovksti 

SsuTEpOf, ^lOTl h &60THf Iv iKeLTifai fxla' OUTO} 

S»XovoTt xaj TO "TTveu^tt TO aytov, el Kai vTroQe- 
^»Ka TOV vlov Tri T£ Ta^ii Kai tS) a^toofxaTi, 
cuxet' iv dKQTCiog aiq aXXoTgi'aj visa^^ov <pv- 



(Ttuig. S. Basil, contra Eunom. 1. iii. ^. 1. 
' Si unum Deum singulariter nominamus, 
excludentes vocabulum secandae personee, 
furorem ejushaeresis approbamus quae ip- 
sum asserit Patrem passum.' Phaebad. 
contra Arian, p. 111. ' llli cui est in Filio 
secunda persona, est et tertia in Spiritu 
Sancto.' Ihid. p. 112. ' Sic alius a Filio 
Spiritus, sicut a Patre Filius : sic tertia 
in Spiritu, ut in Filio secunda persona.' 
Ibid. ' Omne quod prodit ex aliquo, se- 
cundum sit ejus necesse est de quo prodit, 
non tamen est separatum. Secundus 
autem ubi est, duo sunt ; et tertius ubi est, 
tres sunt : tertius enim est Spiritus a Deo 
et Filio.' Tertull. advei'S. Praxeam, c. 8. 
* Sic alium a se Paracletum, quomodo et 
nos a Patre alium Filium ; ut tertium 
gradum ostenderet in Paracleto, sicut nos 
secundum in Filio.' Ibid. c. 9. ^ Hie in- 
terim acceptum a Patre munus eflfudit 
Spiritum Sanctum, tertium numen divini- 
tatis, et tertium nomen majestatis.' Ibid. 
c. SO. 'O 1^ aWiov yiyovchg v\lg, JsuTe^oj ov 
kiTTiv vMg KaQea-TnKS, itapa, tov itcLT^g koX to 
ilvM KaX Tojoo-Se eTvat 6iX»<j>(wj. Emeb. Dem, 
Evang. 1. iv. c. 3. • Et quidem confes- 
sione communi secunda quidem ab auctore 
nativitas est, quia ex Deo est ; non tamen 
separabilis ab auctore, quia in quantum 
sensus noster intelligentiam tentabit ex- 



5b' 



ARTICLE I. 



whom he receiveth his origination, and the Holy Ghost unto 
the Son, Neither can we be thought to want a sufficient foun- 
dation for this priority of the first person of the Trinity, if we 
look upon the numerous testimonies of the ancient doctors of 
the Church, who have not stuck to call the Father the origin,* 
the cause,t the author,J the root,§ the fountain, |1 and the head 
of the Son,^ or the whole Divinity. 



cedere, in tantum necesse est etiam gene- 
ratio excedat.' S. Hilar, de Trinit, 1. xii. 
c. 51. * Tua enim res est, et unigenitus 
tuus est filius, ex te Deo Patre Deus va- 
rus, et a te in naturae tuse unitate genitus, 
post te ita confitendus, ut tecum, quia 
ffiterns originis suae es auctor seternus. 
Nam dum ex te est, secundus a te est.' 
Ihid. c. 54. This by the Schools is called 
ordo naturs, ordo origmis, ordo naturalis 
prcESuppositionis. Which being so gene- 
rally acknowledged by the fathers, when 
■we read in the Athanasian creed, ' In this 
Trinity none is afore or after other,' we 
must understand it of the priority of per- 
fection or time. 

* Mm^Zv yap a,v nal ava^Ucv ap^^n, (/.aX- 

app^Tj Kal aya^oTmoq tw? Iv via) not msvfxan 
^SMpoufxivt!?. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 1. et 29. 
Mri ^^oviHvv a,^')(riv tov vhv xaTctSs^jj Tivog Xl- 
j/ovTCf, aXXa a'^^ovov a^yriv yiva)TKi tov vra- 
TS^a' a.^')fh ya.^ viov ei^^ovoq, anara^riTCroq, 
S. Cyril. Hier. Catech. 11. 'Ap)(ri y,sv oZv 
waT^oj ou^Bfjiia, a.^'^h rov vlov o irarh^. S. 
Basil, contra Eunom. 1. ii. §.12. <^ciimai 
XoiOTOv 0 fxaKapioq svayys'Kia-'rhg aa<^'i<Jri^ov 
h/iitv spfj.nvsva}V to rnq a,fi^rii; ovofAO,- ov^h ya§ 
ETEgov, mi; eJxo? , T^v a.f)(r,v sTvai (pvciv, n alrov 
TOV ITaTEpa, a,<p' ovtts^ 6 ^uiv eXaiU^E Aoj/o?, 
xa&aTTS^ 1^ hxiov to <t>Zg, ovkovv a.^X^ '^V "^'^^ 
Tlcnrip. S. Cyril. Alex. Thesaur. c. 32. 
• Cum dixisset, quern mittet Pater, addidit, 
i« nomine meo : non tamen dixit, quern mit- 
tet Pater a me, quemadmodum dixit, quern 
ego mittam vobis a Patre; viz. ostendens 
quod totius Divinitatis, vel, si melius di- 
citur, Deitatis, principium Pater est.' S. 
August, de Trin. 1. 4. c. 20. • Unum prin- 
cipium ad creaturam dicitur Deus, non 
duo vel tria principia. Ad se autem in- 
vicem in Trinitate, si gignens ad id quod 
gignitur principium est, Pater ad Filium 
principium est, quia gignit eum.' S. Aa- 
g}ist. de Ti'in. 1. 5. c. 14. ' Pater ergo 
principium Deitatis.' Gennad. de Eccles. 
Dogmat. c. 1. In this sense the Greek 
fathers used avapp^o? as proper to the Fa- 
ther (in the same notion with ilysvvnrog, 
with relation to the * principium produc- 
tionis'), and denied it to the Son : U 
vioi;, lav fxh ooq a'iriciv rov 'srars^a XafjiQavrit;, 
ovx ava^'^og, afp^'i ya^ vlov 6 Trarr)^ aig a'lnog' 
Vtv Se t^v aTTo ^povou vo^g a^p(^?jv, xa< ava^^og. 
S Greg. Naz. Orat. 29- E'i Tig ayivvmov 



Hal ava§')(pv "keyoi rov vlov aig ^vo avap^a, xal SJo 
aymvTa Xeyoov, Kal ivo izroiZv Beovg, avaQsfxa 
'ia-rco. Synod. Sirm. Conf. prim, thus first 
translated into Latin : • Si quis innascibi- 
lem et sine initio dicat Filium, tanquam duo 
sine principio, et duo innascibilia, et duo 
innata dicens, duos faciat deos, Anathema 
sit.' S. Hilar, de Synod, art. xxvi. In 
which sense the Platonists did understand 
aymrnog of God : "Sla-rs ovu ayaBlv t? X£- 
yofxivn uXv to xoc-^£T«rS'a(, EtTreg a.j/EVV»3T0f e?»j 
f^h airo x^Qvou fxovov, aXXa aai to avo aWiot/v, 
xa9' 0 j-yifxaivofxEvov Kat tov S'Eov ayivvnTov Xe- 
yofXBv. Hierocles de provid. p. 8. ed. Lond. 
1655. And the Latins attributing the 
term principium to the Son, do it with the 
addition of de or ex principio. ' Pater 
principium non de principio, Filius prin- 
cipium de principio.' S. August, contra 
Maxim. 1. 3. c. 17. ' Principium ex prin- 
cipio et unum est, et initio caret.' Fans- 
tus Rheg. Epist. 16. ' Ex ore, inquit,(EccI. 
ii. 4.) Altissimi prodivi ; base est enim na- 
tivitas perfecta sermonis, hoc est princi- 
pium sine principio ; hie est ortus habens 
initium in nativitate, in statu non habens.' 
Phczbad. contra Arian. p. 94. ' Sicut in 
creaturis invenitur principium primum et 
principium secundum ; ita in personis divi- 
nis invenitur principium non de principio, 
quod est Pater, et principium a principio, 
quod est Filius.' Tho. Aquin.l. q. 33. art. 
4. And to this all the Schoolmen writing 
on his Sums agree, as all upon the Sen- 
tences. 1. Dist. 29. 

t AiTi'tt l(J"Ttv n TOV ^sov <pv(7ig, xal tov 
vlov, Ha] TOV ayiov TTVBvfxaTog, Kai Trig ktIoSoos 
Ttaa-rig. S. Athanas. Dissert. Orthod. et 
Anom. Dial. ii. §. 23. 'AXXa Tig la-Ti 5u- 
vctfXig aylvvnToog '/.al avk^y^jug v<^i<7Tai(7a, 5)t<? 
EcTTiv cCiTia T«? anraVTm ovtojv alriag- sk yap 
TOV TTar^og 6 vlog, Jj' ou Ta itaVTa. S. Basil. 
Epist. 43. And upon that place, " this 
day have I begotten thee :" 'AXXa to f^sv, 
yBymmet, rhv aWiav a<p' rig s^si a^'xnv tov 
slvai a"n[j.aini. Id. contra Eunom. l.ii. §. 17. 
nZg ov^Sf^iav ^ia<po§av xaTaXsiTTEt, ov^B t«v Iv 
alrloig tt^oj to, I| avTwv lvv'rTa^)(^ova-av ; Id, 
1. i. §. 23. npof TO, OTt eyuirjXBov Iv tm ovq- 
fAari TOV Ttar^og f^ou, sl^ivai X?^' ^PX^'^ 
savTov Ka] alriav B7Tiypa<^ofj.i-\og tov TrarB^a 
TdvTa Xsyii. Id. Epist. 64. Aia<f>opav txv 
vTToa-Taa-Boov Iv (xovaig TaXg T^itriv ll'ioTricri, Tn 
avaiTiM )tal TtaT^mri, jtai ctTjaT? vVikx, Jtat t? 
alTiarr. xat inTTo^Evrv , iTnyiyvccff-KCfxev. Da~ 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



67 



For by these titles it appeareth clearly, First, That they 
made a considerable difference between the person of the Fa- 



masc. 1. 4. c. 5. Tov 'jrarspa rov Xoyov not 
Tr?f a-o<piag, nai irr^oQoXBa rov irnvixaroq rov 
ay'iov, rhv irfdrrv alriav xat a^^nv (pafxev t)?? 
Sho'ttjtoc sTvai. Zachar, Mitylen. p. 215. 
ed. Barlh. 1655. And although Thomas 
Aquiuas, and Eugenius bishop of Rome 
in the definition of the Council of Florence, 
have observed that the Greeks in this 
case do use the term causa, but the La- 
tins only principium : yet the very Latin 
fathers in the twenty fifth session of the 
same Council have these words : fxiav 
yiV'Jitr)iof/.£V rov TrarEgA alriav, na] pi'^av, nai 
•nnywrYiQ ^gorsToc* and we have before cited 
Victorinus Afer, p. 51. col. 2. who says : 
' Pater causa est ipsi Filio ut sit.' So St. 
Hilary : ' Deum nasci, non est aliud quam 
in ea natura esse qua Deus est ; quia 
nasci cum causam nativitatis ostendat, 
non disproficit tamen in genere auctoris 
exsistere.' Be Trin. 1. 11. c. 11. * Ex 
Spiritu enim Spiritus nascens, licet de 
proprietate Spiritus, per quam et ipse Spi- 
ritus est, nascatur, non tamen alia ei prse- 
terquam perfectarum atque indemutabi- 
lium causarum ad id quod nascitur causa 
est ; et ex causa, licet perfecta atque in- 
demutabili nascens, necesse est ex causa 
in causae ipsius proprietate nascatur.' Id. 
1. 12. c. 8. * Qui ex eo qui est natus est, 
intelligi non potest ex eo quod non fuit 
natus esse, quia ejus qui est ad id quod 
est causa est, non etiam id quod non est 
origo nascendi est.' Ibid. c. 17. • Deus 
omnium quae sunt causa est. Quod autem 
rerum omnium causa est, etiam sapientias 
suae causa est, nec unquam Deus sine sa- 
pientia sua. Igitur sempiternae suae sa- 
pientiae causa est sempiterna.' S. August, 
lib. de div. QikesI. Ixxxiii. quaest. 16. And 
as they called the Father the cause of the 
Son, so they accounted it the propriety of 
the Father to be without a cause ; as ap- 
pears out of Alexander the bishop of 
Alexandria's Epistle before produced. 

f We have cited Plioebadius speaking 
so before, p. 51. col. 2. to which may be 
added : * Si quis igitur adhuc et de Apo- 
stolo requirit dominicum statum, id est, 
singularis substantia; dualitatem, quae per 
naturam auctori suo jungitur :' p. 110. et 
pernio post : ' Sed cum refertur ex ipso, 
certe ad Patrem, ut ad rerum omnium re- 
spicitur auctorem.' St. Hilary is known 
to speak frequently of the authority of 
the Father, as of the author of his Son ; 
and several places have been already col- 
lected, especially by Petavius, to which 
these may be added, besides what have 
been already produced. • In ipso quod 
Pater dicitur, ejus quem genuit auctor os- 



tenditur.' De Trin. 1. 4. c. 9. ' Cum po- 
tius honor Filii dignitas sit paterna, et 
gloriosus auctor sit ex quo is, qui tali glo- 
ria sit dignus, exstiterit.' Ibid. c. 10. 
' Aliud est sine auctore esse semper eeter- 
num, aliud quod Patri, id est, auctori, est 
coaeteruum. Ubi enim Pater auctor, ibi 
et nativitas est. At vero ubi auctor aeter- 
nus est, ibi et nativitas aeterna est : quia 
sicut nativitas ab auctore est, ita ab aeterno 
auctore aeterna nativitas est.' Ibid. 1. 12. 
c. 21. ' Quod vero ex aeterno natum est, 
id si non aeternum natum est, jam non erit 
et Pater auctor aeternus. Si quid igitur 
ei qui ab aeterno Patre natus est ex aeter- 
nitate defuerit, id ipsum auctori non est 
ambiguum defuisse.' Ibid. * Natum non 
post aliquid, sed ante omnia ; ut nativitas 
tantum testetur auctorem, non praepos- 
terum aliquid in se auctore significet.' 
Ibid. c. 51. ' Natus autem ita, ut nihil 
aliud quam se sibi significet auctorem.' 
Ibid. c. 52. ' Ipsius tamen auctor est 
Pater generando sine initio.' Ruff. in Symb. 

9. ' Si propterea Deum Patrem Deo 
Filio dicis auctorem, quia ille genuit, ge- 
nitus est iste, quia iste de illo est, non 
ille de isto ; fateor etconcedo.' S.August, 
contra Maxim. 1. 3. c. 14. 

$ ' Nec dubitaverim Filium dicere et 
radicis fruticem, et fontis fluvium, et solis 
radium.' Tertull. adv. Praxeam,c.8. 'Nec 
frutex tamen a radice, nec fluvius afonte, 
nec radius a sole discernitur ; sicut nec a 
Deo Sermo.' Ihid. "Ea-ri fxh ya^ 6 Trarnp 
riXBiov 'ixj^v to sTvai xat avivliiq, pi^a nai 
TTnyh rov vlov xat tuD ayiov 7r\ievfxarog. S. 
Basil. Homil. 26. ' Dominus Pater, quia 
radix est Filii.' S. Ambros. in Luc. 1. 10. c. 
1. ut etde Fide, 1. 4. c. 5. St. Cyril of Alex- 
andria speaking of the baptismal institu- 
tion : Tjjy fxh ya^ avooraroo pi^av, sTriyceiva 
TO a-vfxTfav oOSsv, Ivvohtreig rov Trars^a' rov Si ys 
rr,g aViorarct) pi^)i? Sii7rs<pvK6ra xai ysyswnfAkvoi 
TTa^aSe^t] rov vlov. De S, Trin. Dial. 2. 

11 "Avafp^^of 0 irarhf nnyri rov rrjg Jixaio- 
crCvr.g TTorafxov, rov (xovoyivovg o irarh^. S. 
CyriL Hieros. Catech. 11. ' In hac ergo 
natura filius est, et in hoc originis fonte 
subsistens processitex sapiente sapientia, 
ex forti virtus, ex lumine splendor.' Vigil. 
Taps. Disp. p. 70'2. 'n? TfViVfjia ^£0v Kal 
avroZ 7r£<f»5vo?, a'lriov alrov ej;^ov, aig TTKyhv 
kavrov, xttKeT^Ev '^riya^ov. Basil. Homil. 28. 
AsyBi TTsp; rov vlov h ^sicty^cKph, KXtves, <prjcrlv, 
Itt' avrovg aig Trorafj.oc Ei^i^vnf Ismo^ivofABVof; 
5>5AovoTt in rr,g aX-nQovq ilnyrig rrig l^ooriq, rrtq 
ToS Ttarfog S-£o't»tci?. Act. Concil. Nic. l.ii. 
c. 22. And St. Cyril of Alexandria, who 
often useth this expression, gives us the 
full signification of it in these words, upon 



58 



ARTICLE I . 



ther, of whom are all things," and the person of the Son, by 
whom are all things." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) Secondly, That the 
difference consisteth properly in this, that as the branch is from 
the root, and river from the fountain, and by their origination 
from them receive that being which they have ; whereas the 
root receiveth nothing from the branch, or fountain from the 
river ; so the Son is from the Father, receiving his subsistence 
by generation from him ; the Father is not from the Son, as 
being what he is from none. 

Some indeed of the ancients may seem to have made yet a 
farther difference between the persons of the Father and the 
Son, laying upon that relation terms of greater opposition. 
As if, because the Son hath not his essence from himself, the 
Father* had ; because he was not begotten of himself, the 
Fatherf had been so ; because he is not the cause of himself, 
the Father^ were. Whereas, if we speak properly, God the 
Father hath§ neither his being from another, nor from himself; 
not from another, that were repugnant to his paternity ; not 
from himself, that were a contradiction in itself. And there- 
fore those expressions are not to be understood positively 
and affirmatively, but negativelyll and exclusively, that he hath 



the first chapter of St. John, p. 12. 'a5j- 
K^o-Ei Se oXiW? ohlh TO, ooq h "nny^, tS ttht^i 
Tov v\h vTra^x^iV Ivvoerv [a,6vov ya^ to I| ou to 
Trig 'Oiriyn; Iv rouTOii; ovofxct a-tifAaivsi. ' Pa- 
trem quidem non genitum, non creatum, 
sed ingenitum prolitemur ; ipse enim a 
nullo originem ducit, ex quo et Filius na- 
tivitatem, et Spiritus Sanctus processi- 
onem accepit. Fons ergo ipse et origo 
est totius divinitatis.' Coneil. Tolet. can. 
11. ' Quanto magis Dei vocem creden- 
dum est et manere in feternuin, et sensu 
ac virtute comitari, quam de Deo Patre 
tanquam rivus de fonte traduxit V Lactan. 
de ver. Sap. 1. 4. c. 8. et rursus, c. 29. 
' Cum igitur et Pater Filium faciat, et Fi- 
lius Patrem, una utrique mens, unus spi- 
ritus, una substantia est : sed ille quasi 
exuberans fons est, hie tanquam defluens 
ex eo rivus ; ille tanquam sol, hie tan- 
quam radius a sole porrectus.' 

^ ' Caput, quod est principium omnium, 
Filius : caput autem, quod est principium 
Christi, Deus.' Concil. Sirm. accepted 
and expounded as Orthodox by St. Hi- 
lary : ' Caput enim omnium Filius, sed 
caput Filii Deus.' de Synod, c. 60. * Cum 
ipse sit omnium caput, ipsius tamen caput 
est Pater.' Ruff, in Symb. §. 9. * Tu ca- 
pitis primique caput, tu fontis origo.' S. 
Hilar, ad Leonem. v. 9. Ovn Suo eicrtv af- 
p^tti, aWa. KB<pa\ri tov vlou 6 Tritrhf, (J-ici h 
apxfi, S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. 11. ' Ca- 
put Filii Pater est, et caput Spiritus 
Sancti Filius, quia de ipso accepit.' S. 
August. Quccst. Vet. Test. 9. St. Chry- 



sostom is so clearly of the opinion that 
1 Cor. xi. 3. is to be understood of Christ 
as God, that from thence he proves him 
to have the same essence with God : El 
ya.^ x3<|>aX?5 ywaino^ o am^, optoovcnoi h xe- 
<:f>aXh T« (Tciifxari' KB<pa\r} J= tou viou o ^sog, 
ofxoov<riog 0 vlog ttat^I. So likewise Theo- 
doret upon the same place, t. iii. p. 171. 
'H yii\h ov TToiyjfxa, rou avSpoj, aX\' bk Tvg 
CLxrtaj TOV avSjo?. cuSe o vlog afia. TToWjWa tou 
Seou, «.xx' sn rvg ovo'iag tov &£oD. So St. 
Cyril : Ks<|jaX>5 rov X^icrrcZ o S'so?, on 1^ 
avTov Kara (puTiv ysysvv»Taj ya.^ 6 "hoyog |jt 
To3 ^Bov xai TTar^Sg. Ad Rsgin. Ep. 1. 

* Lactan. 1. i. c. 8. S. Hilar. 1. ii. 
Zach. Mitylen. p. 214. seqq. 

t Lactan. ib. Synes. Hymn. 

J S. Hieron. in c. 3. ad Eph. 

^ "Ava^'^og oZv 6 Trarfi^.ov yk^ Brs^ooBev av- 
rS, ov^B Traf lavrov to sTvat. S. Greg. Naz. 
Orat. 30. 'O aymtirog ov ysyivvtirai, oS9' v<p* 
hctuTov, ovQ'u'^'' ETS^ou. S. AtJiau. ' Si rursum 
quod a semetipso sit accipias, nemo sibi 
ipse et munerator et munus est.' S. Hilar, 
de Trin. 1. 2. c. 7. ' Qui putant Deum ejus 
potentiae esse ut seipsum ipse genuerit, eo 
plus errant, quod non solum Deus ita non 
est, sed neque corporalis neque spiritualis 
creatura. Nulla enim omnino res est 
quje seipsam gignat ut sit. Et ideo non 
est credendum, vel dicendum, quod Deus 
genuit se.' S. August. 

\\ This appeareth by those expositions 
which have been given of such words as 
seem to bear the affirmation ; as avroyin- 
BXog, avToifvhg, aiiroyovog, alroyivrig, &c. Au- 



1 BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



59 



his essence from none, that he is not begotten of any, nor hath 
he any cause of his existence. So that the proper notion of 
the Father in whom we believe is this, that he is a person sub- 
sisting eternally in the one infinite essence of the Godhead ; 
which essence or subsistence he hath received from no other 
person, but hath communicated the same essence, in which 
himself subsisteth, by generation to another person, who by that 
generation is the Son. 



Toyevh?, avroy&V£6>^og, ovk sit rivog ymmfxivoi;, 
Hesych. And AvroKo'^evrog, &Bog aysvvnroi;, 
avToyivvnrog. Idem. And after him Suidas : 
AvToXo^evTog , alroymr^rog, 6 Qsog o aymnrog. 
And if avroyivvnrog be not ctvroQev ysvvnrog, 
no more is alroQiog to be taken for avToBsv, 
or 1^ iavrov ^eog. Eusebius in his Pane - 
gyrical Oration gives this title to the Son : 
OTa, Tov Ka&oXov TTaTJa yvh(rtov nai avro- 
Seov TT^os-Kvma-Qcii. Hist. 1. x. c. 4. And in 
his Evangelical Demonstration calls him : 
avTovovv, Kai avroXoyov, nai alroao<^itLv, xai 
e'tj Se aiiTOJtrtXov nai avroayaQov, I. iv. c. 2. 
and in the thirteenth chapter of the same 
book with relation to the former words : 
TOV deov X'oyog alrof^aifi mvy/JviuiV., xai auro- 
vosgov, Xtt; oVa oXko, •TT^onarei'Keiirai. 
Theodoret terms him : avro^vvafxov net] av- 
ro^^mv not avro<ro:piav. contra Anathem. 4. 
Cyrilli. St. Basil : avTo^^oohv, in Psat. xlviii. 
et de Spiritu Sancto, c. 8. and avro^imio- 
ervvriv, Ep. 141. St. Chrysostom : avroctQa- 
vaa-iaVf avrofAUKa^iornra. St. Athanasius 
gives him them, and many more to the 
same purpose. And before all these Ori- 
gen : "Ov fxsv vo/xi^ofABV xai Trs'TrsiTjuiBa 
Oiv sTvai ®Eov, xa] vtov <S)bov, ovrog o avroXoyog 
t(TTi, Kcti « avrocro<pia, itai k avroa'KfiQsia. c, 
Cels.l. in. §. 41. And again : Tig fj.a.x'kov 
rtig'lria-oZ ■\>v')(y)g, « nav ira^ctirXna-ioogKB^.dWYi- 
fai rZ Kv^iM, avroXoyCf}, not avro(ro<pia nal 
alroaKrideia, nai avro^iKctioo-vvri; 1. vi. §. 47. 
ElxMV fxiv rov &£o3 o TT^cDToroKog wtkcrng urC- 
ascig sa-riv o avroXoyog, xai h avroct'KhBeia, , 'in 
Se xctl h alToa-o<pict. Ibid. §, 63. And cer- 
tainly in the same sense that avrog is 
joined with one attribute, it may be join- 
ed with any other, and with the Godhead: 
because all the attributes of God are 
really the same, not only with themselves, 
but with the essence. But in what sense 
it ought to be understood, when thus used 
by the fathers, it will be necessary to in- 
quire, lest it be so attributed to the Son, 
as it prove derogatory to the Father. St. 
Basil, I confess, may seem to speak, as 
if the Son were therefore avro^m, because 
he hath life of himself, not from the Fa- 
ther (and consequently he may be termed 
avToQeog, as God of himself, not from the 
Father), for he denieth those words, I 
live by the Father," (John vi. 58.) to be 
.spoken of Christ according to his divine 
nature, and that only for this reason, that 



if it were so understood he could not be 
called avTO^airj : Et Sja tov TtctTe^a. o vi'og ^5j, 
Ji' ers^ov xai ov Jt' savrov o Se h' bts^ov {<s3v 
avrol^m bIvui ov dvvaTai' from whence he 
concludeth : slg Tnv IvavQ^aiTrricriv oZv Kal om 
elg Tr,v S'EoTnra, to aipn^svov vosXv Ss7. contra 
Ennom. 1. 4. p. 290. But because the 
authority of that book is questioned, I 
shall produce the same author upon the 
same Scripture, speaking to the same 
purpose, in his 141st epistle, al. 8th, $.4. 
which is unquestionably genuine : 'EvtaD. 
0a TO jJHTov ovu avThv TT^oaimiov, oog olfxai, 
^ctihv ovO|«a^sr Trav ya.^ to 5j' I'tejov ^oov avTo^oon 
eTvai ov SwaTat. To which testimonies I 
answer, first, that those words of his, oog 
olfA-ai (as I think) shew that he doth not 
absolutely deny these words of Christ to 
be understood of his Divinity, of which 
the rest of the fathers quoted before did 
understand it ; and not only they, but St. 
Basil himself, in his book de Spiritu Sancto, 
c. 8. §. j 9. hath delivered a clear resolu- 
tion of this point according to that inter- 
pretation, wholly consonant to his doc- 
trine of the Trinity in other parts of his 
works: 'OfxcDg fxivroi, I'va fA.h7roTB in tov 
fxiyk&ovg tZv IvSjiyovfxsvMV Tre^ta-TracrQaifAev slg 
TO (pavra,crQ?,vcii aya^p^ov sTvat tov nv^iov, tL 
<f»]o-iV h avTO^M-h ; 'Eyaj Sja tov Trari^a, 
Hal h TOV Bbou ^vvcLfxig ; Ol ^vvaTai o vlog ttoi- 
sh a.<p' lavrov oi/^iv. Kctl h aiircTaXrjf a-o<pia ; 
EvToXhv 'iXa0ov, Ti'eiW xat TlXctXha-oo ; Christ 
therefore as a^To^uD^ spake those words, 
" I live by the Father," and by them 
shewed his origination from him, from 
whom he received his life, power, and 
wisdom, as receiving his essence, which 
is the same with them : wherefore those 
former passages are to be looked upon, as 
if avTog in composition did not deny ori- 
gination, but participation, or receiving 
by way of affection. And that he under- 
stood it so, appears out of the places 
themselves: for in the first, after oS't' I'te- 
^av ^Zv avro^w zlvaiov JyvaTat, immediately 
followeth, oliSe ya^ 6 Hara, J^ap'v ayiog av- 
Toayiog : and in the second, after ttuv to Ji' 
ETEpov {liv avTo^oori sTva; oh ^vvatai, followeth 
likewise, aig ov^s to v<^' Ir^ou ^ep/xavBsv av- 
ToBepfxori^g sTvai. The meaning then of St. 
Basil must be this, that he which receiv- 
eth life from another merely as a grace 
or favour, as the saints rec-eive their 



60 



ARTICLE I. 



Howsoever, it is most reasonable to assert that there is but 
one Person who is from none ; and the very generation of the 
Son and procession of the Holy Ghost undeniably prove, that 
neither of those two can be that Person. For whosoever is 
generated is from him which is the genitor, and whosoever pro- 
ceedeth is from him from whom he proceedeth, whatsoever the 
nature of the generation or procession be. It foiloweth there- 
fore that this Person is the Father, which name speaks nothing 
of dependence, nor supposeth any kind of priority in another. 

From hence it is observed that the name of God, taken ab- 
solutely,* is often in the Scripture spoken of the Father; as 
when we read of** God sending his own Son;" (Rom. viii. 3.) 
of** the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God 
(2 Cor. xiii. 14.) and generally wheresoever Christ is called the 
Son of God, or the Word of God, the name of God is to be 
taken particularly for the Father, because he is no Son but of 
the Father. From hence he is styled '*one God,"(l Cor. viii. 6. 
Eph. iv. 6.) *• the true God," (1 Thess. i. 9.) ** the only true 



sanctity, cannot properly be termed avro' 
^m, no more than they avroayioi: or if he 
receive it by derivation or participation, 
as water receiveth heat from fire, he de- 
serveth the same name no more than 
water heated to, be called alroSepfjLOTrjg, 
And this is fully consonant to the expres- 
sions of the rest of the ancients : as par- 
ticularly Athanasius, contr. Gent. §. 46. 
Oil Kara, fxero^hv raura uv, ov^b s^oodiv £7r<- 
yivofjisvoov rouToov avrca Kara, rovg avrou fxz- 
rs^ovrag, Koi )ro<pi^ofxivovi; ^i' avrou, Kai ^wa- 
rovg KOI Xoymovg Iv avrS yivoy-Bvovg' oKK av- 
roa-o-pia, avroKoyog, avro^vvajj.ig l^la rov TTct' 
rpog Icrriv, avro<pSt>g, avroaXnOeta, avTo^iKaiO' 
a-vvt], avroa^srfi. And to the same purpose : 
"Ot( ov jueQeKTW Ip^Et rhv Soopsav, aW' avro- 
<n-nyh Ka\ avroppi^a, 'rra.vroov lirri t£v ayaBoov, 
avro^aih, xa,] avro^Zg, Ka\ avroaXh^ua' in 
the MS. Catena in the King of France's 
Library. Fetav, de Trin. 1. vi. c. 11. All 
therefore which these compositions sig- 
nify, is either a negation of a derivative 
participation, or an affirmation of a 
reality and identity of substance, as yet 
farther appears by St. Epiphanius : ah- 
roovs-ia ia-r\v o 5eo? irarnp Koi 6 ulog, Ka] ro 
ayi0V7rvBufA,a,iiat oliX Bre^ovaria,' and Origen 
himself upon St. John : h avro^maiotrvvn h 
\la-iM^tig Xpia-rog la-ri, as also h avroa\h9sia, 
ova-toli^Kg,}ia] IV our cog B'lTroo, Trpoororvrrog rriq 
£V ra"g XoyiKaXg ■]>v)(a.'ig aXri^elag. To con- 
clude, there is a catholic sense in which 
the Son is termed avTo^ioq, ahroa-opia, &c, 
by the ancient fathers ; and another sense 
there is in which these terms are so pro- 
per and peculiar to the Father, that they 
are denied to the Son. Indeed avro^sog, 
in the highest sense, «<}>' lavrou 9eo?, posi- 
tively taken, belongeth neither to the Son 



nor to the Father, as implying a manifest 
contradiction ; because nothing can have 
its being actually from itself, as commu- 
nicated to itself, and that by itself : but 
in a negative way of interpretation, by 
which that is said to be of itself, which 
is and yet is not of or from another, avro- 
S-sof belongs properly to the Father, nei- 
ther generated by, nor proceeding from 
another ; and in that sense it is denied 
to the Son, because he is generated by 
the Father, as : Ik ^bov 0SO?, bk a-0(pov a-o- 
<pla, BK XoyiKou Xoyog, Ka) Ik irar^og viog, saith 
St. Athanasius cont. Ar. Or. iv. §. 1. from 
whence he thus proceeds : hrog si fxh av 
rig BiTToi avros-o<p'iav Blvai Kal avroXoyov rov 
S'Sov, aXX' si rovro s'lri av avrog savrov TTarh^ 
Kal vlog. Ibid. §. 2. And again : si ^s al- 
ro!ro<pia 6 Bsog, Kal ro sk rovrov aroTTov Et'gn- 
rai wapa la^BXxiM. Lastly, in another 
sense in which avrog in composition is 
taken not in obliqiw, but in recto, alro^sog, 
that is, avro; o ^sog, God himself, and avro- 
^airi, avrh h ^och, tife itself: so all these 
terms are attributed to the Son as truly, 
really, and essentially, as to the Father. 
And that the Fathers took it so appears, 
because they did sometimes resolve the 
composition : as when Eusebius calleth 
Christ avroQsov, in the Panegyric before 
ci'ad, presently after he speaketh thus, 1. 
X. §. 4. p. 469. Tiyap kui 'ifA.BXXs rov itafx- 
QaTiXsMg Koi tTavnyBfxovog Kal avrov &£ou Xo- 
youivo-rhiTBT^ai rS Trvsvfxari ; where ctvrou 
Qbov is the same with alro^'eov. 

* "06bv ot aTToa-roXoi, Kal itaa-a. jt^eS'ov n 
kyia y^a<pYi, orav eI'ttji, o ©eoj, ourtug aitoXv- 
rMg Kal aTt^os'^io^lcrrotig, kcu kg Birlftav c'vv 
apS-^ftj, Kal x^'fig l^iMfAarog viToa-rariKov, rov 
TTars^a hXoX. Thcod. Abucara Opusc, 42. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER. 



61 



God," (John xvii. 3.) ** the God* and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ/' (2 Cor.i. 3.Eph.i. 3.) 

Which, as it is most true, and so fit to be believed, is also a 
most necessary truth, and therefore to be acknowledged, for 
the avoiding multiplicationt and plurality of gods. For if 
there were more than one which were from none, it could not 
be denied but there were more gods than one. Wherefore this 
origination}: in the diiYiuQ paternity hdiih. anciently been looked 
upon as the assertion of the unity : and therefore the Son and 
Holy Ghost have been believed to be but one God with the 
Father, because both from the Father, who is one, and -so the 
union§ of them. 

Secondly, It is necessary thus to believe in the Father, be- 
cause our salvation is propounded to us by an access unto the 



* ' Unxit le Deus, Deus tuus. Id enim 
quod ait, tuus, ad nativitatem refertur ; 
cajterum non perirait naturara. Et id- 
circo Deus ejus est, qui ex Deo natus in 
Deum est. Non tamen per id quod 
Pater Deus est, non et Filius Deus est. 
Unxit enim te Deus, Deus tuus; desiguata 
videlicet et auctoris sui et ex eo geniti 
significatione, uno eodemque dicto utrum- 
que ilium in naturae ejusdem et dignitatis 
nuncupations constituit.' S. Hilar, de 
Trin. 1. 4. c. 35. ' Deo enim ex quo 
omnia sunt Deus nullus est, qui sine initio 
aeternus est. Filio autem Deus Pater 
est, ex eo enim Deus natus est.' Ibid. c. 
37. ' Cum autem ex Deo Deus est, per 
id Deus Pater Deo Filio et nativitatis 
ejus Deus est, et naturae Pater, quia Dei 
nativitas et ex Deo est, et in ea generis 
est natura qua Deus est.' Id. 1. xi. c. H. 

50 St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catech. xi. 
060? 0 yivvntrag, ©eo? o yavviSEij* ©eoj fA,BV 
T»v TraVTOtJv, Qelv savTov rov ttar't^a, ivi- 
ypct<p6/j,Bvo!;, 

t Mil fxoi e^Tryjre, Wo Bsovi; nn^vrrii, 'TtoXv- 
hs'l'av xa,Tayy£X'K£i, ou ^vo S'Eot, ov^s yk^ ^vo 
rrari^tq' o fxlv a.fX"''^ iWayoov Suo, Suo xn^vT- 
TEJ Seoij?. S. Basil, Homil. 26. ' In duo- 
bus ingenitis diversa divinitas invenitur; 
in uno autem genito ex uno ingenito na- 
turalis unitas demonstratur.' Fnlgen. 
Resp. contra Arian. ad Obj. 5. ' Si quis 
innascibilem et sine initio dicat Filium, 
tanquam duo sine principio, et duo inua- 
scibilia, et duo innata dicens, duos faciat 
Deos, Anathema sit.' Concil. Sirm. [Vid. 
p. 56. col. 2.] • Deus utique procedens 
ex Deo secundam personam efficiens, sed 
non eripiens illud Patri quod unus est 
Deus. Si enim natus non fuisset, innatus 
comparatus cum eo qui esset innatus, 
aequatione in utroque ostensa, duos face- 
ret innatos, et ideo duos faceret Deos. 

51 non genitus esset, collatus cum eo qui 
genitus non esset, et pequales inventi, duos 
Deos merito reddidissent non geniti j 



atque ideo duos Deos reddidisset Chris- 
tus, si sine origine esset ut Pater inven- 
tus ; et ipse principium omnium ut Pa- 
ter, duo faciens principia, duos osten- 
disset nobis consequenter et Deos, &c.' 
Novatian. de Trin. c. 31. 

I "Sla-Tre^ fxia a.§)(ri, nal Kara rovro eT? 
Sao';. S. Athan. Orat. iv. 1. Tnpoiro 8' av, 
<i? 0 ljUo; "Koyoi, Ei'c fxiv Seo?, si? £V a'irioy 
y.a\ v\ov Ha), ayiov msvfjcaro; ava'pspofxivoov. 
S. Gregor. Naz. Orat. 29. "Ottou yap fxia 
[xh h a^)(ri, ev Se to alrv';. Hat h fxh to 
a^^irvTTov, fxia h sUiv, o rnq evo'thto; 
"koyoq ou 5ia<p2reipaTai. S. Basil. Homil. 26. 
* Patri suo originem suam debens, dis- 
cordiam divinitatis de numero duorura 
Deorum facere non potuit, qui ex illo qui 
est unus Deus originem nascendo con- 
traxit.' Novatian. de Trin- c. 31. ' Con- 
fitemur non Deos duos, sed Deum unum, 
neque per id non et Deum Dei Fil'um, 
est enim ex Deo Deus ; non innascioiles 
duos, quia auctoritate innascibilitatis 
Deus unus est.' S. Hilar, de Synod, c. 64. 
whose assertion is : ' Unum Deum esse 
ex quo omnia, unam virtutem innascibi- 
lem, et unam banc esse sine initio potes- 
tatem :' which words belong unto the 
Father, and then it followeth of the Son ; 
' Non enim Patri adimitur quod Deus 
unus est, quia et Filius Deus est. Est 
enim Deus ex Deo, unus ex uno. Ob id 
unus Deus, quia ex se Deus. Contra 
vero non minus per id Filius Deus, quia 
Pater Deus unus sit. Est enim unigeni- 
tus Filius Dei, non innascibilis, ut Patri 
adimat quod Deus unus sit.' De Trin. 
1. iv. c. 15. 

^ 06(711; Tof; r^ttA f^ia, Seoj" %vQo<ri<; Si 
0 Trarh^, 6^ ou nal TTfoc ov avdytrai ra e^ni;. 
S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 32. Unto which 
words those of Theod. Abucara have re- 
lation : ©eo? l^ai^hax; "hsysrai, BTrii^ri h 
Bvooa-i^, nroi avairrv^iq Ka\ avauBpaXaiaxTti; , 
Tw? rpia^og 6 Trarr)^ Io'TJV, a^ff iiTcev o ®eo~ 
Koyog. Opusc, 42. 



62 



ARTICLE I. 



Father. We are all gone away and fallen from God, and we 
must be brought to him again. There is no other notion under 
which we can be brought to God as to be saved, but the notion 
of the Father ; and there is no other person can bring us to 
the Father, but the Son of that Father : for, as the apostle 
teacheth us, through him we have an access by one Spirit 
unto the Father." (Eph. ii. 18.) 

Having thus described the true nature and notion of the 
divine paternity, in all the several degrees and eminences be- 
longing to it, I may now clearly deliver, and every particular 
Christian understand what it is he speaks, when he makes his 
confession in these words, I believe in God the Father: by which 
I conceive him to express thus much : 

As I am assured that there is an infinite and independent 
Being, which we call a God, and that it is impossible there 
should be more infinities than one : so I assure myself that this 
one God is the Father of all things, especially of all men and 
angels, so far as the mere act of creation may be styled gene- 
ration ; that he is farther yet, and in a more peculiar manner, 
the Father of all those whom he regenerateth by his Spirit, 
whom he adopteth in his Son, as heirs and coheirs with him, 
whom he crowneth with the reward of an eternal inheritance 
in the heavens. But beyond and far above all this, besides his 
general offspring and peculiar people, ^' to whom he hath given 
power to become the sons of God (John i. 12.) I believe 
him the Father in a more eminent and transcendent manner, of 
one singular and proper Son, his own, his beloved, his only- 
begotten Son : whom he hath not only begotten of the blessed 
Virgin, by the coming of the Holy Ghost, and the overshadow^- 
ing of his power ; not only sent with special authority as the 
King of Israel ; not only raised from the dead, and made heir 
of all things in his house ; but antecedently to all this, hath 
begotten him by way of eternal generation in the same Divi- 
nity and Majesty with himself : by which paternity, coeval to 
the Deity, I acknowledge him always Father, as much as 
always God, And in this relation, I profess that eminency and 
priority, that as he is the original Cause of all things as created 
by him, so is he the fountain of the Son begotten of him, and 
of the Holy Ghost proceeding from him. 

I BELIEVE IN God the Father Almighty, 

After the relation of God's paternity, immediately follow- 
eth the glorious attributes of his ormiipotency :^ that as those 



* For the oldest and shortest Creed 
had always this attribute expressed in it. 
Insomuch that navTox^arw^ was ordina- 
rily by the ancients taken for the Father, 
as Origea, adv. Celsum, 1. vii. §. 10. 'E;^g)5V 
5e avTov lnQso-Qai avrctig Xe^Hcrt ra? TTfo- 



ylxXHTO sTvai o Xiyojv, sit Iv af? o Tlog tou 
©sou, hit' Iv aTg to nvES|Ua. to ayiov "ksyov sTvai 
sTTKnevSTo, And according to this general 
confession did Polycarp begin his prayer 
at his martyrdom : Kv^ts o ©£0f o TravTOKpa- 
TWf , 0 Tov ayaTrnTov xai sL\oynTov rrat^oi; aov 
\nc-ov Xfia-Tov "jrarnp. Eccles, Smyrn, Epist, 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 63 



in heaven in their devotions, so we on earth in our confessions 
might acknowledge that " Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, 
which was, and is, and is to come (Rev. iv. 8.) that in our 
solemn meetings of the Church of God, with the joint expres- 
sion and concurring language of the congregation, we might 
some way imitate that ''voice of a great multitude, as the 
voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, 
saying, Allelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." 
(Rev. xix. 6.)* 

This notion of Almighty in the Creed, must certainly be 
interpreted according to the sense which the original word 
beareth in the New Testament; and that cannot be better un- 
derstood than by the Greek writers or interpreters of the Old, 
especially when the notion itself belongs unto the Gospel and 
the Law indifferently. Now the word which we translate Al- 
mighty, ^ the most ancient Greek interpreters used sometimes 
for the title of God, the Lord of Hosts, sometimes for his name 
Shaddai, as generally in the Book of Job : by the first, they 
seem to signify the rule and dominion which God hath over 
all ; by the second, the strength, force, or power by which he 
is able to perform all things. " The heavens and the earth 
were finished (saith Moses), and all the host of them." (Gen. 
ii. 1.) and he which began them, he which finished them, is the 
ruler and commander of them. Upon the right of creation 
doth he justly challenge this dominion. *' I have made the 
earth, and created man upon it; I, even my hands, have 
stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I com- 
manded.'* (Isa. xlv. 12.) And on this dominion or command 
doth he raise the title of the Lord of Hosts :% which, though 
preserved in the § original language both by St. Paul and St. 
James, yet by St. John is turned into that word which we trans- 
late Almighty. Wherefore from the use of the sacred writers, 
from the || notation of the word in Greek, and from the testi- 



* Ol 7rapp»o-/av £lX>i<f)'JT£?, Tov 'TravTOK^a- 
To^a TTaTE^a x.a.'Ksiv. Constit. Apost. 1. i. 
Proxm. 

t iTavToJtgaTwp, translated by Tertullian 
and St. Augustin Omnitenens (as Tertul- 
lian translates xo<rjM.cixgaToga; munditeneii- 
tes), by Prudentius Omnipollens, by all 
Omnipotens (as St. Hilary translated xocr- 
fMH^aro^cii; mundipotentes), and, as I con- 
ceive, it is translated Capax universorum, 
by the Latin interpreter of Hermas. 
' Primum omnium credo quod unus est 
Deus, qui omnia creavit, et consum- 
mavit, et ex nihilo fecit. Ipse capax 
universorum, solus immensus est.' 1. ii. 
Mand. 1. Which by the interpreter of 
Irenaeus is thus translated : * Omnium 
capax, et qui a nemine capiaitur.^ 1. iv. 
c. 37. 

1 Kv^io; o-aBaiQ. 



ffTri^fxa. Rom. ix. "29. the words of Isa. 
i. 9. Kai a\ Boal tZv bB^itravraiv slf to, oora 
Kvpiov 2a$aob6 £io-£X>jXi;9ctcrjv. Jam. V. 4. 
which are the words of St. James in re- 
lation to Deut. xxiv. 15. "Ayioi;, ayioq, 
ayiot; Kvpiog o ©£o? o wiavTOjt^aTiwp. Rev. 
iv. 8. which are before in Isaiah. "Aj/to?, 
ttyto?, ayioi; Kupjo? laQawQ. Isa. vi. 3. To 

<7To\'Ka-)(ov TcSv Itcm'^mV mpaXafABavofxevni;' 
on bI [xira\afj,Bavofxiv to ovo^a i\q to Kupio? 
tZv ^vvkfjLiMV, jj Kv^ioQ a-r^ariKV, n ifa-vro- 
K^arot}^ (^^la^o^xg ya,^ alro l^s^e^avro ol 
E^fxnvivovreg auro), ov^h Ttoirxrofxev, Origen. 
contra Cels. 1. iv. §. 45. 

|[ That TravTOH^dro)^ should have the 
signification of government in it, accord- 
ing to the composition in the Greek lan- 
guage, no man can doubt, who but only 



64 



ARTICLE I. 



mony of the ancient fathers,* we may well ascribe unto God 
the Father, in the explication of this article, the dominion over 
all, and the rule and g.6vernment of all. 

This authority or power properly potestative is attributed 
unto God in the sacred Scriptures ;f from whence those names 
or titles,:]: which most aptly and fully express dominion, are 
frequently given unto him ; and the rule, empire, or govern- 
ment of the world is acknov^ledged to be wholly in him, as 
necessarily following that natural and eternal right of domi- 
nion. 

What the nature of this authoritative power is, we shall the 
more clearly understand, if we first divide it into three degrees 
or branches of it : the first whereof we may conceive, a right of 
making and framing any thing which he willeth, in any manner 
as it pleaseth him, according to the absolute freedom of his 
own will ; the second, a right of having and possessing all 
things so made and framed by him, as his own, properly be- 
longing to him, as to the Lord and Master of them, by virtue 
of direct dominion ; the third, a right of using and disposing 
all things so in his possession, according to his own pleasure. 
The first of these we mention only for the necessity of it, and 
the dependence of the other two upon it. God's actual domi- 
nion being no otherwise necessary, than upon supposition of a 
precedent act of creation ; because nothing, before it hath a 
being, can belong to any one, neither can any propriety be 
imagined in that which hath no entity. 



considers those vulgar terms of their po- 
litics, ^nf^OK^aria., and api^TCH^etrla., from 
whence it appears that fj^ovox^aria. might 
as well have been used as /xovaP)(iA : and 
in that sense avro-K^ctTco^ is the proper 
title given by the Greeks to the Roman 
emperor, as not only the latter historians, 
but even the coins of Julius Cfesar wit- 
ness. Hesych. AvTOH^a.-no^, avTS^ov<7-icg, 
hoo-iaoh^cLtm^ : because the Roman empe- 
ror was ruler of the known world. So the 
devils or princes of the air are termed by 
St. Paul, KoTfAoupdro^Bt;, Eph. vi. 12. which 
is all one with a.§')(0'jTEg tov kot/xov, as will 
appear, John xii. 31. xiv. 30. xvi. 11. 
As therefore K^aro? signifieth of itself 
rule and authority, Hesych. Kparo?, 0as-i- 
Xst'a, h^ova-U' Kjarsj, app^?, b^ous-U' to which 
sense Eustathius hath observed Homer 
led the following writers by those words 
of his, <Tov ^B K^dro; alh ak^nv, Iliad. M. V. 
214. TO fABV n^drog a-vWajxffdvBTai ri roTg 
CfTTEgov TW BacriXsiav n^drog "Keyovs-f whence 
^schylus calls Agamemnon and Mene- 
laus ^iQfovov updrog 'Ap^atSv, Agam. 42. and 
Sophocles after him, Six^areTf 'ATgeTSa;, 
Aj, 251, and as KPctrsh to rule or govern, 
(K^areT, nu^iBvBi, ds)(Ei' from whence K^a- 
vvg, a^^uiv, B^ovcrid^aiv^ SO also in compo- 
sition, TrctvToxpaTiwj, the ruler of all, Tlav- 



ToxpaTAjp, 0 &£c? Trdvraiv K^arxv, Hesych. 
TlavTQ-A.pa.TOpia., TTcLvra^^ia. Suid. 

* aIpbtihoI cvk or^£to"tv Bva, TravroH^dro^a 
S-£ov TravTox^aTdup ydp hs-riv o TrdvTcuv Kpariy, 

0 TTtt'vTiJV B^OVITid^CDV . 01 "KByoVTSg TOV fxh 

slvai Tng S's^^tto'tav, tov H tov a-ifxa.- 

Tog, ov teXsjov \Byovs-iv 6 ydp •i'^X*^^ l^ovtrlav 
£p(^fltfv, (TM/xnTog B^ova-iav fxh h/juv, TrZg 
TravronpaTci}^ ; xai o 5£5"7roT>ij ff'ooy.dTw, fxn 
B^ovi7id^m §"£ TTVBUfxdToov, TTaDj 7ra,\Tax,^droo^ j 
S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. 8. 'H? yds to 
TTup t3-;)^ufOTaToy tsSv o-toi^bIwv, xal TravTwv 
x^aToyv, o'jTX ndi 6 ©£o; Travra^uvajuog Kai 
TravTOH^droop, o ^vrdfXBVog K^arnirai, Troiva-at, 
T;>B<psiv, av^Eiv, crx^av, cuifxctTog xaj 
s^ovs-lav Byyv. Theodotus apnd CI. Alex, ex 
Scr. Proph. Eel. c. 26. p. 804. ' Unus 
est Dominus Jesus Christus per quern 
Deus Pater dominatum omnium tenet ; 
unde et sequens sermo Omnipotentem 
pronunciat Dominum. Omnipotens au- 
tem ab eo dicitur, quod omnium teneat 
potentatum.' Ruffin. in Symb. §, 6. 

t 'E^ova-la. Luke xii. 5. Acts i. 7. 
Jude 25. Rev. v. 13. 

t As -anK y-vpiog, hsyroTKg. '"Ev ^ev to 
Jtugi'a); na) TT^aJTa)? ov, ob BV tJ) p^Eipi itkvTe., 
v.aX Of itdvraov S"£r7ro^£i* Ta yd^ a'vfXTTAVTcL 
^oZ\i ra. Phot. Ep. 162. 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 65 



But the second branch or absolute dominion of this Almighty y 
is farther to be considered in the independency and infinity of 
it. First, it is independent in a double respect, in reference 
both to the original, and the use thereof. For God hath re- 
ceived no authority from any, because he hath all power ori- 
ginally in himself, and hath produced all things by the act of 
his own will, without any commander, counsellor, or coad- 
jutor. Neither doth the use or exercise of this dominion de- 
pend upon any one, so as to receive any direction or regula- 
tion, or to render any account of the administration of it ; as 
being illimited, absolute, and supreme, and so the fountain 
from whence all dominion in any other is derived. Wherefore 
he being the God of gods," is also the " Lord of lords, and 
King of kings," the only Potentate because he alone hath 
all the power of himself, and whosoever else hath any, hath it 
from him, either by donation or permission. 

The infinity of God's dominion, if we respect the object, ap- 
pears in the amplitude or extension ; if we look upon the man- 
ner, in the plenitude or perfection ; if we consider the time, in 
the eternity of duration. The amplitude of the object is suf- 
ficiently evidenced by those appellations which the Holy Writ 
ascribeth unto the Almighty, calling him the Lord of heaven," 
the ** Lord of the whole earth," the Lord of heaven and 
earth ;"t under which two are comprehended all things both in 
heaven and earth. This Moses taught the distrusting Israelites 
in the wilderness : " Behold the heaven and the heaven of 
heavens is the Lord's thy God, the earth also with all that is 
therein." (Deut. x. 14.) With these words David (Psal. 
Ixxxix. 11.) glorifieth God : " the heavens are thine, the earth 
also is thine," so acknowledging his dominion ; '* as for the 
world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them," so ex- 
pressing the foundation or ground of that dominion. And yet 
more fully, at the dedication of the offerings for the building 
of the Temple, to shew that what they gave was of his own, he 
saith, ''Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and 
the glory, and the victory, and the majesty : for all that is in 
the heaven and in the earth is thine. Thine is the kingdom, O 
Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches 
and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all." (1 Chron. 
xxix. 11, 12. )t If then we look upon the object of God's 
dominion, it is of that amplitude and extension, that it includeth 
and comprehendeth all things; so that nothing can be ima- 
gined which is not his, belonging to him as the true owner and 

* Deut. X. 17. Psal. cxxxvi.3. Rev. t Dan. v. '23. Josh. iii. 11. 13. Psal. 

xvii. 14. xix. 16. fxovoq Suvao-r*)?. 1 Tim. xcvii. 5. Mic. iv. 13. Zech. iv. 14. vi. 5. 

vi, 15. v-^io-Tot; 5uva«rT>if. Ecclus. xlvi. 5. Matt. xi. 2.5. Acts. xvii. 24. 
0 hjvi<rrni. 2 Mac. xv. 29. ^vvacrrn^ tmv f .bsn "lOO'O bmii Uavm yap vav- 

oiigavSv. 2 Mac. v. 23. o tZv Tfare^CDV xu- ra roTg ^eoT; utto^o., Hal TravTa^ri vavroov 

pio?, xaj Traa-tjQ l^ova-iai Swvao-TH?. 2 Mac, iVov ol Seoi n^aTova-i, Xenoph. de exped, 

iii. 24. "YTTiXTOf Kfetovruv. 11, 0. 13. Cyr. I. ii. c. 5. §. 7. 

F 



66 



ARTICLE I. 



proprietor, and subject wholly to his will as the sole governor 
and disposer : in respect of which universal power we must 
confess him to be Almighty. 

If we consider the manner and nature of this power, the 
plenitude thereof or perfection will appear : for as in regard 
of the extension, he hath power over all things ; so in respect 
of the intention, he hath all power over every thing, as being 
absolute and supreme. This God challenged to himself, when 
he catechized the prophet Jeremy in a potter's house, saying, 
** O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter ? 
saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, 
so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel." (Jer. xviii. 6.) 
That is, God hath as absolute power and dominion over every 
person, over every nation and kingdom on the earth, as the 
potter hath over the pot he maketh, or the clay he mouldeth. 
Thus are we wholly at the disposal of his will, and our present 
and future condition framed and ordered by his free, but wise 
and just, decrees. ** Hath not the potter power over the clay, 
of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another 
unto dishonour?" (Rom. ix. 21.) And can that earth-artificer 
have a freer power over his brother potsherd (both being made 
of the same metal), than God hath over him, who by the 
strange fecundity of his omnipotent power, first made the clay 
out of nothing, and then liim out of that? 

The duration of God's dominion must likewise necessarily 
be eternal, if any thing which is be immortaL For, being 
every thing is therefore his, because it received its being from 
him, and the continuation of the creature is as much from him 
as the first production ; it followeth that so long as it is con- 
tinued it must be his, and consequently, being some of his 
creatures are immortal, his dominion must be eternal. Where- 
fore St. Paul expressly calleth God the King eternal,'' 
(I Tim. i. 17.)* with reference to that of David, **thy kingdom 
is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth through- 
out all generations.'" (Psal. cxlv. 13. )t And Moses in his 
Song hath told us, *nhe Lord shall reign for ever and ever :" 
(Exod. XV. 18.)+ which phrase /o;- ever and ever in the original 
signifieth thus much, that there is no time to come assignable 
or imaginable, but after and beyond that God shall reign. 

The third branch of God's authoritative or potestative power 
consisteth in the use of all things in his possession, by virtue 
of his absolute dominion. For it is the general dictate of 
reason, that the use, benefit, and utility of any thing, redound- 
eth unto him whose it is, and to whom as to the proprietor it 



t D^oby-bD nob'O LXX. Baa-iXsia TTaVTW 
tSv aldivoov. 

t Ti/I Zzbljb LXX. stt' alSom Kctl en. S. 
Hier. in seculnvi et ultra. So Aquila, 



Theod. and the fifth edit, in Psal. xxi. 4. 
So the LXX again, Dan. xii. 7. ei? toix; 
alma; nai 'in, and Mich.iv> 5. £»? Toy aiaivct 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 67 



belongeth. It is true indeed, that God, who is all-sufficient 
and infinitely happy in and of himself, so that no accession 
ever could or can be made to his original felicity, cannot re- 
ceive any real benefit and utility from the creature. " Thou 
art my Lord (saith David), my goodness extendeth not to 
thee." (Psal. xvi. 2.)* And therefore our only and absolute 
Lord, because his goodness extendeth unto us, and not ours 
to him, because his dominion is for our benefit, not for his 
own : for us who want, and therefore may receive ; not for 
himself who cannot receive, because he wanteth nothing, whose 
honour standeth not in his own, but in our receiving.f 

But though the universal Cause made all things for the 
benefit of some creatures framed by him, yet hath he made 
them ultimately for himself ; and God is as universally the 
final as the efficient cause of his operations. The apostle 
hath taught us, that not only of him," and ^' by him," as 
the first author, but also " to him," and for him," as the 
ultimate end, are all things." (Rom. xi. 36. 1 Cor. viii. 6. 
Heb. ii. 10.) And it is one of the proverbial sentences of 
Solomon, *'The Lord hath made all things for himself, yea 
even the wicked for the day of evil." (Prov. xvi. 4.) For 
though he cannot receive any real benefit or utility from the 
creature, yet he can and doth in a manner receive that which 
hath some similitude or affinity with it. Thus God " re- 
joiceth," (Psal. civ. 31.) at the effects of his wisdom, power, 
and goodness, and taketh delight in the works of his hands. 
Thus doth he order and dispose of all things unto his own 
glory, which redoundetli from the demonstration of his at- 
tributes. 

An explicit belief of this authoritative power and absolute 
dominion of the Almighty is necessary. First, for the breeding 
in us an awful reverence of his majesty, and entire subjection 
to his will. For to the highest excellency the greatest honour, 
to the supreme^ authority the most exact obedience is no more 
than duty. If God be our absolute Lord, we his servants and 
vassals, then is there a right in him to require of us whatsoever 



* ' Ille nostra servitute non indiget, 
nos vero dominatione illius indigemus, ut 
operetur et custodiat nos : et ideo verus 
et solus est Dominus, qui non illi ad suam, 
sed ad nostrani utilitatem salutemque, 
servimus. Nam si nobis indigeret, eo 
ipso non verus Dominus esset, cum per 
nos ejus adjuvaretur necessitas, sub qua 
et ipse serviret.' S. August, de Gen, ad 
in. 1. viii. c. 1 1. ' Dixi Domino, De,us metis es 
til : quare'? quoniam bonornm non eges. Ille 
non eget nostri, nos egemus ipsius ; ideo 
verus Dominus. Nam tu non valde verus 
Dominus servi tui ; arabo homines, ambo 
egentes Deo. Si vero putas egere tui ser- 
vum tuum, ut des panem ; eges et tu servi 

F 



tui, ut adjuvet labores tuns. Uterqne 
vfcstrnm altero vestrum indiget : itaque 
nullus vestrum vere dominus, et nullus 
vestrum vere servus. Audi verum Domi- 
num, cujiis verus es servus, Dixi Domino, 
Deusmeiis es tu: quare tui dominus? qnonia7n 
bonoriim meorum non eges.' Id. ad Psal. Ixix, 
t Ti/xh TToisiTai TOV anvieovi rhv tZv knx' 
smivcu TrpoTBivo/Lcivocv ayaBoiv vTTo^o^r^v. Uierocl, 
in Aureu Car. p. 22 ed. prin. And again ; 
"O^TTt? rifxa TOV ©£ov co^ •JT^oa-^BOfA.BVov, olro? 
XsXnQev olofxivoi; lavrov tov Qbov tjmi K^eirTova, 
p. 25. 

t 'H/xer? 5« fA-syaXoio Aioj TrBiQuifjisda. ^ouXji, 
"OC TTcia-l Ov^ToHa-i Kal a^avaroio-iv avucra-^f^ 
Horn. 11. M. 

2 



68 



ARTICLE I. 



we can perform, and an obligation* upon us to perform what- 
soever he commandeth. Whosoever doth otherwise, while he 
confesseth, denieth him ; while he acknowledgeth him with his 
tongue, he sets his hand against him. " Why call ye me Lord, 
Lord (saith our Saviour), and do not the things which I say V* 
(Luke vi. 46.) 

Secondly, This belief is also necessary to breed in us 
equanimity and patience in our sufferings, to prevent all mur- 
muring, repining, and objecting against the actions or deter- 
minations of God, as knowing that he, who is absolute Lord, 
cannot abuse his power ; he, whose will is a law to us, cannot 
do any thing unwisely or unjustly. " Let the potsherd strive 
with the potsherds of the earth : shall the clay say to him that 
fashioneth it. What makest thou?" (Isa. xlv. 9.) But let 
the man after God's own heart rather teach us humble and re- 
ligious silence. , I was dumb (saith he), and opened not my 
mouth, because thou didst it." (Psal. xxxix. Q.) When 
Shimei cast stones at him, and cursed him, let us learn to 
speak as he then spake : " The Lord hath said unto him. 
Curse David : who shall then say. Wherefore hast thou done 
so?^' (2 Sam, xvi. 10.) 

Thirdly, The belief of God's absolute dominion is yet far- 
ther necessary to make us truly and sufficiently sensible of 
the benefits we receive from him, so as by a right value and 
estimation of them to understand how far we stand obliged 
to him. No man can duly prize the blessings of heaven, but 
he who acknowledgeth they might justly have been denied 
him ; nor can any be sufficiently thankful for them, except it 
be confessed that he owed him nothing who bestowed them. 

But as the original word for Almighty is not put only for the 
Lord of Hosts, hut often also for the Lord Shaddai ; so we 
must not restrain the signification to the power authoritative, 
but extend it also to that power which is properly operative, 
and executive. In the title of the Lord of Sabaoth we under- 
stand the rule and dominion of God, by which he hath a right 
of governing all: in the name Shaddai we apprehend an in- 
finite force and strength, by which he is able to work and per- 
form all things. For whether we take this word in composi- 
tion,i- as signifying the All-sufficient ; whosoever is able to 
suppeditate all things to the sufficing all, must have an in- 
finite power : or whether we deduce it from the root denoting 
vastation or destruction ;% whosoever can destroy the being of 



Viai rov ^inaiov rov t' a^imv ntctvroi; x^irhg 
'O Jesttto'th?' TTfo? TOVTOV I'vtt S'eT ^jiv hfxe. 
Servus apud Menand. ap. Stob. Ftor. 

tit. 62. 

t So R. Solomon will have it com- 
pounded of the pronoun and nu^U' 
b'D^ "mn'^Nn because in God there is 



sufficiency, that is, sufficient power over every 
creature: from whence the LXX. Ruth i. 
20, 21. Job xxi. 15. xxxi. 2. translate it 
luavoQ, as Symmachus, Job xxii. 3. and 
Aquila with him, Ezek. i. 24. 

X "nu' vastavit, destruxit, perdidit ; from 
whence nti' the destroyer ; and because 
utter destruction requireth power equi- 



I BELIEVE IN GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 69 



all things, and reduce them unto nothing, must have the same 
power which originally produced all things out of nothing, 
and that is infinite. Howsoever the first notion of Almighty 
necessarily inferreth the second, and the infinity of God's 
dominion speaketh him infinitely powerful in operation.* In- 
deed in earthly dominions, the strength of the governor is not 
in himself, but in those whom he governeth : and he is a 
powerful prince whose subjects are numerous. But the King 
of kings hath in himself all power of execution, as well as 
right of dominion. Were all the force and strength of a na- 
tion in the person of the king, as the authority is, obedience 
would not be arbitrary, nor could rebellion be successful : 
whereas experience teacheth us that the most puissant prince 
is compelled actually to submit, when the stronger part of his 
own people hath taken the boldness to put a force upon him. 
But we must not imagine that the Governor of the world 
ruleth only over them which are willing to obey, or that any 
of his creatures may dispute his commands with safety, or 
cast off his yoke with impunity. And if his dominion be un- 
controllable, it is because liis power is irresistible. For man 
is not more inclinable to obey God than man ; but God is 
more powerful to exact subjection, and to vindicate rebellion. 
In respect of the infinity, and irresistibility of which active 
power we must acknowledge him Almighty ; and so, accord- 
ing to the most vulgar acceptation, give the second explica- 
tion of his omnipotency.-f 

But because this word Almighty is twice repeated in the 
Creed,J once in this first Article, and again in the sixth, 
where Christ is represented sitting at the right hand of God the 
Father Almighty ; and although in our English and the Latin 
the same words be expressed in both places, yet in the an- 
cient Greek copies there is a manifest distinction ; being the 
word in the first Article may equally comprehend God's 
power in operation, as well as authority in dominion ; whereas 
that in the sixth speaketh only infinity of power, without rela- 
tion to authority or dominion : I shall therefore reserve the 
explication of the latter unto its proper place, designing to 



valent to production, the Omnipotent, from 
whence the LXX. Job viii. 3. translate 
it 0 TTavTtt itoma-aq. And this etymology 
rather than the former, seemeth to be 
confirmed by the prophet, Isa. xiii. 6. 
*' Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is 
at hand, Nia" ""lU'O lii'D It shall come 
as a destruction from the Almighty 
(destroyer^." 

* Homer hath well joined these two : 
^£1 irarto h/xsrepe, Kpovi'5», vTrare upBiovriuVy 
Eu vu xat hfxBii; 'iS|UEy o toi o-^evo? ovu Ittieixtov. 

II. 0. 31. 

t ' Hoc nisi credamus, periclitatur 



ipsum nostrse fidei confessionis initium, 
qua nos in Deum Patrem Omnipotentem 
credere confitemur. Neque enim vera- 
citer ob aliud vocatur Omnipotens, nisi 
quoaiam quicquid vult potest, nec volun- 
tate cujuspiam creaturie voluntatis orani- 
potentis impeditur eflfectus.' S. Atigust, 
Enchir. c. 96. 

i Artie. 1. Ukttivo} Etj &eov iranri^a TTay- 
TOJigaToga. Artie. 6. xa&E^o^evov Iv S'e^i* 
Qiou irat^oq TravTo^uvafxov : as it is in the 
ancient copy of the Creed, taken out of 
the library of Bene't College, and set 
forth by the Archbishop of Armagh. 



10 



ARTICLE L 



treat particularly of God's infinite power where it is most 
peculiarly expressed ; and so conclude briefly with two other 
interpretations which some of the ancients have made of the 
original word, belonging rather to philosophy than divinity, 
though true in both. For some have stretched this word Al- 
mighty according to the Greek notation,* to signify that God 
holdeth, encircleth, and containeth all things. " Who hath 
gathered the wind in his fists ? who hath bound the waters in 
a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth 
(Prov. XXX. 4.) who but God? ''Who hath measured the 
waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with 
the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a mea- 
sure?" (Isa. xl. 12.) who but he? Thus then may he be called 
Almighty, as holding, containing, and comprehending all things. 

Others extend it farther yet, beyond that of containing or 
comprehension, to a more immediate influence of sustaining 
or preservation.f For the same power which first gave being 
unto all things, continueth the same being unto all. " God 
giveth to all, life, and breath, and all things. In him we live, 
move, and liave our being," (Acts xvii. 25. 28.) saith the 
strangest philosopher that ever entered Athens, the first ex- 
positor of that blind inscription, To the unknown God." 
" How could any thing have endured, if it had not been thy 
will? or been preserved, if not called by thee ?" (Wisd. xi. 
25.) as the wisdom of the Jews confesseth. Thus did the Le- 
vites stand and bless: Thou, even thou, art Lord alone: 
thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their 
host, the earth and all things that are therein, the sea and all 
that is therein, and thou preservest them all." (Neh. ix. 6.) 
Where the continual conservation of the creature is in equal 
latitude attributed unto God with their first production. Be- 
cause there is an absolute necessity of preserving us from re- 
turning unto nothing by annihilation, as there was for first be- 
stowing an existence on us by creation. And in this sense 
God is undoubtedly Almighty, in that he doth sustain, uphold, 
and, constantly preserve all things in that being which they have. 

From whence we may at last declare what is couched un- 
der this attribute of God, how far this omtiipotency extends 



* As Theopbilus bishop of Antioch, 
giving account of those words which are 
attributed unto God, as 9eoj, nv^iog, S^ia-ro?, 
tells us he is called TravTOK^aroop, ort 

j/ap Uvf/ij Ti2v oupavoDv, xat Ta ^a9>j Tm 

p^e;gi ahtov Io-tI. Ad Autol. 1. i. p. 71, 
ed. Colon. 1686. 

i As Greg. Nyssenus : OluoZv, ora.v T?r; 

Tc wavTft Tcv Seov Iv TiS eTvai avn'xsiv, contr. 



Eunorn. Or. ii. p. 467. ed. Par. 1638. 

Neither, says he, would God be termed 
TTaVTCK^aroi}^, sl fA,h 7ra<ra h xriVi? tou TTEfjx^a- 
ToZvTOi; avrhv, nai Iv tS eTvai o-vvrKpovvTot;, 
sUero. Ibid. 'Creatorisnamquepotentia, et 
Omnipotentis atque Omnitenentis virtus, 
causa subsistendi est omni creatur?e. 
Quse virtus ab eis quae creata sunt re- 
gendis si aliquando cessaret, simul et 
illoruni cet^saret species, omnisque na- 
tura concideret.' S. August, in Genes, 
ad lit. 1. iv. c. 12. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 71 



itself, and what every Christian is thought to profess, when 
he addeth this part of the first Article of his Creed, / believe 
in God the Father Almighty. 

As I am persuaded of an infinite and independent Essence, 
which I term a God, and of the mystery of an eternal gene- 
ration by which that God is a Father: so 1 assure myself that 
Father is not subject to infirmities of age, nor is there any 
weakness attending on the "Ancient of days;" (Dan. vii. 9. 
13. 22.) but, on the contrary, 1 believe omnipotency to be an 
essential attribute of his Deity, and that not only in respect 
of operative and active power (concerning which I shall have 
occasion to express my faith hereafter), but also in regard of 
power authoritative, in which I must acknowledge his ante- 
cedent and eternal right of making what, and when, and how 
he pleased, of possessing whatsoever he maketh by direct do- 
minion, of using and disposing as he pleaseth all things which 
he so possesseth. This dominion I believe most absolute in 
respect of its independency, both in the original, and the use 
or exercise thereof: this I acknowledge infinite for amplitude 
or extension, as being a power over all things without excep- 
tion ; for plenitude or perfection, as being all power over every 
thing without liuiitation ; for continuance or duration, as being 
eternal without end or conclusion. Thus I believe in God 
THE Father Almighty. 

Maker of Heaven and Earth, 

Although this last part of the first Article were not ex- 
pressed in the ancient Creeds,^ yet the sense thereof was 
delivered in the first rules of faith, + and at last these particular 



* For we find it not mentioned by St. 
Augustan de Fide et Symholo ; neither hath 
Ruffinus expounded it in the Aquileian, 
or noted it to be found in the Roman or 
oriental Creeds. Leo, reciting the three 
first articles in his epistle to Fiavianus, 
maketh no mention of it. Epist. 10. Max- 
imus Taurinensis hath it not in Tniditione 
Symhoii, nor Petrus Chrysologus in his 
Sermons, amongst six several expositions. 
It is not in the Homilies of Eusebius Gal- 
licanus, or the exposition of Venantius 
Fortunatus. Marcellus bishop of Ancyra 
left it not at Rome with Julius ; nor did 
Arius in his catholic confession unto Con- 
stantine acknowledge it. Neither are 
the words to be found in the Latin or 
Greek copy of the Creed, written about 
the beginning of the eighth century, and 
published out of the MSS. by the most 
reverend and learned Archbishop of Ar- 
magh ; Of in that which Etherius and 
Beatus produced against Elipandus arch- 
bishop of Toledo, towards the end of the 



seventh century. 

t As in that delivered by Irenzeus : 
El? ha, ^£ov irar'i^a TravTonparo^a, t:v ttbttoiu- 
Kora Tov cj^avov xal Try ym nai rat; da^acra-a^, 
Hat TTavra. to. ev aWoiq. Adver. Har. 1. i. 
c. 2. And that by Tertullian : ' Unum 
omnino Deum esse, nec alium praster 
mundi conditorem, qui universa denihilo 
produxerit.' De prceser. adv. Hccr. c. 13. 
And that under the name of Novatian, 
not in formal v/ords, but with an (id est) 
by way of explication : ' Regula exigit, 
veritatis ut primo omnium credamus in 
Deum Patrem et Dominum Omnipoten- 
tem, id est, rerum omnium perfectissi- 
mum conditorem, qui coelum alta subli- 
mitate suspenderit, terram dejecta mole 
solidavit, maria solute liquore diflfu- 
dit, et heec omnia propriis et condig- 
nis instrumentis et ornata et plena di- 
gessit.' De Trin. c. i. It was also ob- 
served by Origeu, that the Christians 
were wont most frequently to mention 
God under that as the most common 



72 



ARTICLE I. 



words inserted both in the Greek and Latin confessions. And 
indeed the work of creation most properly foUoweth the attri- 
bute of omnipotency, as being the foundation of the first, and 
the demonstration of the second explication of it. As then 
we believe there is a God, and that God Almighty ; as v/e ac- 
knowledge that same God to be the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, and in him of us : so we also confess, that the same 
God the Father made both heaven and earth. For the full ex- 
plication of which operation, it will be suflScient, first to de- 
clare the latitude of the object, what is comprehended under 
the terms of heaven and earth; secondly, to express the nature 
of the action, the true notion of creation, by which they were 
made ; and thirdly, to demonstrate the Person to whom this 
operation is ascribed. 

For the first, I suppose it cannot be denied as the sense of 
that Creed, that under the terms of heaven and earth are com- 
prehended all things: because the first rules of faith did so 
express it; and the most ancient Creeds had, either instead of 
these words, or together with them, the Maker of all things 
visible and invisible, which being terms of immediate contra- 
diction, must consequently be of universal comprehension ; 
nor is there any thing imaginable which is not visible, or invi- 
sible. Being then these were the words of the Nicene Creed ; 
being the addition of heaven and earth in the Constantino- 
politan could be no diminution to the former, which they 
still retained together with them, saying, / believe in one 
God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of 
all things visible and invisible ; it followeth, that they which 
in the Latin Church made use only of this last addition, 
could not choose but take it in the full latitude of the first 
expression. 

And well may this be taken as the undoubted sense of the 
Creed, because it is the known language of the sacred Scrip- 
tures. " In six days (saith Moses) the Lord made heaven and 
earth (Exod. xxxi. 17.) in the same time, saith God himself, 

the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them 
is." (Exod. XX. 1 1 .) So that all things by those two must be un- 
derstood which are contained in them ; and we know no being 
which is made or placed without them. When God would call 
a general rendezvous, and make up a universal auditory, the 



title : *H ya,^ aoglTrccq ofJt.o'KoyoviTi to, nomv 
ovofxa, 0 Qioq, h xaj [xsra TTpoa-^mw; rr,g, 6 
^nfAiovpyog rZv o'Xwv, 6 7roimn<: ouj avoS y.a.\ yriq. 
A(lt\ Celsum, 1. i. §. 25. Eusebius deli- 
vered the first Article thus in his Confes- 
sion to the Nicene Council, Socrat. 1. i. c. 
8. nia-Tivofj<,Bv slg 'iva S"6ov TTttTEpa TravTon^a- 
ropa, Toy rS,v aTravrctiv ofaraJv re ko.) ao^arm 
TToirnhr and that Council expressed, the 
same without alteration in their Creed. 



But after the Nicene Council we find 
added "ttojwtw ov^avov koi yni, by St. Cyril 
of Jerusalem, in his Catechism, cat. 9. 
and St. Epiphanius in Ancorato, §. 1^0. : 
which addition was received, confirmed, 
and transmitted to us by the Council of 
Constantinople. By which means at last 
we find this article thus expressed in the 
western Confessions : Credo in Dcum Pa- 
trem omnipoteiitem, creator e<in c<xli et terrff. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 



73 



prophet cries out, ** Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth." 
(Isa. i. 2.) When he vv^ould express the full splendour of his 
majesty, and utmost extent of his actual dominion, ** Thus saith 
the Lord, the heaven is ray throne, and the earth is my foot- 
stool." (Isa. Ixvi. 1.) When he vi^ould challenge unto him- 
self those glorious attributes of immensity and omnipresence. 
Do not I fill heaven and earth ? saith the Lord." (Jer. xxiii. 24.) 
These two then taken together signify the Universe, or that 
which is called the World. St. Paul hath given a clear exposition 
of these words in his explication of the Athenian altar: God 
that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is 
Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with 
hands." (Acts xvii. 24.) For being God is necessarily the 
Lord of all things which he made (the right of his direct domi- 
nion being clearly grounded upon the first creation), except 
we should conceive the apostle to exempt some creature from 
the authoritative power of God, and so take some work of his 
hand out of the reach of his arm; we must confess that heaven 
and earth are of as large extent and ample signification as the 
world and all things therein. Where it is yet farther observable, 
that the apostle hath conjoined the speech of both Testaments 
together. For the ancient Hebrews seem to have had no word 
in use among them which singly of itself did signify the world, 
as the Greeks had, in whose language St. Paul did speak ; 
and therefore they used in conjunction the heaven and earth, 
as the grand extremities within which all things are contained.=*^ 
Nay, if we take the exposition of the later writers in that lan- 
guage, those two words will not only as extremities comprehend 
between them, but in the extension of their own significations 
contain all things in them. For when they divide the Universe 
into three worlds, + the inferior, the superior, and the middle 
world ; the lower is wholly contained in the name of earth, the 
other two under the name of heaven. Nor do the Hebrews 



aK^oii;, ovfa\cf te nai yv, ra. [xka-a a-vfjt'rre^i- 
£jX)i<^Evat aTOip^Eict. ttZ^ S'e cLk^u <|")jUi; o'tj 
yn fxh TO xEVT^ov ttcivto? lfA,7rs^iuXri<pS' kuI 'ia-ri 
KarocBiV fxlv ufX^ Tfavroovh yv, TfipctQ Se rovroov 
6 vcurci ■ns^ik'^MV ov^ctvoq' rovfj^iraXiv Se avajBsv, 
a-x^h fxh 0 oLpavog, TTEgaj 51 TravroiV h yri' /j.s ra 
Je ov^avov Koi t?? yng ra "Konta rgla TTB^tsi- 
XiiTTTctj o-TOjp^e~a. Jo. Philop. de Mundi 
Great. 1. i. c. 5. TaJ fxh oupctvM a-oofAnri (h 
cpucTJs) TO Trepi^ rov ttclvtck; aTTEvEijOcE, tcS Ss 
TTBpiysiM TO KEVTgov IvJs cr<|)ftt^a aXXa;f fxh to 
jtEVTgov a.^'Xjn, aXhujq Ss o rov TTS^iS^oyroq opcq. 
Hierocl. in Aur. Carm. v. 52. p. 245. 

t For the Rabbins usually divide the 
whole frame of things into moVlir 
three worlds: the first, pnnnn Dbiy the 
inferior, or bsun Dbiy the dtpresied and 
lowest world ; obiy m Xin that is this world, 
say they, to wit, this globe of earth on 



■which we live. This they divide into 
three parts ; c the sea, lakes and rivers, 
nmo the desert, solitary and unhabitable 
places, nwn ID pim far from, the habita- 
tions of men, and rhv olnovfA-ivriv, the 
earth inhabited. The second is called 
pD-nn abi;? the middle or inmost world; 
D-'j^b^n &y^]f Nin this is the world of the 
spheres, containing the aerial region and 
the starry heavens. The third is, Db^V 
irbyn the superior world; DON^rin ub^: Nin 
this is the world of angels, D-n'^K (/ God, 
nWBD of souls, "^mnn nbiy thi; splritnul 
world. Now being these three compre- 
hend all things imaginable ; being the 
first is sufficiently expressed in ynx the 
earth, and the two last in u-liW the Jwaien; 
it foUoweth that, in the sense of the 
Hebrews, heaven and earth signify all 
things. 



74 



ARTICLE I. 



only use this manner of expression, but even the Greeks them- 
selves ; and that not only before, but after* Pythagoras t had 
accustomed them to one name. As therefore under the single 
name of World or Universe,J so also under the conjunctive 
expression of heaven and earth, are contained all things material 
and immaterial, visible and invisible. 

But as the apostle hath taught us to reason, When he saith 
all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted 
which did put all things under him (1 Cor. xv. 27.) so when 
we say, all things were made by God. it is as manifest that he is 
excepted who made all things. And then the proposition is 
clearly thus delivered : All beings whatsoever beside God were 
made. As we read in St. John concerning the Word, that 
*^ the world was made by him (John i. 10.) and in more plain 
and express words before, All things were made by him, and 
without him was not any thing made that was made.'' (John 
i. 3.) Which is yet farther illustrated by St. Paul : '* For by 
him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in 
earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or domi- 
nions, or principalities, or powers ; all things were created by 
him." (Col. i. 16.) If then there be nothing imaginable wh^ch 
is not either in heaven or in earth, nothing which is not either 
visible or invisible, then is there nothing beside God which 
was not made by God. 

This then is the unquestionable doctrine of the Christian 
faith, that the vast capacious frame of the World, and every 
thing any way contained and existing in it, hath not its essence 
from or of itself, nor is of existence absolutely necessary ; but 
what it is, it hath not been, and that being which it hath was 
made, framed, and constituted by another. And as every 
ho|ise is builded by some man ;" (Heb. iii. 4.) for w^e see the 
eafth bears no such creature of itself; stones do not grow 
in^o a wall, or first hew and square, then unite and fasten them- 
selves together in their generation ; trees sprout not cross like 
dry and sapless beams, nor do spars and tiles spring with a 
natural uniformity into a roof, and that out of stone and mortar : 
these are not the works of nature, but superstructions and ad- 
ditions t(| her, as the supplies of art, and the testimonies of 
the understanding of man, the great artificer on earth : so, if 
the World itself be but a house,§ if the earth, which '^hangeth 



"Of ov^aiih TiTlvy^i xat ycuav fxan^av. 
Ex incert. Trug. SophocL Frag. LI. 
ed, Brunck. 

t Tlv^ayo^ai; TrpSro; oovofxaa-e Tnv tZv oXoov 
iti^io'^v, Koa-fxav, Ik thj Iv avnrx Ta^scug. 
Ftutarch. de Plac. Philosoph. 1. ii. c. 1. 

t ' Si Minidum dixeris, illic erit et 
CQjIum, et quae in eo, sol, et luna, et si- 
dera, et astra, et terra, et freta, et omnis 
census elementorum. Omnia dixeris, cum 



id dixeris, quod ex omnibus constat.' 
Tertull. de Virg. Veland. c. 4. <^ct<r] SI ot 
ao-poi nal ovpavov nai yr,v y.a.\ SeoI? v,aX AvQ^m- 
Ttovg Tnv aoivctinav a-we^siv^ xai <piXia.v, km no- 
(TfAiQTnra, xai ^oo<p^o(Tvvnv, koI ^mctiorn ra' 
Siai TO o>iOV TOVTO Sia TavTct noa-fxov H.a\ouc/iv. 
Iambi. Protrept. but the words are Plato's 
in Gorgia, p. 132. ed. Bipont. 

§ 'O ats-S-JiTO? 0UT0O-] «.6s-fxog ol^h a^a. 
S-Wo IrTiv ri olnog ^ioZ, Philo de Insomn. p. 
(548. K6af/,og ihir^i'rcr.i aai iTOifxog, ala-^riTog 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 75 



upon nothing," (Job xxvi. 7.) be the foundation, and the glo- 
rious spheres of heaven the roof (which hath been delivered as 
the most universal hypothesis), if this be the habitation of an 
infinite intelligence, the temple of God then must we ac- 
knowledge the world was built by him, and consequently, that 
" he which built all things is God." (Heb. iii. 4.) 

From hence appears the truth of that distinction, What- 
soever hath any being, is either made or not made : whatso- 
ever is not made, is God ; whatsoever is not God is made. One 
uncreated and independent essence ; all other depending on it, 
and created by it. One of eternal and necessary existence ; 
all other indifferent, in respect of actual existing, either to be 
or not to be, and that indifferency determined only by the free 
and voluntary act of the first Cause. 

Now because to be thus made includes some imperfection, 
and among the parts of the world, some are more glorious than 
others; if those which are most perfect presuppose a Maker, 
then can we not doubt of a creation where we find far less per- 
fection. This house of God, though uniform, yet is not all of 
the same materials, the footstool and the throne are not of the 
same mould ; there is a vast difference between the heavenly 
expansions. This first aerial heaven, where God setteth up his 
pavilion, where he maketh the clouds his chariot, and walk- 
eth upon the wings of the wind," (Psal. civ. 3.) is not so far in- 
ferior in place as it is in glory to the next, the seat of the sun 
and moon, the two great lights, and stars innumerable, far 
greater than the one of them. And yet that second heaven 
is not so far above the first as beneath the "third,'' (2 Cor. 
xii. 2.) into which St. Paul was caught. The brightness of 
the sun doth not so far surpass the blackness of a wandering 
cloud, as the glory of that heaven of presence surmounts the 
fading beauty of the starry firmament. For in this great tem- 
ple of the World, in which the Son of God is the high-pries.t, 
the heaven which we see is but the veil, and that which is 
above, the Holy of Holies. This veil indeed is rich and glo- 
rious, but one day to be rent, and then to admit us into a far 
greater glory, even to the Mercy seat and Cherubim. For this 
third heaven is the " proper habitation"t (Jude ver. 6.) of the 
blessed angels, which constantly attend upon the throne. And 
if those most glorious and happy spirits, those morning stars 
which sang together, those sons of God ichich shouted for joy 
wheniXiQ foundations of the earth were laid," (Job xxxviii. 7. 4.) 
if they and their habitation were made ; then can we no ways 
doubt of the production of all other creatures so much inferior 
unto them. 



oTkc? tou Qiov. Id. de Plant. Noe, p. 337. 
Qsuv ri fxiyi^oq o noa-fxoQ, KcCi olKoq QioZ 
al3-6»T0f. Id. de Mundi Incorr. p. 509. 

* Lucretius calls the heavens : ' Mun- 
di. magaum et versatile templum.' I. v. 



V. 1435. To avwTaTw xat tt^o? aX>'i9£iav 

U^ov 0£;S vo,ai'^£tv c-vfj.7rct.vra KorfAcv eTvai, 
Philo de MiviarcJi. 1. ii. init. 
t "l5:£)V olKhTnpiov. 



76 



ARTICLE 1. 



Forasmuch then as the angels are termed the sons of 
God," it sufficiently denoteth that they are from him, not of 
themselves; all filiation inferring some kind of production: 
and being God hath but one proper and only-begotten Son, 
whose propriety and singularity consisteth in this, that he is 
of the same increated essence with the Father, all other off- 
spring must be made, and consequently even the angels 
created sons ; of whom the Scripture speaking saith, " Who 
maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire." 
(Psalm, civ. 4.) For although those words, at first spoken by 
the Psalmist, do rather express the nature of the wind and 
lightning : yet being the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews 
hath applied the same to the angels properly so called, we 
cannot but conclude upon his authority, that the same God 
who created the wind," (Amos iv. 13.) and *'made a way for 
the lightning of the thunder," (Job xxviii. 26.) hath also pro- 
duced those glorious spirits ; and as he furnished them with 
that activity there expressed, so did he frame the subject of it, 
their immaterial and immortal essence. 

If then the angels and their proper habitation, the far most 
eminent and illustrious parts of the world were made ; if only 
to be made be one character of imperfection ; much more 
must we acknowledge all things of inferior nature to have 
dependence on their universal Cause, and consequently this 
great Universe, or all things, to be made, beside that One who 
made them. 

This is the first part of our Christian faith, against some of 
the ancient philosophers, who were so wildly fond of those 
things they see, that they imagined the Universe to be infinite 
and eternal,^ and, what will follow from it, to be even God 
himself. It is true that the most ancient of the heathen were 
not of this opinion, but all the philosophy for many ages deli- 
vered the World to have been made.t 



* ' Mundum, et hoc quod nomine alio 
ccElum appellare libuit, cujus circumflexu 
teguntur cuncta, numen esse credi par 
est, aeternum, immensum, neque genitum, 
neque interituruna unquam.' Plin. Nut. 
Hist. 1. ii. c. 1. 

^^rivofxivov fA,h cvv ctWttVTEg aTvai' (pas-iv, 
's&fs Aristotle, De Cxlo, 1. i. c. 10. con- 
fessing it the general opinion that the 
world was made. — Which was so ancient a 
tradition of all the first philosophers, that 
from Linus, Museeus, Orpheus, Homer, 
Hesiod, and the rest, they all mention 
the original of the world, entitling their 
books, Ko(7[ji,oyovia,oT QBoyovia, or the like. 
EifTj ya^ TtvEf ol' (paa-iv oliBlv ay'iwmov sTvai 
roov Tr^ayfxarm, aWa TTavra. ytyviT^a.i' 
ysvofxsva, ra, fxh a.'^'^a^ira liafxivHV, nra, 
TTaAiv if>9£i'gEff'0ar fxa'kia'ra. fxtv ol tts^I tov 



'^va-io'Koyna-a.vrtq, says Aristotle, De Coelo, 
1. iii. c. 1. In which words he mani- 
festly attributes the doctrine of the crea- 
tion of the world not only to Hesiod, 
but to all the first natural philosophers : 
which learning, beginning with Prome- 
theus the first professor of that science, 
continued in that family amongst the 
Atlantiadse, who all successively de- 
livered that truth. After them the 
Ionian philosophy did acknowledge it, 
and the Italian received it by Pythagoras, 
whose scholars all maintained it beside 
Ocellus Lucanus, the first of them that 
fancied the world not made, whom Plato, 
though he much esteemed him, yet fol- 
lowed not ; for there is nothing more 
evident than that he held the world was 
made. Aej/w/cev ^h, Si' nv alrlxv yLvea-iv nai 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 77 



When this tradition of the Creation of the World was deli- 
vered in all places down successively by those who seriously 
considered the frame of all things, and the difference of the 
most ancient poets and philosophers from Moses was only in 
the manner of expressing it ; those which in after-ages first 
denied it, made use of very frivolous and inconcluding argu- 
ments, grounding their new opinions upon weak foundations. 

For that which in the first place they take for granted as an 
axiom of undoubted truth, that^ ^ Whatsoever hath a begin- 
ning, must have an end,' and consequently, 'Whatsoever shall 
have no end, hath no beginning,' is grounded upon no general 
reason, but only upon particular observation of such things 
here below, as from the ordinary way of generation, tend in 
some space of time unto corruption. From whence, seeing 
no tendency to corruption in several parts of the World, they 
conclude that it was never generated, nor had any cause or 
original of its being. Whereas, if we would speak properly, 
future existence or non-existence hath no such relation unto 
the first production. Neither is there any contradiction that 
at the same time one thing may begin to be, and last but for 
an hour, another continue for a thousand years, a third begin- 
ning at the same instant remain for ever : the difference being 
either in the nature of the thing so made, or in the determi- 
nations of the will of him that made them. Notwithstanding 
then their universal rules, which are not true but in some 
limited particulars, it is most certain the whole world was 
made, and of it part shall perish, part continue unto all eter- 
nity ; by which something which had a beginning shall have 
an end, and something not. 

The second fallacy which led them to this novelty was the 
very name of Universe, which comprehended in it all things ; 
from whence they reasoned thus : If the World or Universe 
were made ; then were all things made ; and if the World shall 
be dissolved, then all things shall come to nothing ;+ which is 
impossible. For if all things were made, then must either all, 
or at least something, have made itself, and so have been the 



flv. p. SO'l. ed. Bipont. In which words 
he delivers not only the generation of 
the universe, but also the true cause 
thereof, which is the goodness of God. 
For he which asks this plain and clear 
question : woTEpov nv ail, yiviascaq a.i^'/m ep^wv 
ov^efAiav, ri yiyoviv, aTr' a^p^^f tivoq a^^afjisvog; 
and answers the question briefly with a 
yiyom, p. 302. ; he which gives this ge- 
neral rule upon it : rZ I'aZ yevo/xevcf} (pctfxBv 
vtr curiov rtvo? avayxriv ejvai ysvBa-Qaf and 
then immediately concludes : tov fxh oZv 
noitirhv net] na-rk^a. touSe tov ira-vroc; iv^iHv re 

p. 303. cannot (notwithstanding all the 
shifts of bis Greek expositors) be ima- 



gined to have conceived the world not 
made. And Aristotle, who best under- 
stood him, tells us clearly his opinion Iv 
rw Tifxaio] (from whence I cited the pre- 
cedent words)' IxsT ya^ <pva-i tov oupavov 
(where by the way observe that in Plato's 
Timaeus oy^avo? and xoVjWO? are made syno- 
nymous) yBVBo-^ai jW£V, ov fxh <*)SagTov. De 
Cff/o, 1. i. c. 10. 

* Ocellus Lucanus, negi t^'? rov TravTo? 
(pvreu;?, which book Aristotle hath made 
use of, and transcribed in many parts. 

t To ttSv j/ivojUEVov <rvv naa-^ yivsrai, nai 
TO <pQsi^ofA,svov cruv TrSfTt <|)9£ts£Tar xai tovto 
ys aWvttTov. ava.^'Xov oiv nal aT6X£yT>iT0V to 
Trav. Ocellus, c. 1. p. 506. ed. Gal. 



78 



ARTICLE I. 



cause of itself as of the effect, and the effect of itself as of the 
cause, and consequently in the same instant both have been 
and not been, which is a contradiction. But this fallacy is 
easily discovered : for when we say the Universe or all things 
were made, we must be always understood to except him who 
made all things, neither can we by that name be supposed to 
comprehend more than the frame of heaven and earth, and all 
things contained in them ; and so he which first devised this 
argument hath himself acknowledged.* 

Far more gross was that third conceit, That, if the World 
were ever made, it must be after the vulgar way of ordinary 
natural generations : in whicht tw^o mutations are observable, 
the first from less to greater, or from worse to better ; the 
second from greater to less, or from better to worse. (The 
beginning of the first mutation is called generation, the end of 
it perfection : the beginning of the second is from the same 
perfection, but concluded in corruption or dissolution. )j: But 
none hath ever yet observed that this frame of the World did 
ever grow up from less to greater, or improve itself from worse 
to better: nor can w^e now perceive that it becomes worse or 
less than it was, by which decretion w^e might guess at a for- 
mer increase, and from a tendency to corruption collect its 
original generation. This conceit, I say, is far more gross. For 
certainly the argument so managed proves nothing at all, but 
only this (if yet it prove so much), that the whole frame of the 
World, and the parts thereof which are of greater perfection, 
w^ere not generated in that manner in which we see some other 
parts of it are: which no man denies. But that there can be 
no other way of production beside these petty generations, or 
that the World w^as not some other way actually produced, 
this argument doth not endeavour to infer, nor can any other 
prove it. 

The next foundation upon which they cast off the constant 
doctrine of their predecessors, was that general assertion. That 
it is impossible for any thing to be produced out of nothing, 
or to be reduced unto nothing from whence it will inevitably 
follow, that the matter of this World hath always been, and 
must always be. The clear refutation of which difficulty 



* To S's ys I'Xov Koi to ttSv Ivofxi^cu tov 
<rvfX7ra\rci Kos-fxov ^la ya.^ tovto xai rr.q 
TTfoa-riyoflcLi; 'irv^s, Ik twv avavTCOv KOTfj-rj- 
bdg. Ocellus, c. 1. p. 508. 

t nSv TO ysvissoog app^^v E'X«<f>c? xai 
haXuss'jog o^psUXov )ioivcvvr,s-ai Suo l7rjS'j;^STa; 
fXi-ra^okkQ. fAiav fxh ttjV aTTo toS fxziovoQ Ittj 

TO [Xli^QV, Ka\ TYiV atro TOV )(ei^OVG; Itt] TO 
^iXTIOV SiVTBPaV Thv aTTO TOV /UEi'^OVOJ STTi 
TO fXilOV, KBU T>jy ttTTO TOV ^SXrioVOq ETTl TO 

^sTpov. 'Eav ovv xai to oXov xat to 7r2v ysvvnTOV 
ETTl xat <|>9a^T0V, ysvo^EvoV, aTro toZ ^£i';vo? 

£7r< ','0 (UET^OV fXSTB^uXB, Kol O-TTO ToZ 



Itt; to BbXtiov. Ocellus, c. 1. p. 506. 
:{: To Se ys oXov xai tc ttSv ouSiv h/xiv 1^ 

UVTOZ TTapSp^ETaJ TlKfxh^iOV TOIOVTOV OVTZ yk^ 

yi\oiMivo\ avTn eI'Jo/^sv, outs jUEV Im to ^eXtjov 
x^:; TO fxsi^ov ^£Ta0flXXov, oute X.^'ipov ttote 
Ti jOtsTov ysvofjLBvov aXX' aSi xttTo. tuvto aal 
a}(TavTa}; SictTEXaT, xaj h-ov xaj ofxoiov avTO 
savrov. Ocellus, c. 1. p. 507. 

§ 'A,M.r;;;^avov yas to cv a-TroTSXss-Qai, Ix txv 
jxhovToov, ri s'-c TO fxh cv avaXuS^vat. a<|>SapTOV 
a^tt xai avjiXiQ^ov To ttSv. Ocellus, c. 1. 
p 511. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 79 



requires an explication of the manner how the World was 
made : the second part before propounded for the exposition 
of this Article. 

Now that the true nature and manner of this action may- 
be so far understood as to declare the Christian faith, and re- 
fute the errors of all opposers, it will be necessary to consider 
it first with reference to the object or effect; secondly, in rela- 
tion to the cause or agent; thirdly, with respect unto the time 
or origination of it. 

The action by which the heaven and earth were made, con- 
sidered in reference to the effect, I conceive to be the produc- 
tion of their total being ; so that whatsoever entity they had 
when made, had no real existence before they were so made. 
And this manner of production we usually term creation, as ex- 
cluding all concurrence of any material cause, and all depend- 
ence of any kind of subject, as presupposing no privation, as 
including no motion, as signifying a production out of nothing ; 
that is, by which something is made, and not any thing preced- 
ing out of which it is made.^ This is the proper and peculiar 
sense of the word creation: not that it signifies so much by 
virtue of its origination or vulgar use in the Latin tongue ;+ 
nor that the Hebrew word used by Moses, In the beginning- 
God created the heaven and the earth," (Gen. i. 1.) hath of it- 
self any such peculiar acceptation. For it is often used syno- 
nymouslyj with words which signify any kind of production or 
formation, and by itself it seldom denotes a production out of 



* So T conceive it best expressed by 
Anselm, archbishop of Canterbury : ' Di- 
citur aliquid esse factum de nihilo, cum 
intelligimus esse' quidem factum, sed non 
esse aliquid unde sit factum.' Mono- 
logii, c. 8. 

+ ' Creatio apud nos generatio vel na- 
tivitas dicitur, apud Grfecos vero sub 
nomine creationis verbum facturae et con- 
dilionis accipitur.' S. Hieron. ad Eph, 
c. 4. 

t Nin is promiscuously used with mry 
which is of the greatest latitude, denoting 
any kind of efFection, and with 15^"' which 
rather implies a formation out of some- 
thing, from whence "IVT" a potter. For 
the first, we read Geo. ii. 3. that " God 
rested from all his work," DTi'^N Nin-lti'N 
mu'j/'^ not that on the sixth day he did 
the work of two days, that he might rest 
on the seventh, as Rabbi Solomon ; not 
that in six days he made the roots of 
things that they might afterwards pro- 
duce the like, as Aben Ezra ; not these 
or any other fancies of the Rabbins ; as 
if Nil signified one work, and nti'i; an- 
other ; for they both express the produc- 
tion, as appears clearly in the following 
verse, " These are the generations of 



the heavens and of the earth, DX"l3ni 
when they were created, Dtn in the 
day that the Lord God made the heaven 
and the earth." So Isa. xlv. 12. "I 
have made the earth, and created man 
upon it where the first expresseth the 
proper, the second the improper creation. 
Which indiflferent acceptation appeareth 
in collating Psal. cxv. 15, cxxi. 2. with 
Isa. xlii. 5. xlv. 18. as also Isa. xvii. 7. 
with Eccl. xii. 1. From whence the LXX. 
translate ^<- n indiflferently woisiV or kti^siv. 
For the second, is usually rendered 
by the Targura N"in and by the LXX. 
though generally TrXaTTSiv, yet sometimes 
ktI^siv. And that it hath the same sig- 
nification, will appear by conferring Gen. 
ii. 7. with Isa. xlv. 12. and not only so, 
but by that single verse, Isa. xliii. 1. 
" Now thus saith the Lord -jxia that 
created thee, O Jacob, Tin and he that 
formed thee, O Israel." Lastly, all 
these are jointly used in the same vali- 
dity of expression, Isa. xliii. 7. " Every 
one that is called by my name : for 
vnxnn I have created him for my glory, 
rr\-))£'- 1 have formed him, yea m"^]} I 
have made him." 



80 



ARTICLE I. 



nothing, or proper creation, but most frequently the making 
of one substance out of another pre-existing, as the fishes of 
the water ; (Gen i. 21.) and man of the dust of the earth; 
(Gen. i. 27. ii. 7.) the renovating or restoring any thing to its 
former perfection, (Psal. li. 10. Isa. Ixv. 17.) for want of 
Hebrew words in composition; or lastly, the doing some new 
or wonderful work,^ the producing some strange and admirable 
effect, as the opening the mouth of the earth, (Numb. xvi. 30.) 
and the signal judgments on the people of Israel. (Isa. Ixv. 7.) 

We must not therefore weakly collect the true nature of crea- 
tion from the force of any word which by some may be thought 
to express so much, but we must collect it from the testimony 
of God the Creator, in his Word, and of the World created, in 
our reason. The opinion of the Church of the Jews will suffi- 
ciently appear in that zealous mother to her seventh and young- 
est son ; " I beseech thee, my son, look upon the heaven and 
the earth, and all that is therein, and consider that God made 
them of things that were not (2 Mace. vii. 28.) which is a 
clear description of creation, that is, production out of nothing. 
But because this is not by all received as canonical, we shall 
therefore evince it by the undoubted testimony of St. Paul, 
who, expressing the nature of Abraham's faith, propoundeth 
"him whom he believed as God who quickeneth the dead, 
and calleth those things which be not, as though they were.*' 
(Rom. iv. 17.) For, as to he called in the language of the Scrip- 
ture is to be, Q' Behold what manner of love the Father hath 
bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God," 
saith St. John in his first Epistle, (iii. 1.) who in his Gospel 
(i. 12.) told us, " he hath given us power to become the sons 
of God :") so to call is to make, or cause to be. As where the 
prophet Jeremy saith, " Thou hast caused all this evil to come 
upon them," (Jer. xxxii. 23.) the original + may be thought to 
speak no more than this, thou hast called this evil to them. He 
therefore calleth those things which be not, as if they were," 
who maketh those things which were not, to be, and produceth 
that which hath a being out of that which had not, that is, out 
of nothing. This reason, generally persuasive unto faith, is 
more peculiarly applied by the apostle to the belief of the crea- 
tion : for ^' through faith (saith he) we understand that the 
worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things 
which are seen were not made of things which do appear." 
(Heb. xi. 3.) Not as if the earth, which we see, w^ere made of 
air, or any more subtil body, which we see not ; nor as if those 
things which are seen" were in equal latitude commensurable 

• * Creatio atque conditio nunquam sit, sedificata potius dicitur, quam con- 

nisi in magnis operibus nominantur : ver- dita vel creata. In magnis enim operibus 

bi causa, mundus creatus est, urbs con- atque facturis verbum creationis assu- 

dita est ; doraus vero, quamvis magna mitur.' S. Hieron. ad Eph. c. 4. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 81 



with the worlds which were framed : but that those '* things 
which are seen," that is, which are, were made of those which 
did not appear,"* that is, which were not. 

Vain therefore was that opinion of a real matter coeval 
with God as necessary for production of the World by way of 
subject, as the eternal and Almighty God by way of efficient. 
For if some real and material being must be presupposed by 
indispensable necessity, without which God could not cause 
any thing to be, then is not he independent in his actions, nor 
of infinite power and absolute activity, which is contradictory 
to the divine perfection. Nor can any reason be alleged why 
he should be dependent in his operation, who is confessed in- 
dependent in his being. 

And as this coeternity of matter opposeth God's indepen- 
dency, the proper notion of the Deity, so doth it also contra- 
dict his all sufficiency. For if, without the production of 
something beside himself, he cannot make a demonstration of 
his attributes, or cause any sensibility of his power and will 
for the illustration of his own glory ; and if, without something 
distinct wholly from himself, he cannot produce any thing, 
then must he want something external :t and whosoever want- 
eth any thing is not all-sufficient. And certainly he must have 
a low opinion and poor conception of the infinite and eternal 
God, who thinks he is no otherwise known to be omnipotent 
than by the benefitj of another. Nor were the framers of the 
Creed so wise in prefixing the Almighty before Maker of 
heaven and earth, if out of a necessity of material concurrence, 
the making of them left a mark of impotency rather thanomni- 
potency. 

The supposition then of an eternal matter is so unnecessary 
where God works, and so derogatory to the infinity of his 
power, and all-sufficiency of himself, that the latter philoso- 
phers,§ something acquainted with the truth which we profess, 

* Fori take f^n In <paivofj,ivMv in this superior est eo cui praestat uti.' TertulL 

place to be equivalent unto ovk I| ovrm in adv. Hermog. c. 8. 

the Maccabees, and that of the same sense t ' Grande revera beneficium contulit, 

with 1^ ouJt ovT&iv, as the Syriac translation, ut haberet hodie per quern Deus cognos- 

rtnna N^T yh^'H p ex Us que non conspici- ceretur et omnipotens vocaretur : nisi quod 

untur. Which manner of speech may be jam non omnipotens, si non et hoc potens, 

observed even in the best Greek authors; ex nihilo omnia proferre.' Ibid. ' Quomodo 

as in Aristotle : fA,eraBaX\oi av to fxiraQaX- ab homine divina ilia vis differret, si, ut 

Xov T£Tpap(^S;j. « yaf 1^ uTroKsi/xEvov slf v'oto- homo, sic etiam Deus ope indigeat aliena : 

ndfxtvov, h oLn e| vnontifxivov elq ovx vTrond- indiget autem si nihil moliri potest, nisi 

fxevov, h (xri || vTroKeifxevou slg vTroxeifxevov, ri abaltero illi materia ministretur.' Lactan. 

If vmneifAEvov el? f^h vTionBi/xsvov. Phys. 1. 1. ii. c. 9. 

V. c. 1. t. 7. Where ovx vTroxufxivov is $ As Hierocles : Kaj ri xetraXeyoD a-oi rov- 

the same with 1^ ol^^ vTCoxsifxivov, and fji.h touj, oitov ye xai rZv UXarcovixSiv rivsg ovk 

i| v7roxeifA,ivov with Ix /wn v'sroiieifABVov. ofBhv rnv i^sfi rov ^n[J(.iovfyov S^eoS ^la-treii^ova-iv 

Evvojav j oh ya^ ixavov civrov slvai MrjQrj^av, etvTO- 

t 'Nemo enim non eget eo de cujus rsXM;v7ro(rrria-a.i^vmaQaix6<rfA,c,volxBU$vvafjisi 

utitur ; nemo non subjicitur ei cujus eget aai <ro<^U If ai'Swu Ivepj/oDvTa* aXx' ayBvmrov 

ut possit uti. Sic et nemo de alieno v^riq avn^yBia,xaX rn ixh'nctf clvtoZ I'lroa-'cacrn 

utendo, non minor est eo de cujus utitur; ^vaBi xaTa^pMfXBvov, fAovoui; ^rjfA.iov^yBTv Suva* 

et nemo qvii prjestat de suo uti, non in hoc crQai. De Provid. et Fato, p. 6. 



82 



ARTICLE I. 



though rejecting Christianity, have reproved those of the 
school of Plato, who delivered, as the doctrine of their master, 
an eternal companion, so injurious to the Father and Maker of 
all things. 

Wherefore to give an answer to that general position, ' That 
out of nothing nothing can be produced,' which Aristotle"*^ pre- 
tends to be the opinion of all natural philosophers, I must first 
observe^ that this universal proposition was first framed out of 
particular considerations of the works of art and nature. For 
if we look upon all kinds of artificers,! we find they cannot 
give any specimen of their art without materials. Being then 
the beauty and uniformity of the World shews it to be a piece 
of art most exquisite ; hence they conclude that the Maker of 
it was the most exact artificer,J and consequently had his mat- 
ter from all eternity prepared for him. Again, considering the 
works of nature, and all parts of the World subject to genera- 
tion and corruption, they also§ observed that nothing is ever 
generated but out of something pre-existent, nor is there any 
mutation WM'ought but in a subject, and with a presupposed 
capability of alteration. From hence they presently collected, 
that if the whole World were ever generated, it must have been 
produced out of some subject, and consequently there must be 
a matter eternally pre-existing. 

Now what can be more irrational, than from the weakness of 
some creature to infer the same imbecility in the Creator, and 
to measure the arm of God by the finger of man ? Whatsoever 
speaketh any kind of excellency or perfection in the artificer, 
may be attributed unto God : whatsoever signifieth any infir- 
mity, or involveth any imperfection, must be excluded from the 
notion of him. That wisdom, prescience, and pre-conception, 
that order and beauty of operation which is required in an 
artist, is most eminently contained in him, who hath " ordered 
all things in measure, and number, and weight (Wisd. xi. 20.) 
but if the most absolute idea in the artificer's understanding be 
not siffccient to produce his design without hands to work, and 
materials to make use of, it will follow no more that God is 
necessarily tied unto pre-existing matter, than that he is really 
compounded of corporeal parts. 

Again, it is as incongruous to judge of the production of 



* rittV TO yivofxevav avaynyj yivea-Qcii Jj 1^ 

CVTOtlV Y) Ik fxh OVTMV TOVTODV Si TO fA.SV In fxh 

cvT«v yiveo-Qai a^vvo-rov 'SjSfii ya^ TctvrnQ ofAo- 
yva}fj<.ovov(ri t!5? So^ji? atsravTE; ol ttb^i (pCaSMt; . 
Physic. 1. i. c. 4. t. oi. 

t ' Utigitur faber cum quid ?edificaturus 
est, non ipse facit materiara, sed ea utitur 
quae sit parata, fictorque item cera : sic 
isti providentiee divi^fe materiam praesto 
esse oportnit, nou quam ipse faceret, sed 
quam haberet paratam.' Cicero de Nat. 
Dearum, iii. infragm. ap, Lactant. 1. ii. c. 



8. 'ATTSiKcto-TEov rS fA,h S-EM Tov t£;^v/t»v, tov 
a^^iavTci rS noTfxai. Methodius ire^i tZv 
ymnrZv, in Phot. Bibl. 237. col. 937. ed. 
Hoeschel. 1612, 

t So Hierocles calls him noa-ixoitoiov xat 
a.^iTTOTi'xyoy Seov, in Aur. Carm. p. 10, 11. 

$"OTi H al ova-lai, Kal oaa. aXKa avXStx; 
ovTa 1^ iiTfonsifXBVov tivog yinrai, iTria-KOTroZvri 
yivoir av ^ave^ov ai.1 ya.^ IcttIti o vTromiTai, 
l| ov y'mrai to yiyvofxBvcv, oTov to. <^vTa. xat 
Ta ^ooa in a-niffxaToq, Aristut, Pliys. 1. i. 
c. 7. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 



83 



the World by those parts thereof which we see subject to ge- 
neration and corruptiort : and thence to conclude, that if it 
ever had a cause of the being which it hath, it must have been 
generated in the same manner in which they are ; and if that 
cannot be, it must never have been made at all. For nothing is 
more certain than that this manner of generation cannot pos- 
sibly have been the first production even of those things w^hich 
are now generated. We see the plants grow from a seed ; that 
is their ordinary way of generation : but the first plant could 
not be so generated, because all seed in the same course of na- 
ture is from the pre-existing plant We see from spawn the 
fishes, and from eggs the fowls receive now the original of 
their being: but this could not at first be so, because both 
spawn and egg are as naturally from precedent fish and fowl. 
Indeed, because the seed is separable from the body of the 
plant, and in that separation may long contain within itself a 
power of germination: because the spawn and egg are sejunge- 
able from the fish and fowl, and yet still retain the prolific power 
of generation ; therefore some might possibly conceive that 
these seminal bodies might be originally scattered on the earth, 
out of which the first of all those creatures should arise. But in 
viviparous animals, whose offspring is generated within them- 
selves, whose seed by separation from them loseth all its se- 
minal or prolific power, this is not only improbable, but incon- 
ceivable. And therefore being the philosophers* themselves 
confess, that whereas now all animals are generated by the 
means of seed, and that the animals themselves must he at 
first before the seed proceeding from them ; it followeth that 
there was some way of production antecedent to and differing 
from the common way of generation, and consequently what 
we see done in this generation can be no certain rule to un- 
derstand the first production. Being then that universal 
maxim, that * nothing can be made of nothing,' is merely cal- 
culated for the meridian of natural causes, raised solely out of 
observation of continuing creatures by successive generation, 
which could not have been so continued without a being ante- 



* These words of Aristotle are very ob- 
servable, in which he disputes against 
Speusippus and the Pythagoreans, who 
thought the rudiments of things first made, 
out of which they grew into perfection : 
"Oa-oi v'rro\afA,$avov(nv, wo-tts^ ol UvBayo^eioi 
xai linva-i'TT'rrog, to a^itrrov no.] xaWta-rov fxn 
Iv afP(^? eTvai, Sia to \'a raiv (^wocv Kai raiv ^coaiv 
Tag afx,^g a'hia fxh Sivai, to KaXov nal to 
tIxejov Iv Tof? EX. TOVTOJV, om l^6xg otovTai. to 
yap cTTB^fxa ETspuiv ka-Ti tt^ots^mv TSXEiaov 

Xal TO TT^MTOV OV (TTTS^fXa £(7TiV, aXXo. TO T£- 

Xejov. ofov TTpoTSpov avd^ooTTOv av (pain Tig eTvat 

TOV ff-TTEfjUaTO?, OV TOV Ix TOVTOV ySWoifXtVOV, 

aXX' ETEpov £^ OV TO (TTrs^fAa. Metaph, xii. c. 
7, By which words Aristotle hath suffi- 

G 



ciently destroyed his own aTgument,which 
we produced before out of the first of the 
Physics, and is excellently urged in that 
philosophical piece attributed unto Justin 
IMartyr. Ei Trp^To'v bo-ti to a-mX^ov crTri^fxct, 
Ka\ U(7T£fov TO EX o-ns^fxaTog yiyvofxsvov, nal 
yswriTa cifx<p6Te^a., Tn fxh ytvissi tov xEifxivov 
Ix cTTTEp/xaTog yiyvofxivov 'vrroneiTat to cTripfxa.' 
Tn SI yzvia-Bi tcv a-'WBi^avTOg vTroKeXtrQai to 
CTTB^fxa OV SuvaTOV. oijx a^a a£i to. ^Soa Kai to, 
<^vTa. Ix crTTBpfxaTog. Aristot. Dogm. Evers. 
art. 1 . "oSsv ovQilg XlyEt tov c-'UB^fxaTog ilvai 
TOV avQpcarov, ouSI tov Soov B^vai Thv aXEXTOft'Sa* 
T>ig Jl aXsxTo^i'Jo? to mov bIvcli, seal to aTiE^/xa 
TOV avQ^amov 'KsyofxBv. Plut, Sympos, 1. ii. 
probl. 3. 

2 



84 



ARTICLE I. 



ceaent to all such succession ; it is most evident it can have 
no place in the production of that antecedent or first being, 
which we call creation. 

Now when we thus describe the nature of creatio?i, and 
under the name of heaven and earth comprehend all things con- 
tained in them, we must distinguish between things created. 
For some were made immediately out of nothing, by a proper, 
some only mediately, as out of something formerly made out 
of nothing, by an improper kind of creation. By the first 
were made all immaterial substances, all the orders of angels, 
and the souls of men, the heavens, and the simple or elemental 
bodies, as the earth, the water, and the air. In the beginning 
God created the heaven and the earth;" (Gen. i. 1.) so in the 
beginning, as without any pre-existing or antecedent matter. 
This earth, when so in the beginning made, was " without form 
and void," (Gen. i. 2.) covered with waters likewise made, not 
out of it but with it, the same which, when the waters were 
gathered together unto one place, appeared as dry land." 
(Gen. i. 9.) *By the second, all the hosts of the earth/' 
(Gen. ii. 1.) the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; 
*^ Let the earth (said God) bring forth grass, the herb yielding 
seed,and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind." (Gen. i. 11 ) 
" Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature 
that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth ;" (Gen. i. 20.) 
and more expressly yet, " Out of the ground God formed every 
beast of the field, and every fowl of the air." (Gen. ii. 19.) 
And well may we grant these plants and animals to have their 
origination from such principles, when we read, God formed 
man out of the dust of the ground ;" (Gen.ii. 7.) and said unto 
him whom he created in his own image, ** Dust thou art." 
(Gen. iii. 19.) 

Having thus declared the notion of creation in respect of 
those things which were created, the next consideration is of 
that action in reference to the agent who created all things. 
Him therefore we may look upon first as moved ; secondly, as 
free under that motion ; thirdly, as determining under that 
freedom, and so performing of that action. In the first we may 
see his goodness, in the second his will, in the third his power. 

I do not here introduce any external impulsive cause, as 
moving God unto the creation of the world ; for I have pre- 
supposed all things distinct from him to have been produced 
out of nothing by him, and consequently to be posterior not 
only to the motion but the actuation of his will. Being then 
nothing can be antecedent to the creature beside God himself, 
neither can any thing be a cause of any of his actions but what 
is in him ; we must not look for any thing extrinsical unto him, 
but wholly acquiesce in his infinite goodness, as the only moving 

* * Hie visibilis mundus ex materia quae a Deo facta fuerat, factus 
est et omatus.' Gennad, c. 10. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 



85 



and impelling cause ; " There is none good but one, that is 
God/' (Matt. xix. 17.)=^ saith our Saviour; none originally, 
essentially, infinitely, independently good, but he. Whatso- 
ever goodness is found in any creature is but by w^ay of emana- 
tion from that fountain, whose very being is diffusive, whose 
nature consists in the communication of itself. In the end of 
the sixth day " God saw everything that he had made, and be- 
hold it v/as very good (Gen. i. 31.) which shews the end of 
creating all things thus good, was the communication of that 
by which they were, and appeared so. 

The ancient heathens have acknowledged this truth,t but 
with such disadvantage, that from thence they gathered an un- 
doubted error. For from the goodness of God, which they did 
not unfitly conceive necessary, infinite, and eternal,^ they col- 



* "aXXo ya.^ to I'rriy.rnrov ayit^ov, ciWo to 
Kcty ayctQlv, aXXo to W^xTcct; ayct^ov. 

Produs in Timieum, 1. ii. p. 110. 30. ed. 
Basil. 1534. To Sg avroayaQh tt^wto/; ayct- 
66v. Ibid. 1. 33. 

t As PJato : AeyoijfxBv S^, St' «v aWUv ys- 
veaiv xai to 7r5v ToSg o ^iivt<rra; ^vvss-rnrsv, 
ayaQog Hv iyaQS S' oDSsif mfi oiiSevof ouSiTTOTE 
iyytvsrai <pQ6vog' rovrov S"' sxTOf mv, vravra 
OTi fxaXia-To, h^ouXridn ysvco-^ai Tfct^anrKria-ta 
ahrS)' Tdurnv Si ysvBatooQ noa-fxov fxaXuT av 
Ttf o.^'XJ^v KV^ioora.Tnv 'nya.^ avSpiv <f)fOVi^ii;v 
a7ro^e^6lJ,BVo<:, ogSoraTa aTroSe^j^otr' av. In 
Timceo, p. 304. ed. Bip. aItIoi, ya.^ rrig 
Twv TTttVTCOV iroihcrBoog ovdsfAio. aWrj w^oasc-riv 
EyXoyof, TrXJiv T»5f netr ova-lav ayct^oTrnoi, 
Hierocl. in Aur. Carm. p. 21. ed. pr. Al 
ya^ Tiapa. rnv ayaSornra XsyofABvai alriat Trig 
S^^/utlQu^yia{; toSSs tov ?ravTo?, av^^aimvai; 
fxaXKov 'an^i(rTa<re(riv h too ^bS 'jTfBTroucnv. 
Ibid. 

t 'Avaynn ha tw tov Qbov ayaQoTnTa ovTog 
Tou noarfxov, aBi TS TOV Seov aya^ov Blvai, Kai 
TOV Koa-fxov vtra^-XBiV ois-ttb^ fjXi'a; fXBV xa< iiv^l 
crvw<pia-TaTai <J>a'f , o-dfAari Si eriiia. Salnstius 
de Diis et mundo, c. 7. Ei ya^ afxBivov fxh 
woibXv, ttSj £1? TO TToteTv fxBTa^BQnyiB ; bI Si to 
TrotsTv, Ti fxri B^ ai^iov eVgaTTEv ; Hierocles de 
Fato et Provid. p. 10. Neither doth he 
mean any less, when in bis sense he thus 
describes the first Cause of all things : 
'EtTT* av (so 1 read it, not Iitt', av, as the 
printed copies, or I'ao? av, as Curterius) ^ 
TO tt^Ztov avTMV ahiov afxiTa^'knTov 7ravT» 
Xttj aTfEOTTov, Koi Tnv ovj-iav t? Ivc^yBia tw 
avThv KBKrnfABVov, xat tw aya'boTmTa ovk 
Effi'jiTHToy ip^ov, aXX' ovtriMfxivriv xa9' aiiTW, 
Kat Si' avTW Ta ir^og to Eivat Trapayov (so I 
read it, not 'sravToov trpoq to bu sTvai, as the 
printed). Hierocl. in Aur. Carm. p. 21. 
2uvnfT«Tai a^a Tn fA,h aya^oTnri tou itaTpoq 
^ T«j TTfovoiaf BKTBVBia' TaiJTf) si h TOU S»|ai- 
ov^yoZ ^laicivioi TColnfftg' TavTrj Si fi tov vavTog 
Kara tov aiTBipov ai'SjoTflj. Ka) o avTog "Koyog 
ravTnv T6 amigBi, nai tw ayaQorrtTa tov ki- 



TcowKOTog. Produs in Timaum, 1. ii. p. 111. 
46. Now although this be the constant 
argumentation of the later Platonists, yet 
they found no such deduction or conse- 
quence in their master Plato : and I some- 
thing incline to think, though it may seem 
very strange, that they received it from 
the Christians, I mean out of the school 
of Ammonius at Alexandria ; whom 
though Porphyrins would make an apos- 
tate, for the credit of his heathen gods, 
yet St. Jerome hath sufficiently assured 
us that he lived and died in the Christian 
faith. The reason of my conjecture is no 
more than this : Proclus acknowledgeth 
that Plutarch and others, though with 
Plato they maintained the goodness of 
God to be the cause of the World, yet 
withal they denied the eternity of it : and 
when he quotes other expositors for his 
own opinion, he produceth none but Por- 
phyrius and lamblichus, the eldest of 
which was the scholar of Plotinus the dis- 
ciple of Ammonius. And that he was of 
the opinion, I collect from him who was 
his scholar both in philosophy and di- 
vinity, that is, Origen, whose judgment, 
if it were not elsewhere apparent, is suf- 
ficiently known by the fragment of Me- 
thodius TrepJ yEvvnTcSv, preserved in Photius. 
"Oti 0 'Sl^iyBvng, ov nivTavpov na'KBl!, eXej/E a-vv- 
atdiov sTvat tm /xovm ero<p^ Ka) aTTpocrSEET 0E« to 
ttSv. [Vid. p. 82. col. 2.] Being then 
Porphyrins and lamblichus cited by Pro- 
clus, being Hierocles, Proclus, and Salus- 
tius, were all either In Trig U^ag yBvsag, as 
they called it, that is, descended succes- 
sively from the School of Ammonius (the 
great conciliator of Plato and Aristotle, 
and reformer of the ancient philosophy), 
or at least contemporary to them that were 
so ; it is most probable that they might 
receive it from his mouth, especially con- 
sidering that even Origen a Christian con- 
firmed the same. 



86 



ARTICLE I. 



lected that whatsoever dependeth of it must be as necessary 
and eternal, even as light must be as ancient as the sun, and a 
shadow as an opacous body in that light. If then there be no 
instant imaginable before which God was not infinitely good, 
then can there likewise be none conceivable before which the 
World was not made. And thus they thought the goodness of 
the Creator must stand or fall with the eternity of the creature. 

For the clearing of which ancient mistake, we must observe, 
that as God is essentially and infinitely good w^ithout any mix- 
ture of deficiency, so is he in respect of all external actions or 
emanations absolutely free without the least necessity. Those 
bodies which do act without understanding or preconception 
of what they do, as the sun and fire give light and heat, work 
always to the utmost of their power, nor are they able at any 
time to suspend their action. To conceive any such necessity 
in the divine operations, were to deny all knowledge in God, 
to reduce him into a condition inferior to some of the works of 
his own hands, and to fall under the censure contained in the 
Psalmist's question, " He that planted the ear, shall he not 
hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? he that teacheth 
man knowledge, shall he not know ?" (Psal. xciv. 9, 10.) Those 
creatures who are endued with understanding, and consequently 
with a will, may not only be necessitated in their actions by a 
greater power, but also as necessarily be determined by the 
proposal of an infinite good : whereas neither of these neces- 
sities can be acknowledged in God's actions, without suppos- 
ing a power beside and above omnipotency, or a real happiness 
beside and above all-sufficiency. Indeed if God were a neces- 
sary agent in the works of creation, the creatures would be of 
as necessary a being as he is ; whereas the necessity of being 
is the undoubted prerogative of the first cause. " He worketh 
all things after the counsel of his own will," (Ephes. i. 11.) 
saith the apostle : and wheresoever counsel is, there is election, 
or else it is vain ; where a will, there must be freedom, or else 
it is weak. We cannot imagine that the all-wise God should 
act or produce any thing but what he determineth to produce ; 
and all his determinations must flow from the immediate prin- 
ciple of his will. If then his determinations be free, as they 
must be coming from that principle, then must the actions 
which follow them be also free. Being then the goodness of 
God is absolutely perfect of itself, being he is in himself in- 
finitely and eternally happy, and this happiness as little capa- 
ble of augmentation as of diminution ; he cannot be thought 
to look upon any thing w^ithout himself as determining his will 
to the desire, and necessitating to the production of it. If then 
we consider God's goodness, he was moved; if his all-sufficiency, 
he was not necessitated : if we look upon his will, he freely 
determined ; if on his power, by that determination he created 
the World. 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 87 



Wherefore that ancient conceit of a necessary emanation of 
God's goodness in the eternal creation of the World will now 
easily be refuted, if we make a distinction in the equivocal 
notion of goodness. For if we take it as it signifieth * a recti- 
tude and excellency of virtue and holiness, with a negation of 
all things morally evil, vicious, or unholy,' so God is absolutely 
and necessarily good : but if we take it in another sense, as in- 
deed they did who made this argument, that is, rather for be- 
neficence, or communicativeness of some good to others ; then 
God is not necessarily, but freely, good, that is to say, profit- 
able and beneficial. For he had not been in the least degree 
evil or unjust, if he had never made the World or any part 
thereof, if he had never communicated any of his perfections 
by framing any thing beside himself. Every proprietary there- 
fore being accounted master of his own, and thought freely to 
bestow whatever he gives ; much more must that one eternal 
and independent Being be wholly free in the communicating 
his own perfections without any necessity or obligation. We 
must then look no farther than the determination of God's will 
in the creation of the World. 

For this is the admirable power of God, that with him to 
will is to effect, to determine is to perform. So the elders speak 
before him that sitteth upon the throne ; " Thou hast created 
all things, and for thy pleasure (that is, by thy will) they are 
and were created." (Rev. iv. 11.) Where there is no resist- 
ance in the object, where no need of preparation, application, 
or instrumental advantage in the agent, there the actual deter- 
mination of the will is a sufficient production. Thus God did 
make the heavens and the earth by willing them to be.* This 
was his first command unto the creatures, and their existence 
was their first obedience. Let there be light,"f this is the 
injunction ; and there was light," that is the creation. Which 
two are so intimately and immediately the same, that though 
in our and:}: other translations those words, let there be, which 
express the command of God, differ from the other there was, 
which denote the present existence of the creature ; yet in the 
original there is no difference at all, neither in point nor letter. 
And yet even in the diversity of the translation the phrase 
seems so expressive of God's infinite power, and immediate 
efficacy of his will, that it hath raised some admiration of 
Moses in the§ enemies of the religion both of the Jews and 

* So Clemens Alexandrinus speaks of ^^fxiov^yZv, ofxov rn BovXrio-u a-mv^iarafxiirq 

God: "SPtX* TM BovXeaScti ^nfxiov^yBi, no,] tSi tS? Ktla-ioot; ; Id. I. ii. adv. Eunom. §. 21. 

fxovov sds\r{a-a.i avToy BTTSrai to yeyivna-Qai. t As yevri^nrco <j5a;f, jtat iyimo <f>iS?> Fiat 

Protrept. c. 4. fin. lux, et facta est lux: or as Aquila, ysvsa-Qa), 

t revn^KTO) <pa)g, Kal to 'fffOina.yfA.a 'i^yov kai tyinro, as Symmachus, £<rTa), xai lye- 

h. S. Basil, in Hexaem. Homil. ii. §. 7. veto, all with a difference : whereas in 

'Orav S'g (poomv 6eov Kcti p>ifxa km 7r^6(rTct.yfA.a the Hebrew it is a most expressive and 

T^iyofxsv, Tw ev &£Xii,w,*tj poTrnv hyovfxs^ct significant tautology, .IMi -rT'T 'IIX 

Iv el'SeJ Tr^QiTTciyixarot; o-xrifxari^ia-Bcii. Id. § As Dionysius Longinus, tts^i v-^ov{, 

ibid. Ti'voj vTfovfyiet; Uqito 6 flEXn/otari fAom Sect. 9. TauTji Kal o rZv 'louSat'ajv SetrfAO- 



88 



ARTICLE I. 



Christians. " God is in the heavens, he hath done whatsoever 
he pleased/'* saith David ; (Psal. cxv. 3.) yea, in the making 
of the heavens; he therefore created them, because he pleased;" 
nay, more, he thereby created them, even by willing their 
creation. 

Now although some may conceive the creature might have 
been produced from all eternity by the free determination of 
God's will, and it is so far certainly true, that there is no in- 
stant assignable before which God could not have made the 
World ; yet as this is an Article of our faith, we are bound to 
believe the heavens and the earth are not eternal. *' Through 
faith we understand the worlds were framed by the word of 
God." (Heb. xi. 3.) And by that faith we are assured, that 
whatsoever possibility of an eternal existence of the creature 
may be imagined, actually it had a temporal beginning ; and 
therefore all the arguments for this World's eternity are nothing 
but so many erroneous misconceptions. The Lord possess- 
ed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old 
(saith Wisdom). I was set up from everlasting, from the be- 
ginning, or ever the earth was :" (Prov. viii. 22, 23.) And the 
same Wisdom of God being made man, reflecteth upon the same 
priority, saying, " Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine 
ownself, with the glory which I had with thee before the World 
was." (John xvii. 5.) Yea, in the same Christ are we ** blessed 
with all spiritual blessings, according as he hath chosen us in 
him before the foundation of the World." (Ephes. i. 3, 4.) The 
impossibility of the origination of a circular motion, which we 
are sure is either in the heaven or earth, and the impropriety 
of the beginning of time, are so poor exceptions, that they de- 
serve not the least labour of refutation. The actual eternity of 
this World is so far from being necessary, that it is of itself 
most improbable ; and without the infallible certainty of faith, 
there is no single person carries more evidences of his youth, 
than the World of its novelty. f 

It is true indeed, some ancient accounts there are which 
would persuade us to imagine a strange antiquity of the World, 
far beyond the annals of Moses, and account of the same Spi- 
rit which made it. The t Egyptian priests pretended an exact 



^vvafAiv itctrk rhv a^iav lyvdpicri iid^s<pyivsv, 
svBlig Iv rij elfT^oXp y^a-^ai; roov vofxxv, ETotev 
6 9sog, <ptis-'f ri ; ysvsyBo} <p^?, x-ctl Ij'Eveto* 
yiVBo-Bu} yyi, na) iyinro. Where observe, 
Longinus made use of the translation of 
Aquila. 

* Tlavra oa-a hBsKriasv STfoina-iV Iv nrZ olpavZ 
Ka) Iv rn y){' o^aq on ov^^i tt^o; tyiv ^vf^iov^yiav 
rS/v Iv 7)j yri fxovov, aXKa xal tt^o? rhv Kria-iv 
TafV avu ^vvafxsctiv n^Ksasv h ^BXria-ii; alrov 
flkhn. S. Chrysost. 1. ii. trs^i rov aKara- 



t As even Lucretius confesseth, and 
that out of the principles of Epicurus, 1. 
V. 331. 

* Verum, ut opinor, habet novitatem sum- 
ma, recensque 

Natura est mundi, neque pridem exordia 
cepit.' 

I Plato tells us of an account which an 
Egyptian priest gave to Solon, in which 
the Athenians were nine thousand years 
old, and those of Sais eight thousand : 
ngorifav fxh rhv wap' v/jiXv ersa-i j^tX/ojf Ix. 
T£ Kai 'H^ttiVrou to anipfxa nooKaooZs-a hfxaiv, 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 89 



chronology for some myriads of years, and the Chaldeans or* 
Assyrians far outreckon them, in which they delivered not 
only a catalogue of their kings, but also a table of the feclipses 
of the sun and moon. 

But for their number of years nothing is more certain than 
their forgery ; for the Egyptians did preserve the antiquities 
of other nations as v^^ell as their ov^^n, and by the evident fal- 
lacy in others have betrayed their own vanity. When Alex- 
ander entered Egypt with his victorious army, the priests 
could shew him out of their sacred histories an account of the 
Persian empire, which he gained by conquest, and the Ma- 
cedonian, which he received by birth, of each for eight 
thousand years ;t whereas nothing can be more certain, out of 
the best historical account, than that the Persian empire, whe- 
ther begun in Cyrus or in Medus, was not then three hundred 
years old, and the Macedonian, begun in Caranus, not five hun- 
dred. They then who made so large additions to advance the 
antiquity of other nations, and were so bold as to present them 
to those who so easily might refute them (had they not delighted 
to be deceived to their own advantage, and taken much pleasure 
in an honourable cheat), may without any breach of charity be 
suspected to have extended the account much higher for the 
honour of their own country. Beside, their catalogues must 
needs be ridiculously incredible, when the Egyptians make the 
first kings' reigns above twelve hundred years a-piece,§ and the 



T«v vTTs^av Tni; Se IvQi^e^taxoa-fxriiTSctig va§^ 

erSiv a^iQfAog yeypaTrrai. In Timeo, p. 293. 
Pomponius Mela makes a larger account 
out of Herodotus, 1. i. c. 5. ' Ipsi vetus- 
tissirai (ut praedicant) hominum trecentos 
et triginta reges ante Amasim, et supra 
tredecim millium annorum aetates certis 
Annalibus :' where, as the Egyptians 
much stretch the truth, so doth Mela 
stretch the relation of Herodotus, who 
makes it not thirteen thousand, but eleven 
thousand three hundred and forty years. 
Diodorus Siculus tells us of twenty-three 
thousand years from the reign of the first 
king of Egypt to the expedition of Alexan- 
der ; and Diogenes Laertius out of other 
authors more than doubles that account : 
Alyvirrm fA,h yap NeiXoi; yevea-Qai 7raTJa"H<|)aj- 
a-rov, ov a^^ai <pi'Ko<ro(pia.g, rolig TrposcrTooTag 
legEttj Bivai xaj 'irpo<phra<;, a'jTo Se rovrov slg 
'AXE^avS'^ov TOV MaJteJova IrZv sTvai fxvpia^a; 
ri<ra-a§a^, xai o>iraiiicr)(j\ia onraKoa-ia, ern 
l^wxovTtt Tfi'a ; forty-eight thousand eight 
hundred and sixty-three. Procem. p. 1. 

* 'Aa-trv^ioi Se, <pK<riv^lafj(,0Xi)(^og, ov)(^e7rra 
Xttt £('xoj-{ fxv^iaiaq irSiv fjtovag Erv^KO'av, 
&g <pn(riv "iTTTTaf^og, aXXa m) oKag aTroJtara- 
trda-eig na) Tre^io^ovg rZv inra, noa-fxoii^aro^oov 
uvfifjin Tfet^t^oa-av. Prochis in Timaum. 

t *Ev oig nkiov (/.h IxX&^e*? y£veo-&«» Tgja- 



HQs-iag £^So|U^xovTa rpBig, c-eXmijt; Je onranca-iovg 
TfiaKQvra Suo. Diog. Laert. Prooem. p. 1. 

^ This fallacy appeareth by an epistle 
which Alexander wrote to his mother 
Olympias, mentioned by Athenagoras, 
Minutius Felix, St. Cyprian, and St. Au- 
gustin. • Persarum autem et Macedonum 
imperium usque ad ipsum Alexandrum, 
cui loquebatur, plus quam octo millium 
annorum ille constituit ; cum apud Grae- 
cos Macedonum usque ad mortem Alex- 
andri quadringenti octoginta quinque re- 
periantur anni, Persarum vero, donee ip- 
sius Alexandri victoria finiretur, ducenti 
et triginta tres computentur.' S. August, 
de Civ. Dei, I. xii. c. 10. 

§ As Diodorus Siculus, 1. i. p. 22. ed. 
Rhod. p. 15. Steph. takes notice of the 
Egyptians, and Abydenus of the Chal- 
deans, whose ten first kings reigned on© 
hundred and twenty Sari. 'i2? roug hm- 
rag tlvai Baa-iXiig SExa* wvo ;)^povo? rnq^aa-i- 
Xeiag a-vvn^e a-a^ovg Ixarov s'Uoa-i. Now this 
word a-a^og was proper to the Babylonian 
or Chaldean account. Hesych. la^og a^i- 
Q/xog rig ica^a, BaBvXaivioig , but what this 
number was he tells us not. In the frag- 
ment of Abydenus preserved by Eusebius, 
2a^og Se £<7Ttv i^axoVta ml r^ia-^ixia ern, 
every 2apog is three thousand six hundred 
years, and consequently the one hundred 



90 



ARTICLE L 



Assyrians theirs about forty thousand : except we take the 
Egyptian years for months,* the Assyrian for days ; and tVien 
the account will not seem so formidable. 

Again, for the calculation of eclipses, as it may be made for 
many thousand years to come, and be exactly true, and yet 
the World may end to-morrow; because the calculation must 
be made with this tacit condition, if the bodies of the earth, 
and sun, and moon, do continue in their substance and con- 
stant motion so long : so may it also be made for many mil- 
lions of years past, and all be true, if the World have been so 
old ; which the calculation doth not prove, but suppose. He 
then who should in the Egyptian temples see the description 
of so many eclipses of the sun and moon, could not be assured 
that they were all taken from real observation, when they 
might be as well described out of proleptical supposition. 

Besides, the motions of the sun, which they mention toge 
ther and with authority equal to that of their other observations, 
are so incredible and palpably fabulous, that they take off all 
credit and esteem from the rest of their narrations. For with 
this wild account of years, and seemingly accurate observa- 
tions of the heavens, they left it written to posterity, that the 
whole course of the celestial motions was four times changed ; 
so that t the sun hath twice risen in the east and set in the 



and twenty a-apoi belonging to the reign 
of the ten kings four hundred and thirty- 
two thousand years. Neither was this 
the account only of Abydenus, but also of 
Berosus ; neither was it the interpreta- 
tion only of Eusebius, but also of Alex- 
ander Polyhistor, who likewise express- 
eth : tIv p^^oyov t«? SacriXsia.^ avTuiv a-a^ou^ 
SKarov s'inoiri, riroi Iroov /uupiaSa? TStrsrapaxov- 
ra r^siQ Kol Jyo ;\^iXftt5'af. This seemed so 
highly incredible, that two ancient monks, 
Anianus and Panodorus, interpreted those 
Chaldean years to be but days, so that 
every a-apog should consist of three thou- 
sand 'six hundred days, that is, nine years, 
ten months and a half, and the whole one 
hundred and twenty <rapo/ for the ten kings 
eleven hundred and eighty-three years, 
six months, and odd days. This is all 
which Jos. Scaliger, or Jacobus Goar of 
late, could find concerning this Chaldean 
computation : and the first of these com- 
plains that none but Hesychius makes 
mention of this account. I shall there- 
fore supply them not only with another 
author, but also with a diverse and dis- 
tinct interpretation, la^oi fxirpov -jcai dg;- 
6fxoi Traga Xa.'K^aion;' ol yig gx.' a-a^oi iroLwa-iM 
mavrovi ot yivovrai ih hiavToi ncu [m- 

vtq I'l* that is, according to the translation 
of Portus : Sari apiid ChaldcBos est mensura 
et numenis : nam 120 San faciunt annos 
2222, qui sunt anni 18 et sex menses. Well 
might he fix his N. L. or, non liquet, to 



these words ; for, as they are in the 
printed books, there is no sense to be 
made of them ; but by the help of the 
MS. in the Vatican library we shall both 
supply the defect in Suidas, and find a 
third valuation of the c-apoi. Thus then 
that MS. represents the words : Oi yaf p»' 
<rapoi voiova-iv IviavTOv? xara tvv Xa\- 

^aicov ■^rj<pov, aiTTSp o cra§ci; ttoisX /M.waf ireXijvta- 
Kxv a-it$', Oi yivovrai ih sviavrol x,al fAtivSQ 1^. 
And so the sense is clear. 2ago;, ac- 
cording to the Chaldee account, compre- 
hends two hundred and twenty-two 
months, which come to eighteen years 
and six months ; therefore one hundred 
and twenty c-i^oi make two thousand two 
hundred and twenty years ; and therefore 
for Ss-kB' , I read, leaving out the last B, 
Bo-i', that is, two thousand two hundred 
and twenty. 

* El Hicai o<pt]iriv ESSo^o? aXflfllj, ort Alyvx- 
riQi Tov |U.nvtt IviavTov SKaXovv, ov>t av h rStiv itoiK- 

fxatrrov. Proclus i?i TimcEum, 1. i. p. 31. 50. 

+ 'Ev Tot'vw rovTM rS p^povw Trrpaxij sXeyov 
1^ h^sctiv TOV nXiov avarBiXar evBa rs vZv xara- 
^vSTai, IvQsuTev Si? eTTctvaTitXai' koI Iv0£v vvv 
avarsWsi, IvQaXira S")? naTa^vyai. Herod, 
Euterp. c. 142. ' Mandatumque literis 
servant, dum ^gyptii sunt, quater cursus 
suos vertisse sidera, ac Solem bis jam oc- 
cidisse ubi nunc oritur.' Pompon. Mela, 
1. i.e. 10. Whereas Aristotle more sober 
ly : 'Ev airavTi ya^ TTflgEXnXy&o'rJ p^o'vauxara 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 91 



west, as it now does ; and, on the contrary, twice risen in the 
west and set in the east. And thus these prodigious antiqua- 
ries confute themselves.* 

What then are these feigned observations and fabulous de- 
scriptions for the World's antiquity, in respect not only of the 
infallible annals of the Spirit of God, but even of the constant 
testimonies of more sober men, and the real appearances and 
face of things, which speak them of a far shorter date ? 

If we look into the historians which give account of ancient 
times, nay, if we peruse the fictions of the poets, we shall find 
the first to have no footsteps, the last to feign no actions of so 
great antiquity, t If the race of men had been eternal, or as 
old as the Egyptians and Chaldees fancy it, how should it come 
to pass that the poetical inventions should find no actions 
worthy their heroic verse before the Trojan or the Theban war, 
or that great adventure of the Argonauts ? For whatsoever all 
the Muses, the daughters of Memory, could rehearse before 
those times, is nothing but the creation of the World, and the 
nativity of their gods. 

If we consider the necessaries of life,t the ways of freedom 

rrivTra^ahhfXBVYivccKXh'Koig fjivrifji,t]vov^ev<palve- by their vain ambition in astrological 
Tat fxzraBiB^wli;, ovrs naQ' oXov tov \<7')(a.rov predictions. And indeed those observa- 
ougttvov, oSte xara juoptov auroy tSv oiJtEtwv tions of the Chaldees being curiously 
ciiSe'v. De C(eIo, 1. i. c. 3. t. 22. Vide searched into by Callisthenes, appointed 
Simplic. ad loc. by Aristotle for that purpose, were found 
* As the Chaldees did affirm that they really to go no farther than one thousand 
had taken observations of the celestial nine hundred and three years before 
motions for four hundred and seventy Alexander, as Porphyrius hath declared, 
thousand years ; and withal they also who was no friend to the account of Mo- 
affirmed, that for the same space of time ses. Aia to fA,n7ra) rag biro KaXX^rSgvot/? In 
they had calculated the nativity of all the Ba^yXaDvoj 7r£|a<f)9eiVa? <rra^a.Tr,^ha-ii(; a-^mk- 
children who were born. Which last is a-^at sk t^v 'EXXaJct tov ' A^ia-TorsXovg tqvto 
certainly false. ' Nam quod aiunt qua- eTria-nri-^avrog avrSi- aq rivag ^inyiiTai 6 Uo§- 
dringenta et septuaginta millia annorum to? x.^\icuv IrSiv ilvai nai Ivnanoa-icuv r^iSiv 
in periclitandis experiundisque pueris, f^^X?^ '^^^ XP°'"*"' 'AXs^avS^f^u toD ManB^ovog 
quicunque nati essent, Babylonios posu- erul^o/xemg. Simplic. ad 2. Aristot. de Codlo, 
isse, fallunt : si enim esset factum, non p. 123. 

asset desitum. Neminem autem habemus t This argument is therefore to me the 

auctorem qui aut fieri dicat, aut factum stronger, because made by him who can- 

sciat.' Cicero, 1. ii. de Divinat. c. 97. not be thought a favourer of our religion. 

And if the last be false, we have no rea- because he was a countenancer of none, 

son to believe the first is true ; but rather Epicurus, whose mind is thus delivered 

to deny their astronomical observations by Lucretius, 1. v. 325. 

* Praeterea, si nulla fuit genitalis origo 
Terrarum et Coeli, semperque aeterna fuere ; 
Cur supra bellum Thebanum et funera Trojae, 
Non alias alii quoque res cecinere Poetae 1 

Quo tot facta virum toties cecidere 1 neque usquam 
iEtemis famas monumentis insita florentV 
t Pliny gives a large account of these, 1. vii. c. 56. and Lucretius makes use of 
this argument, 1. v, 333. 

* Quare etiam quaedam nunc artes expoliuntur, 
Nunc etiam augescunt, nunc addita navigiis sunt 
Malta ; modo organici melicos peperere sonores : 
Denique natura hzec rerum ratioque reperta est 
Nuper, et banc primus cum primis ipse repertus 
Nunc ego sum in patrias qui possim vertere voces.' 



92 



ARTICLE I. 



and commerce amongst men, and the inventions of all arts and 
sciences, the letters which we use, and languages which we 
speak, they have all known originals, and may be traced to 
their first authors. The first beginnings were then so known 
and acknowledged by all, that the inventors and authors of 
them were reckoned amongst their gods, and worshipped by 
those to whom they had been so highly beneficial : which ho- 
nour and adoration they could not have obtained, but from 
such as were really sensible of their former want, and had ex- 
perience of a present advantage by their means. 

If we search into the nations themselves, we shall see none 
without some original: and were those ^authors extant who 
have written of the first plantations and migrations of people, 
the foundations and inhabiting of cities and countries, the first 
rudiments would appear as evident as their later growth and 
present condition. We know what ways within two thousand 
years people have made through vast and thick woods for their 
habitations, now as fertile, as populous, as any. The Hercy- 
nian trees, in the time of the Csesars, occupying so great a 
space as to take up a journey of sixty days, f were thought 
even then coeval with the World.J We read without any show 
of contradiction, how this western part of the World hath been 
peopled from the east : and all the pretence of the Babylonian 
antiquity is nothing else, but that we all came from thence. 
Those eight persons saved in the Ark, descending from the 
Gordiasan mountains and multiplying to a large collection in 
the plain of Sinaar, made their first division at that place; and 
that dispersion, or rather dissemination, hath peopled all other 
parts of the World, either never before inhabited, or dispeopled 
by the flood. 

These arguments have always seemed so clear and undenia- 
ble, that they have put not only those who make the World 
eternal, but those also who confess it made (but far more an- 
cient than we believe it), to a strange answer, to themselves 
uncertain, to us irrational. 

For to this they repUed, that this World § hath suffered many 



* T mean, not only sucli as wrote the 
building of particular cities, as Apollo- 
nius Rhodius Kavvov uria-iv, Xenophanes 
Ko'Ko'pMVog KTia-iv, Crito 2v^a>iova-MV XTiVtv, 
and Philochorus ^aXuf/Xvog jtriVjv: but 
those more general, as Aristotle KriVsi? 
Kai TToXirsiag, Polemo KtiVei? ttoXsoov sv 
4)<!tfHiSt, Charon IToXEajv xtiVei?, Callimachus 
KtjVei? ms-oov Koi ttoXzcuv, Hellanicus Kti- 
<r£jf l^vZv not 'sj-ixsciov, and the indefinite 
KTiVsi? written by Dercyllus, Dionysius, 
Hippys, Clitophon, Trisimachus, and 
others. 

t * Silvarum, Hercynia, dierum sex- 
aginta iter occupans, ut major aliis, ita 
et notior.' Pompon. Mela, 1. iii. c. 3, 



X ' Hercyniae silvge roborum vastitas 
intacta sevis et congenita mundo, prope 
immortali sorte miracula excedit.' Plin. 
1. xvi. c. 

§ Thus Ocellus, who maintained the 
World was never made, answers the ar- 
gument brought from the Greek histories 
which begin with Inachus, as the first 
subject, not author of history (as Nega- 
rola in his Annotations mistakes Ocellus) : 

agp^w airo 'lvk-)(ov sTveti roZ ^A^yeiov, wpoasK- 
Tsov ovroog, ov)(^ ajro rivog a^)(riq 'nrpoirtig, 
aXXa rng yrt/ofxkmg (Jt-ira^ciKng xar' avTnv, 
c. iii. §. 5. So that he will have Inachus 
to be the first not absolutely, but since 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 93 



alterations, by the utter destructions of nations and depopula- 
tions of countries, by which all monuments of antiquity were 
defaced, all arts and sciences utterly lost, all fair and stately 
fabrics ruined, and so mankind reduced into paucity, and the 
World often again returned into its infancy. This they con- 
ceived to have been done oftentimes in several ages, sometimes 
by a deluge of water, sometimes by a torrent of fire ; and, lest 
any of the elements might be thought not to conspire to the 
destruction of mankind, the air must sweep away whole empires 
at once with infectious plagues, and earthquakes swallow up 
all ancient cities, and bury even the very ruins of them. By 
which answer of theirs they plainly afford two great advantages 
to the Christian faith. First, Because they manifestly shew 
that they had a universal tradition of Noah's flood, and the 
overthrow of the whole World : Secondly, Because it was evi- 
dent to them, that there was no way to salve the eternity or 
antiquity of the World, or to answer this argument drawn from 
history and the appearances of things themselves, but by sup- 
posing innumerable deluges and deflagrations. Which being 
merely feigned in themselves, not proved (and that first^ by 
them who, say they, are not subject themselves unto them, as 
the Egyptians did, who by the advantage t of their peculiar 

the last great alteration made in Greece J knowledge of the time, since the last 

and then he concludes that Greece hath great mutation of their own country : 

often been, and will often be, barbarous, UoWal yk^ nnra. tjnoXKa. <^Qo^ci.\ yiyovaa-iv av- 

and lose the memory of all their actions : Qpaijroov aal eaovrai, ttu^I fxh kuI v^a-ri fxi- 

IToXXajti? ya,^ aa] yeyovB nal eVrai /SapCapo? h yurrai, fxv^ion; Ss aXXof? srs^ai B^a^vTBpai, 

'EXXa?, cLip^ utt' ivQ^xTToov fxovov ytvo/xBvyj ju,e- In Timao, p. 291. Origen of Celsus : To 

TacTTaTO?, aXXa Kcii utt' aurtig Tnq (puirswi ov tuoK'Ka.q Ix Travro? aiSvoj 'urv^ia-BK; yeyo\£vai, 

/xii^QVog ovis |WEt'ovof avTtjt; yivofxivng, aXXa ya,^ woXXa? S' iTrixXvastq, Kai vsaire^ov elvai rov 

Ocellus de Universo, ibid. Thus Plato, w/xivov, <ra<pMi: roT; anovsiv avroZ ^vvafxivoii; 

who asserted the creation of the World, TrafiWncrt ro >ia.r^ auTovroZ nos-fAov aymrnov. 

but either from eternity, or such anti- 1. 1. §. 19. And Lucretius the Epicu- 

quity as does not much differ from it, rean, who thought the World but few 

brings in Solon inquiring the age of the thousand years old, as we believe, and 

Greek histories, as of Phoroueus, and that it should at last be consumed, as we 

Niobe, Deucalion and Pyrrha ; and an also are persuaded, thinks this answer of 

Egyptian priest answering, that all the theirs so far from being a refutation of 

Greeks were boys, and not an old man the former, that he admits it as a confir- 

amongst them, that is, they had no an- mation of the latter part of his opinion, 

cient monuments, or history of any anti- De Reruin Natura, 1. v. 339. 
quity, but rested contented with the 

' Quod si forte fuisse antehac eadem omnia credis, 
Sed periisse hominum torrenti stecla vapore, 
Aut cecidisse urbes magno vexamine mundi, 
Aut ex imbribus assiduis exisse rapaces 
Per terras amnes atque oppida cooperuisse : 
Tanto quippe magis victus fateare necesse est, 
Exitium quoque terra'i coeUque futurum.' 

* 'Ea-rooa-av Se tw KeXctw rov hjb^I rZv Phaethon did signify a real conflagration 

BKm^cicrsoov y,ai l^v^arcia-BMv fj,vBov ^i^as-KaXoi of the World; but so as all they which 

e( KaT avrov a-o<p'J)raroi AlyvTrnoi. Orig. lived in mountains or dry parts of the 

adv. Celsum, 1. i. j. 20. earth were scorched and consumed, but 

t So that Egyptian priest in Plato's of those who lived near the seas or rivers 

Timaeus tells Solon that the fable of in the valleys, some were preserved ; 



94 



ARTICLE I. 



situation feared neither perishing by fire nor water), serve only 
for a confirmation of Noah's flood so many ages past, and the 
surer expectation of St. Peter's fire, we know not how soon to 
come. 

It remaineth then that we steadfastly believe, not only that 
the ** heavens and earth, and all the host of them" (Gen. ii. 1.) 
were made, and so acknowledge a creation^ or an actual and 
immediate dependence of all things on God ; but also that all 
things were created by the hand of God, in the same manner, 
and at the same time, which are delivered unto us in the books 
of Moses by the Spirit of God, and so acknowledge a novity, 
or no long existence of the creature. 

Neither will the novity of the World appear more plainly 
unto our conceptions, than if we look upon our own succes- 
sions. The vulgar accounts, which exhibit about five thou- 
sand six hundred years, though sufficiently refuting an eternity, 
and allaying all conceits of any great antiquity, are not yet so 
properly and nearly operative on the thoughts of men, as a re- 
flection upon our own generations. The first of men was but 
six days younger than the being, not so many than the appear- 
ance, of the earth : and if any particular person would consider 
how many degrees in a direct line he probably is removed 
from that single person Adam, who bare together the name of 
man and of the earth from whence he came, he could not choose 
but think himself so near the original fountain of mankind, as 
not to conceive any great antiquity of the World. For though 
the ancient heathens did imagine innumerable^ ages and genera- 
tions of men past, though Origenf did fondly seem to collect 



hfjuv Se, saith he, o Netxo? £?? re TaXXa. 
G-ooTT)^, Xtti to't£ Ik TflUTu? Tw? k'TTo^iaQ a-M^ei 
hvofA-svog. p. 291. Thus the Egyptians 
pretend Nilus saved them from the flames 
of Phaethon. Nor were they only safe 
from conflagrations, but from inunda- 
tions also. For when in Greece or other 
parts a deluge happened, then all their 
cities were swept away into the sea : 
Kara rhv^s rhv X'^P'"'' says the priest, 
ovTS TOTE, OUTS ttXXoTg civcioQsv IttI Tag a^ovfag 
uS'sog ETfipfisX' TO S' IvaVTiov, KaTcuQsv iTTavdvai 
'n:e<pvKev. cSev kuI ^i' ag aWiag ravOaSa a-oo^o- 
fxeva \Ey$Tai 'sra'KaicTaTet. p. 292. So 
Egypt receiving not their waters from 
above by clouds, but from below by 
springs from the river Nile, was out of 
danger in a deluge, and thereby preserved 
the most ancient monuments and records. 
But, alas ! this is a poor shift to them 
who believe that in the great and univer- 
sal flood, " all the fountains of the great 
deep were broken up, and the windows 
of heaven were opened." Gen vii. 11. 

* So Cicero indeed speaks, innumera' 
bilia scpcula, in his book of Divination : 
and Socrates in Plato's Theaetetus brings 



this argument against the pride of great 
and noble families, that they who men- 
tion a succession of their ancestors who 
have been rich and powerful, doit merely : 
wtt' aTTai^iv^lag, ov ^wa/jtEvaiv elg to tcuv azi 
^Xetteiv, oliSe Xoyt^£<r9aj, oti ttraTriTCiov Kat 
'jT^oyovcDV f^vpia^Bg sx-acrTcp ysyovaaiV avapi9fA.i]- 
TOi,BV aig 'ocrXova-ioi Koi TtTM-^^oi^ nai Baa-iXeTc 
ual ^ovXoi, BafQapoi re Jcai "EXXjive? 7roXXa«»v 
fxv^loi ysyovaa-iV otmovv p. 118. as if every 
person were equally honourable, having 
innumerable ancestors, rich and poor, 
servants and kings, learned and barba- 
rous. 

t Origen did not only collect the eter- 
nity of the World from the coexistence of 
all God's attributes, as because he is 
TTavTOK^aTMp and ^r)fj.iov^yog, therefore he 
was always so, for how could he be 5w|U.;- 
ov^yog avEy crifxiov^yn/:A.a,Ta}V, OX TTctVTOK^aTO}^ 
anv tZv K^aTovfxEvoov ; but also from the 
ninetieth psalm, ''From everlasting to 
everlasting, thou art God. For a thou- 
sand years in thy sight are but as yester- 
day ;" and that at the beginning of Ec- 
clesiasticus, " V\'ho can number the sand 
of the sea, and the drops of the rain, and 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 95 



so much by some misrepresentations of the Scriptures; yet if 
we take a sober view, and make but rational collections from 
the chronology of the Sacred Writ, we shall find no man's pe- 
digree very exorbitant, or in his line of generation descent of 
many score. 

When the age of man was long, in the infancy of the World, 
we find ten generations extend to one thousand six hundred 
and fifty-six years, according to the shortest, which is thought, 
because the Hebrew, therefore the best account; according to 
the longest, which, because the Septuagint's, is not to be con- 
temned, two thousand two hundred and sixty-two, or rather 
two thousand two hundred and fifty-six. From the flood 
brought at that time upon the earth for the sins of men which 
polluted it, unto the birth of Abraham, the father of the faithful, 
not above ten generations, if so many, took up two hundred and 
ninety-two years according to the least, one thousand one 
hundred and thirty-two according to the largest account. 
Since which time the ages of men have been very much alike 
proportionably long; and it is agreed by all that there have 
not passed since the birth of Abraham three thousand seven 
hundred years. Now by the experience of our families, which 
for their honour and greatness have been preserved, by the 
genealogies delivered in the Sacred Scriptures, and thought 
necessary to be presented to us by the blessed evangelists, by 
the observation and concurrent judgment of former ages, three 
generations* usually take up a hundred years. If then it be 
not yet three thousand seven hundred years since the birth of 
Abraham, as certainly it is not; if all men who are or have 
been since have descended from Noah, as undoubtedly they 
have; if Abraham were but the tenth from Noah, as Noah 
from Adam, which Moses hath assured us : then it is not pro- 
bable that any person now alive is above one hundred and 



the days of eternity?" But Methodius, 
bishop and martyr, hath well concluded 
that disputation : nrcuna <f)>io-(v o 'il^iyivnq 
a-TTOv^al^MV , Koi o'pa olct wcti^ei. [Vid. p. 83.] 
* By the Greeks called yevsai, which 
are successions of generations from father 
to son: as in St. Matt. i. 17. Indeed 
sometimes they take it for other spaces 
of time : as Artemidorus observes, for 
seven years. Kar' Iviovg fz-Bv em t,'. oQev 
Koi },eyov<yiv oi lar^tKol, tmv Suo yeveZv (not 
wgo tSv, as Wolfius and Portus would cor- 
rect it) iwn^Evtt (not /Jih ^bTv, as Suidas) 
<p\eQorofA.e'iV , rov Te'jara^ec-y.cn^eaeTr) (not Tecr- 
<7apEc-xai5£JiaTov, as Suidas transcribing him 
negligently) xlyovrs?. Sometimes they 
interpret it twenty, twenty five, or thirty 
years, as appears by Hesychius. And 
by that last account they reckoned the 
years of Nestor : Kar* h'wvq le X'. oQev not 
T9V NEfl-TOfa ^ouXovTaj i\q Evv£v»]JtovTa. irn ye- 



yovsvai. So Artemidorus and the Gram- 
marians. Although I cannot imagine 
that to be the sense of Homer, 'ix. A. 250. 
TflSS' rt^n Suo fxsv yenal fxepoTToov avQ^MTrxv 
'E<}>6ta9', 04' 01 Tr^oa-Qsv afxa. 'rpa<pev h^' eye- 
vovro. 

And I conceive that gloss in Hesychius, 
'EttI ^Kta-rhuarrQ p^^oviijv tmv fxh xctr' avro 
$eQiooKoTot>v, to be far more properly appli- 
cable to that place. But, in the sense of 
which we now speak, it is taken for the 
third part ordinarily of a hundred years ; 
as Herodotus, mentioning the Egyptian 
feigned genealogies : Kami T^imo^iai fxh 
av^^aiv yevsai ^uvearai fA,v§ia eticf three 
hundred generations equalize ten thou- 
sand years : yeveaX ya^ rfeig avSpSv enctrov 
'irea e<rri. Euterp. c. 142. And after him 
Clemens Alex. Strom. 1. i. c. 21. p. 145. 
El? Ta IxctTov I'th TgsTf eynara'Keyovrai ye- 
veai. 



96 



ARTICLE I. 



thirty generations removed from Adam. And indeed thus 
admitting but the Greek account of less than five thousand 
years since the flood, we may easily bring all sober or probable 
accounts of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Chinese, to be- 
gin since the dispersion at Babel. Thus having expressed at 
last the time so far as it is necessary to be known, I shall con- 
clude this second consideration of the nature and notion of 
creatiofi. 

Now being under the terms of heaven and earth, we have 
proved all things beside God to be contained, and that the 
making of all these things was a clear production of them 
out of nothing; the third part of the explication must of 
necessity follow, that he which made all things is God. This 
truth is so evident in itself, and so confessed by all men, 
that none did ever assert tlie World was made, but withal 
affirmed that it was God who made it. There remaineth 
therefore nothing more in this particular, than to assert 
God so the Creator of the World as he is described in this 
Article. 

Being then we believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and 
earth, and by that God we expressed already a singularity of 
the Deity ; our first assertion which we must make good is. 
That the one God did create the World. Again, being who- 
soever is that God, cannot be excluded from this act of cre- 
ation, as being an emanation of the Divinity, and we seem by 
these words to appropriate it to the Father, beside whom we 
shall hereafter shew that we believe some other persons to be 
the same God; it will be likewise necessary to declare the 
reason why the creation of the World is thus signally attributed 
to God the Father. 

The first of these deserves no explication of itself, it is so 
obvious to all who have any true conception of God. But 
because it hath been formerly denied (as there is nothing so 
senseless but some kind of heretics have embraced, and may 
be yet taken up in times of wdiich we have no reason to pre- 
sume better than of the former), I shall briefly declare the 
creation of the World to have been performed by that one God, 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

As for the first, there is no such difference between things 
of the World, as to infer a diversity of makers of them, nor is 
the least or worst of creatures in their original, any way de- 
rogatory to the Creator. God saw every thing that he had 
made, and behold it w^as very good," (Gen. i. 31.) and con- 
sequently likely to come from the Fountain of all goodness, 
and fit always to be ascribed to the same. Whatsoever is 
evil, is not so by the Creator's action, but by the creature's 
defection. 

In vain then did the heretics of old, to remove a seeming 
inconvenience, remove a certain truth; and while they feared 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 97 



to make their own god evil * they made him partial, or but 
half the Deity, and so a companion at least with an evil god. 
For dividing all things of this World into nature substantially 
evil, and substantially good, and apprehending a necessity of 
an origination conformable to so different a condition, they 
imagined one God essentially good, as the first principle of the 
one, another god essentially evil, as the original of the other. 
And this strange heresy began upon the first spreading t of 



* ' Inde Manichaeus, ut Deum a con- 
ditione malorum liberet, alterum mali in- 
ducit auctorem.' S. Hier. in Nahum, c. 3. 

t For we must not look upon Manes as 
the first aathorof the heresy, though they 
who followed him were called from him 
Manichaeans. Nor must we be satisfied 
with the relation of Socrates, who allots 
the beginning of that heresy, jujxpov 'ifx- 
9rgo<rS-£v Ta>vKa)V(rTavTivot;;j(^goW/,a little before 
Constantine ; being, Epiphanius asserts, 
the first author of it, a-reWea-^ai nv Tropeiav 
I'm). Ta'legotroXy^a TTE^t Touf p^govou; T^y Atto- 
aro'K'jiv, to have gone to Jerusalem even about 
the Apostles' times. Hceres. Ixvi. j. 3. Manes 
then, formerly called Cubricus, (not Urbi- 
cus, as St. Augustin,) who disseminated 
this heresy in the days of Aurelianus or 
Probus the emperor, about the year 277, 
had a predecessor, though not a master, 
called first Terebinthus, after Buddas. For 
this Buddas left his books and estate to a 
widow, who saith Epiphanius, ibid. sfASivs 
woWx Tx p^fovft) oUto)?, continued with his 
estate and books a long time, and at last 
bought Cubricus for her servant. This 
Buddas had a former master called Scj- 
thianus, the first author of this heresy. 
Beside these, between Scythianus and 
Cubricus there was yet another teacher 
of the doctiine, called Zaranes. ~Hv 51 
Trpo Tovrov (yiavmoc) y.ai 'inrs^oq Trjj xaKietf 
JiJacrxaXo? TttUTrjf, Zapavi;; ov5|UftTt, ofj.6<^^etiv 
avrov i'srapx.'^v. If then we insert this 
Zaranes into the Manichzean pedigree, 
and consider the time of the widow be- 
tween Buddas and Cubricus, and the age 
of Cubricus, who was then but seven years 
old, as Socrates testifies, when she resolved 
to buy him, and discover the heresy to 
him ; there will be no reason to doubt of 
the relation of Epiphanius, that Scythia- 
nus began about the apostolical times. 
Nor need we any of the abatements in the 
animadversions of Petavius, much less 
that redargution of Epiphanius, who cites 
Origen as an assertor of the Christian faith 
against this heresy ; for though he cer- 
tainly died before Manes spread his doc- 
trine, yet it was written in several books 
before him, not only in the time of Buddas, 
to whom Socrates and Suidas attribute 
them, but of Scythianus, whom St. Cyril 



and Epiphanius make the author of them. 
Neither can it be objected that they were 
not Manichaeans before the appearance of 
Manes ; for I conceive the name of Manes 
(thought by the Greeks to be a name 
taken up by Cubricus, and proper to him) 
not to be any proper or peculiar name at 
all, but the general title of heretic in the 
Syriac tongue. For I am loath to think 
that Theodoret and the author in Suidas 
were so far mistaken, when they call Scy- 
thianus Manes, as to conceive Cubricus 
and he were the same person : when we 
may with much better reason conclude 
that both Scythianus and Cubricus had 
the same title. For I conceive Manes at 
first rather a title than a name, from the 
Hebrew yr^ or "UTt^ signifying a heretic. 
And although some of the Rabbins derive 
their i*a from Manes, yet others make it 
more ancient than he was, referring it to 
Tzadock and Bajethos, called "u'ki D''2"'Qn 
the first or chief heretics, who lived one 
hundred years before Christ. Wherefore 
it is far more rational to assert, that he who 
began the heresy of the Manichees was 
called "[-ra as a heretic in the oriental 
tongues, and from thence Mavu; by the 
Greeks(to comply with /xaviaor madness in 
their language), than that Mavn; was first 
the name of a man counted a heretic by 
the Christians ; and then made the general 
name of all heretics, and particularly for 
the Christians by the Jews. Which being 
granted, both Scythianus and Cubricus 
might well at first have the name of 
Manes, that is, heretic. However, the 
antiquity of that heresy will appear in the 
Marcionites, who diflfered not in this par- 
ticular from the Manichees. ' Duos Pon- 
ticus Ueos afFert tanquam duas Symplega- 
das naufragii sui : quemnegare nou potuit, 
id est, creatorem, id est, nostrum ; et 
quem probare non potuit, id est, suum. 
Passus infelix hujus praesumptionis in- 
stinctum de simplici capitulo Dominicae 
pronunciationis, in homines non in Deos 
disponentis exempla ilia bonae et malae 
arboris, quod neque bona malos neque 
mala bonos proferat fructus.' Tertull. adv. 
Murcion. 1. i. c. 2. This Marcion lived ia 
the days of Antoninus Pius, and as Euse- 
biustestifiethj Justin Martyr wrote against 



H 



98 



ARTICLE I. 



the Gospel ; as if the greatest light could not appear without a 
shadow. 

Whereas there is no nature originally sinful, no substance 
in itself evil, and therefore no being which may not come 
from the same fountain of goodness. " I formed the light, and 
create darkness ; I make peace, and create evil ; I the Lord 
do all these things," (Isa. xlv. 7.) saith he who also said, " I 
am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no god besides 
me." (Isa. xlv. 5.) Vain then is that conceit which framed 
two gods, one of them called Light, the other Darkness ; one 
good, the other evil ; refuted in the first words of the Creed, 
/ believe in God, maker of heaven and earth. 

But as we have already proved that one God to be the Fa- 
ther, so must we yet farther shew that one God the Father to 
be the Maker of the World. In which there is no difficulty at 
all : the whole Church at Jerusalem hath sufficiently declared 
this truth in their devotions. Lord, thou art God which hast 
made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is : 
against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both 
Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of 
Israel were gathered together." (Acts iv. 24. 27.) Jesus then 
was the child of that God which made the heaven and the 
earth, and consequently the Father of Christ is the Creator of 
the World. 

We know that Christ is the light of the Gentiles by his own 
interpretation ; we are assured likewise that his Father gave 
him, by his frequent assertion : we may then as certainly con- 
clude that the Father of Christ is the Creator of the World, by 
the prophet's express prediction : " For thus saith God the 
Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he 
which spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it ; 
I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold 
thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of 
the people, for a light of the Gentiles." (Isa. xlii. 5, 6.) 

And now this great facility may seem to create the greater 
difficulty : for being the apostles teach us, that the Son made 
all things, and the prophets that by the Spirit they were pro- 
duced, how can we attribute that peculiarly in the Creed 



him. Hist. 1. iv. c. 11. Irenseus relates 
how he spake with Polycarpus bishop of 
Smyrna, who was taught by the apostles, 
and conversed with divers who saw our 
Saviour, 1. iii. c. 3. Neither was Marcion 
the first who taught it at Rome, for he re- 
ceived it from Cerdon. * Habuit et Cer- 
donem quendam informatorem scandali 
hujus, quo facilius duos Deos cseci existi- 
maverunt.' adv. Marcion. 1. i. c. 2. This 
Cerdon succeeded Heracleon, and so at 
last this heresy may be reduced to the 
Gnostics, who derived it from the old gen- 



tile philosophers, and might well be em- 
braced by Manes in Persia, because it 
was the doctrine of the Persian Magi, as 
Aristotle testifieth. 'AgKTTOTEXn? Iv ir^sira) 
'TTSpl <piXo(To^iag y.ai 7rpBa-$VTBpov?(^'rcvi Mayovq) 
simi Toov AlyuTTTiouv , nal ^vo nar avrou? sTvai 
"fPC*'' ^y^^^v iaifxova. xai nanlv ^alfxova. 
Laert. in Proamio, p. 2. And this deriva- 
tion is well observed by Timotheus, pres- 
byter of Constantinople, speaking thus of 
Manes : nagi Si Ma^xi'wvo? x-oi toiv tt^o Ixhi'vcv 
aic-^^OTToiZv nai ^uaTsBuiv nairaov Kara nspci'S* 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 99 



unto the Father, which in the Scriptures is assigned indiffe- 
rently to the Son and to the Spirit ? Two reasons may par- 
ticularly be rendered of this peculiar attributing the work of 
the creation to the Father. First, in respect of those here- 
sies arising in the infancy of the Church, which endeavoured 
to destroy this truth, and to introduce another creator of the 
World, distinguished from the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 
An error so destructive to the Christian religion, that it raseth 
even the foundations of the Gospel, which refers itself wholly 
to the promises in the Law, and pretends to no other god, but 
that God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob ; acknowledg- 
eth no other speaker by the Son, than him that spake by the 
prophets : and therefore whom Moses and the prophets call 
Lord of heaven and earth, of him our blessed Saviour signifies 
himself to be the Son, rejoicing in spirit, and saying, " I thank 
thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth." (Luke x. 21.) 
Secondly, in respect of the paternal priority in the Deity, by 
reason whereof that which is common to the Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, may be rather attributed to the Father, as the 
first person in the Trinity. In which respect the apostle hath 
made a distinction in the phrase of emanation or production : 
'*To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, 
and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all 
things, and we by him." (1 Cor. viii. 6.) And our Saviour 
hath acknowledged, **The Son can do nothing of himself, but 
what he seeth the Father do." (John v. 19.) which speaketh 
some kind of priority in action, according to that of the person. 
And in this sense the Church did always profess to believe in 
God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth.* 

The great necessity of professing our faith in this particular 
appeareth several w^ays, as indispensably tending to the illus- 
tration of God's glory, the humiliation of mankind, the provo- 
cation to obedience, the aversion from iniquity, and all con- 
solation in our duty. 

God is of himself infinitely glorious, because his perfections 
are absolute, his excellences indefective, and the splendour 
of his glory appeareth unto us in and through the works of 
his hands. The invisible things of him from the creation of 
the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things 
that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead." (Rom. i. 

20. ) For ^' He hath made the earth by his power, he hath es- 
tablished the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out 
the heavens by his discretion." (Jer. x. 12. li. 15.) After a 
long enumeration of the wonderful works of the creation, the 
Psalmist breaketh forth into this pious meditation, " O Lord, 

* * Stahat fides semper in Creatore et rum ecclesias editur. Nullam autem apo- 
Christo ejus.' Tei'tnll. adv. Marcion. 1. i. c. stolici census ecclesiam invenias quje non 

21. • Non alia agnoscenda erit traditio in Creatore cbristianizet.' Ibid. 
Apostolorum, quam quae hodie apud ipso- 

h2 



100 



ARTICLE I. 



how manifold are thy works ! in wisdom hast thou made them 
all." (Psal. civ. 24.) If then the glory of God be made apparent 
by the creation. If he have ^* made all things for himself," (Prov. 
xvi. 4.) that is, for the manifestation of his glorious attributes, 
if the '^Lord rejoiceth in his works," because his glory shall 
endure for ever." (Psalm, civ. 31.) then is it absolutely neces- 
sary we should confess him Maker of heaven and earth, that we 
may sufficiently praise and glorify him. Let them praise 
the name of the Lord," saith David, ** for his name alone is 
excellent, his glory is above the earth and heaven." (Psal. 
cxlviii. 13.) Thus did the Levites teach the children of Israel 
to glorify God : Stand up and bless the Lord your God for 
ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is 
exalted above all blessing and phase. Thou, even thou, art 
Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, 
with all their hosts, the earth, and all things that are therein." 
(Neh. ix. 5, 6.) And the same hath St. Paul taught us : *' For 
of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom 
be glory for ever. Amen." (Rom. xi. 36.) Furthermore, that 
we may be assured that he which made both heaven and earth 
will be glorified in both, the prophet calls upon all those ce- 
lestial hosts to bear their part in his hymn : " Praise ye him 
all his angels, praise ye him all his hosts. Praise ye him sun 
and moon, praise ye him all ye stars of light. Praise him ye 
heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. 
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded, and 
they were created." (Psal. cxlviii. 2 — 5.) And the twenty-four 
elders in the Revelation of St. John " fall down before him 
that sitteth on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever 
and ever, and cast their crowns," the emblems of their bor- 
rowed and derived glories, " before the throne," the seat of 
infinite and eternal majesty, " saying, Thou art worthy, O 
Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power : for thou hast 
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were 
created." (Rev. iv. 10, 11.) Wherefore, if the heavens declare 
the glory of God," (Psal. xix. 1.) "and all his works praise 
him," then ''shall his saints bless him, they shall speak of the 
glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power." (Psal. cxlv. 10, 
11.) And if man be silent, God will speak ; while we through 
ingratitude will not celebrate, he himself will declare it, and 
promulgate : *' 1 have made the earth, the man and the beast 
that are upon the ground, by my great power, and by my out- 
stretched arm." (Jer. xxvii. 5.) 

Secondly, The doctrine of the World's creation is most pro- 
perly effectual towards man's humiliation. As there is nothing 
more destructive to humanity than pride, and yet not any thing 
to which we are more prone than that ; so nothing can be more 
properly applied to abate the swelling of our proud concep- 
tions, than a due consideration of the other works of God, 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 101 



with a sober reflection upon our own original. "When I con- 
sider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the 
stars which thou hast ordained (Psal. viii. 3.) when I view 
those glorious apparent bodies with my eye, and by the ad- 
vantage of a glass find great numbers, before beyond the 
power of my sight, and from thence judge there may be many 
millions more, which neither eye nor instrument can reach; 
when I contemplate those far more glorious spirits, the inha- 
bitants of the heavens, and attendants on thy throne : I cannot 
but break forth into that admiration of the prophet, "What is 
man, that thou art mindful of him ?" What is that offspring of 
the earth, that dust and ashes? What is that son of man, that 
thou visitest him V (Psal. viii. 4.) What is there in the pro- 
geny of an ejected and condemned father, that thou shouldst 
look down from heaven, the place of thy dwelling, and take 
care or notice of him ? But if our original ought so far to 
humble us, how should our fall abase us ? That of all the 
creatures which God made, we should comply with him who 
first opposed his Maker, and would be equal unto him from 
whom he new received his being. All other works of God, 
which we think inferior to us, because not furnished with the 
light of understanding, or endued with the power of election, 
are in a happy impossibility of sinning, and so offending of 
their Maker : the glorious spirits which attend upon the throne 
of God, once in a condition of themselves to fall, now by the 
grace of God preserved, and placed beyond all possibility of 
sinning, are entered upon the greatest happiness, of which the 
workmanship of God is capable : but men, the sons of fallen 
Adam, and sinners after the similitude of him, of all the crea- 
tures are the only companions of those angels which left their 
own habitations," (Jude ver. 6.) and are delivered into chains 
of darkness to be reserved unto judgment." (2 Pet. ii. 4.) How 
should a serious apprehension of our own corruption, mingled 
with the thoughts of our creation, humble us in the sight of 
him, whom we alone of all the creatures by our unrepented 
sins drew unto repentance ? How can we look without con- 
fusion of face upon that monument of our infamy, recorded by 
Moses, who first penned the original of humanity, ** It repented 
the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved 
him at his heart?" (Gen. vi 6.) 

Thirdly, This doctrine is properly efficacious and produc- 
tive of most cheerful and universal obedience. It made the 
prophet call for the commandments of God, and earnestly 
desire to know what he should obey. Thy hands have made 
me and fashioned me : give me understanding that I may learn 
thy commandments." (Psal. cxix. 73.) By virtue of our first 
production, God hath undeniably absolute dominion over us, 
and consequently there must be due unto him the most exact 
and complete obedience from us. Which reason will appear 



102 



ARTICLE L 



more convincing, if we consider of all the creatures which 
have been derived from the same fountain of God's goodness, 
none ever disobeyed his voice but the devil and man, ** Mine 
hand/' saith he, "hath laid the foundation of the earth, and 
my right hand hath spanned the heavens ; when I call unto 
them they stand up together." (Isa. xlviii. 13.) The most 
loyal and obedient servants which stand continually before 
the most illustrious prince are not so ready to receive and 
execute the commands of their sovereign lord, as all the hosts 
of heaven and earth to attend upon the will of their Creator, 
** Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these 
things, that bringeth out their hosts by number : he calleth 
them all by names, by the greatness of his might, for that he 
is strong in power, not one faileth," (Isa. xl. 26.) but every 
one maketh his appearance, ready pressed to observe the de- 
signs of their commander-in-chief. Thus the Lord commanded 
and '*they fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought 
against Sisera.** (Judg. v. 20.) He *' commanded the ravens to 
feed Elias, and they brought him bread and flesh in the morn- 
ing, and bread and flesh in the evening;" (1 Kings xvii. 4. 6.) 
and so one prophet lived merely upon the obedience of the 
fowls of the air. He spake to the devouring whale, and it 
vomited out Jonah upon the dry land/' (Jonah ii. 10.) and so 
another prophet was delivered from the jaws of death by the 
obedience of the fishes of the sea. Do we not read of ** fire 
and hail, snow and vapour, stormy wind, fulfilling his word 
(Psal. cxlviii. 8.) Shall there be a greater coldness in man 
than in the snow ? More vanity in us than in a vapour ? More 
inconstancy than in the wind ? If the universal obedience of 
the creature to the will of the Creator cannot move us to the 
same aff*ection and desire to serve and please him, they will 
all conspire to testify against us and condemn us, when God 
shall call unto them saying, Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O 
earth, for the Lord hath spoken : I have nourished and brought 
up children, and they have rebelled against me." (Isa. i. 2.) 

Lastly, The creation of the World is of most necessary me- 
ditation for the consolation of the servants of God in all the 
variety of their conditions ; " Happy is he whose hope is in 
the Lord his God, which made heaven and earth, the sea, and 
all that therein is." (Psal. cxlvi. 5, 6.) This happiness cori- 
sisteth partly in a full assurance of his power to secure us, his 
ability to satisfy us. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness 
thereof, the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath 
founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods." 
(Psal. xxiv. 1, 2.) By virtue of the first production he hath a 
perpetual right unto, and power to dispose of, all things : and 
he who can order and dispose of all, must necessarily be es- 
teemed able to secure and satisfy any creature. " Hast thou 
not known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the 



MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 



103 



Lord, the Creator of ihe ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither 
is weary ?" (Isa. xl. 28.) There is no external resistance or op- 
position where Omnipotency worketh, no internal weakness or 
defection of power where the Almighty is the agent ; and con- 
sequently there remaineth a full and firm persuasion of his 
ability in all conditions to preserve us. Again, this happiness 
consisteth partly in a comfortable assurance, arising from this 
meditation, of the will of God to protect and succour us, of his 
desire to preserve and bless us. " My help cometh from the 
Lord, who made heaven and earth : he will not suffer thy foot 
to be moved," (Psal. cxxi. 2, 3.) saith the prophet David ; at 
once expressing the foundation of his own expectancy and our 
security. " God will not despise the work of his hands," (Job 
X. 3.) neither will he suffer the rest of his creatures to do the 
least injury to his own image. *' Behold (saith he,) I have 
created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that 
bringeth forth an instrument for his work. No weapon that is 
formed against thee shall prosper. This is the heritage of the 
servants of the Lord." (Isa. liv. 16, 17.) 

Wherefore to conclude our explication of the first Article, 
and to render a clear account of the last part thereof ; that 
every one may understand what it is I intend, when I make 
confession of my faith in the Maker of Heaven and Earth, I do 
truly profess, that I really believe, and am fully persuaded, 
that both heaven and earth and all things contained in them 
have not their being of themselves, but were made in the be- 
ginning ; that the manner by which all things were made was 
by mediate or immediate creation ; so that antecedently to 
all things beside, there was at first nothing but God, who 
produced most part of the World merely out of nothing, and 
the rest out of that which was formerly made of nothing. 
This I believe was done by the most free and voluntary act 
of the will of God, of which no reason can be alleged, no 
motive assigned, but his goodness ; performed by the deter- 
mination of his will at that time which pleased him, most 
probably within one hundred and thirty generations of men, 
most certainly within not more than six, or at farthest seven, 
thousand years. I acknowledge this God, Creator of the 
World, to be the same God who is the Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ : and in this full latitude, I believe in God 
THE Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. 



i04 



ARTICLE II. 
And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 

The second Article of the Creed presents unto us, as the 
object of our faith, the second person of the blessed Trinity ; 
that as in the Divinity there is nothing intervening between 
the Father and the Son, so that immediate union might be 
perpetually expressed by a constant conjunction in our Chris- 
tian confession. And that upon no less authority than of 
** the Author and Finisher of our Faith," (Heb. xii. 2.) who in 
the persons of the apostles gave this command to us, *' Ye 
believe in God, believe also in me.'' (John xiv. 1.) Nor 
speaketh he this of himself, but from the Father who sent 
him: for ** this is his commandment, that we should believe 
on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." (1 John iii. 23.) Ac- 
cording therefore to the Son's prescription, the Father's in- 
junction, and the sacramental institution, as we are baptized, 
so do we* believe in the name of the Father, and the Son. 

Our blessed Saviour is here represented under a threefold 
description : first, by his nomination, as Jesus Christ; secondly, 
by his generation, as the only Son of God ; thirdly, by his do- 
minion, as our Lord. 

But when I refer Jesus Christ to the nomination of our 
Saviour, because he is in the Scriptures promiscuously and 
indifferently sometimes called Jesws, sometimes Christ, I would 
be understood so as not to make each of them equally, or in 
like propriety, his name. " His name was called Jesus, which 
was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the 
womb (Luke ii. 21.) who is also called Christ," (Matt. i. 16.) 
not hyf name, but by office and title. Which observation, 
seemingly trivial, is necessary for the full explication of this 
part of the Article : for by this distinction we are led unto a 
double notion, and so resolve our faith into these two proposi- 
tions, * 1 believe there was and is a man, whose name was ac- 
tually, and is truly in the most high importance, Jesus, the 
Saviour of the world.' ' I believe the man who bare that name 



* ' Eadem regula veritatis docet nos 
credere post Patrem etiam in Filium Dei, 
Christum Jesum, Dominum Deum nos- 
trum, sed Dei Filium ; hujus Dei qui et 
unus et solus est, con di tor scilicet rerum 
omnium.' Novat. de Trinit. c. 9. 

t ' Si tamen nomen est Christus, et 
non appellatio potius ; Unctus enim sig- 
nificatur. Unctus autem non magis no- 
men est, quam vestitus, quam calceatus, 
accidens nomini res.' Tertull. adv. Prax, 
c. 28. * Quorum nominum alterum est 
proprium, quod ab Angelo impositum est j 



alterum accidens, quod ab unctione con- 
venit.' Ibid. ' Christus commune digni- 
tatis est nomen, Jesus proprium vocabu- 
lum Salvatoris.' 5. Hieron.in Matt. xvi. 
20. * Jesus inter homines nominatur ; 
nam Chnst us non proprium nomen est, sed 
nuncupatio potestatis et regni.' Lactan, 
de ver. Sap. I. iv. c. 7. * Dum dicitur 
Cliristus, commune nomen dignitatis est ; 
dum Jesus Christus, proprium vocabulum 
Salvatoris est.' Isidor. Orig. 1. vii. c. 2. 
'incroUj Ku'KsXrai <p£fct)vvfA.uq, S, Cyril. Ca- 
tech. 10. 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



105 



to be the Christ, that is, the Messias promised of old by God, 
and expected by the Jews.' 

For the first, it is undoubtedly the proper name of our Sa- 
viour, given unto him, according to the custom of the Jev^^s, at 
his circumcision: and as the Baptist was called John, even so 
the Christ was called Jesus. Beside, as the imposition was 
after the vulgar manner, so was the name itself of ordinary 
use. We read in the Scriptures of Jesus which was called 
Justus," a fellow-worker with St. Paul; (Col. iv. 11.) and of 
a " certain sorcerer, a Jew, whose name was=^ Barjesus/' 
(Acts xiii. 6.) that is, the son of Jesus. Josephus, in his His- 
tory, mentioneth one Jesus the son of Ananus, another the son 
of Saphates, a third the son of Judas, slain in the temple : 
and many of the high- priests, or priests, were called by that 
name ; as the son of Damnseus, of Gamaliel, of Onias, of 
Phabes, and of Thebuth. Ecclesiasticus is called the Wisdom 
of Jesus the son of Sirach, and that Sirach the son of another 
Jesus. St. Stephen speaks of the " tabernacle of witness 
brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles 
(Acts vii. 44, 45.) and the Apostle in his explication of those 
words of David, "To-day if you will hear his voice," (Psal. 
xcv. 7.) observeth that, " if Jesus had given them rest, then 
would he not afterwards have spoken of another day." (Heb. 
iv. 8.) Which two Scriptures being undoubtedly understood 
of Joshua, the son of Nun, teach us as infallibly that Jesus is 
the same name with Joshua. Which being at the firstf impo- 
sition in the full extent of pronunciation Jehoshua, in process 
of time contracted to Jeshuah, by the omission of the last 
letter (strange and difficult to other languages), and by the 
addition of the Greek termination, became Jesus. 

Wherefore it will be necessary, for the proper interpretation 
of Jesus, to look back upon the first that bare that name, who 
was the son of Nun, of the tribe of Ephraim, the successor of 
Moses, and so named by him, as it is written, "and Moses 
called Oshea, the son of Nun, Jehoshuah." (Num. xiii. 16.) 
His first name, then, imposed at his circumcision, was Oshea, 
or Hoshea; the same with the name of the ** son of Azaziah, 
ruler of Ephraim," (I Chron. xxvii. 20.) of the *' son of Elah, 
king of Israel," (2 Kings xvii. 1.) of the " son of Beeri, the 
prophet (Hos. i. 1.) and the interpretation of this first name 



* * Habuit et Judzea quosdam Jesus, 
quorum vacuis gloriatur vocabulis. 111a 
enim nec lucent, nec pascunt, nec me- 
dentur.' Bernard, in Cant. Serm. xv. 

t First yinn" as generally in the books 
of Moses, in Joshua, Judges, Samuel, the 
Kings, yea even in Haggai and Zecha- 
riah : then contracted into ];w, as in the 
1 Chron. xxiv. 11. 2 Chron. xxxi. 15. and 
constantly in Ezra and Nehemiah. Next 



the last letter j; was but lightly pro- 
nounced, as appears by the Greek trans- 
lation, 1 Chron. vii. 27. where yunn* is 
rendered in the Roman and Alexandrian 
copies 'UirovB, in the Aldus and Complu- 
tensian editions 'laxrns, and by Eusebius, 
who expresseth it truer than those copies, 
'laia-ove. At last y was totally left out 
both in the pronunciation and the writing, 
and the whole name of Joshua contracted 
to lir*. 



106 



ARTICLE II. 



Hoshea* is Saviour, Now we must not imagine this to bef no 
mutation, neither must we look upon it as a J total alteration, 
but observe it as a change not trivial or § inconsiderable. 
And being Hoshea was a name afterwards used by some, and 
Jehoshua, as distinct, by others, it will necessarily follow, 
there was some difference between these two names ; and it 
will be fit to inquire what was the addition, and in what the 
force of the alteration doth consist. 

First, therefore, we observe that all the original letters in 
the name || Hoshea are preserved in that of Joshua ; from 
whence it is evident, that this alteration was not made by a 
verbal mutation, as when Jacob was called Israel, nor by any 
literal change, as when Sarai was named Sarah, nor yet by 
diminution or mutilation ; but by addition, as when Ahram 



* ' Osee in lingua nostra Salvatorem 
sonat, quod nomen habuit etiam Josue 
filius Nun, antequam ei a Deo vocabulum 
mutaretur.' S. Hier. in Osee, c. i. 1. et 
1. i. adv. Jovinianum, col. 474. I read 
indeed of other interpretations among the 
Greeks, no good expositors of the Hebrew 
names : as in an ancient MS. of the LXX. 
Translation of the Prophets, now in the 
library of Cardinal Barberini, at the be- 
ginning of Hosea, 'Sla-ns, KvTrovfASvoi;, and 
again, 'ilcrjjl, asa-Ms-fASvog, h cruirxta^^twv. (Of 
which the first and last are far from the 
original : and the middle agreeable with 
the root, not with the conjugation, as 
being deduced from yw" not in Niphal, 
but in Hiphil.) And in another MS. of 
the Prophets in the King's Library at St. 
James's, 'I2«r«£, a-mal^oov , v <pvXa.^, and 
again, 'Sls-nl, ep/x. o-M^ofxsvog, which is the 
interpretation inserted into Hesychius ; 
in whom for 'n.(rrip we must read 'nTtiv 
and so I suppose Salmasius intended it, 
though the Holland edition hath made 
bis emendation 'Sla-y-s. 

+ As the Samaritan Pentateuch makes 
it the same name, which he was first 
named, and which he had afterwards ; 
as if Moses had only called Oshea, Oshea. 

^ So Justin Martyr speaks of Hosea 
as fxsrovo{xa,c-$ievTog tS 'iria-ov ovo/xari. And 
comparing it with that alteration of Ja- 
cob's name : to iiTMVVfxov ^anooQ rm 'lo-^arfK 
l7rixX)9&£yTt l^oQn, nal rS Ava-n ovofxa 'l»j(roS; 
s7Te)tXh6r)' where, to pass by his mistake in 
supposing him first named Israel, and 
after called Jacob, he makes the altera- 
tion of Hosea to Joshua equal to that of 
Jacob to Israel. Dial, cum Tryph. p. 
300. 334, 338. 340. The reason whereof 
was the Greek version of the name, who 
for Hoseah translated it Avfn?* Ivaivofxaa-e 
Mcuvj-K? Tov Avctj vlov Naun, 'ivo'ovv. Numb. 
xiii. 16. ' Dum Moysi successor desti- 
naretur Auses filius Nave, transfertur 
certe de pristino nomine, et incipit vocari 



Jesus.* Tertull. adv. Jud. c. 9. et adv. 
Marcion. 1. iii. c. 16. * Igitur Moyses his 
administratis Ausem quendam nomine 
praeponens populo, qui eos revocaret ad 
patriam terram.' S. Clem. Rom. 1. i. 
Recogn. §.38. * Qui cum primum Auses 
vocaretur, Moses jussit eum Jesum vo- 
cari.' Lactan. de vera Sap. 1. iv. c. 17. 
Ou •x^OTSpov yovv (^Mcuva^c^ rov avrov Sja'So- 
^ov Tn ToD 'UtoZ Ke^^^fxsvov TTgoo-tjyopi'ct, ovo- 
fxart Se ETEpw TM Ava-r), oTTep oi yi\vhcra\Tiq 
avro) TiQiivrai, Kahovfjttvov , 'IjjcoiIv avTog avtt- 
yo^svsi, Enseb. EccL Hist, 1. i. c. 3. Thus 
was the Hosea something disguised by 
Auses, and was farther estranged yet by 
those who frequently called him Hava-ni, 
as Euseb. Demonstr. Evang. 1. v, c. 17. 
thrice. 

§ This Justin Martyr charges upon the 
Jews as neglected by them, and affirms 
the reason why they received not Jesus 
for the Christ, was their not observing 
the alteration of Hosea, into Joshua or 
Jesus: Ava-nv )i.a.\ovfxivov 'itjcroUv Mwir?? Ixa- 
XsiTg, TovTO (TV ov ^flTET?" w oirtav Irroina-ev, 
ovK aTfo^iiq, oh^l (pi'ko'STSva-rBig, Toiya^ovv Xl- 
Xnflg ere 0 XptfTTo?, Kcti avayiyvctis-nm oh crvvirig. 
Dial, cum Tryph. p. 340. And whereas 
they spake much of the change made in 
the names of Abram and Sarai, which 
were but of a letter, they took no notice 
of this total alteration of the name ; so 
he : At* rl fxh ev a\<^a. tt^mtoo wpotriTS^t] 
w 'A^paajtt ovofxari ^^eoXoyeXi; , Kai 5ia t/ ev 
pa5 rS lafipag ovofxari ofxoiMg KOfX7fo\oyi7g ; 5ta 
Tt ^e TO <7rarp6^ev ovo/xa rS Ava-n rS ui'oS Naun 
o'\ov fAzrcovofxaij^Tai tS 'lucroD, ov ^jjteT? ; ibid. 
Where, to pass by the vulgar mistake of 
the Greeks, who generally deliver the ad- 
dition of a in the name of Abraham, and 
p in the name of Sarah, when the first 
was an addition of n, the second a change 
of * into n, he would make that of Hosea 
into Jesus a far more considerable altera- 
tion than that of Abraham, or of Sarah. 

11 vvrin' yirin 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



107 



was called Abraham. Secondly, it must be confessed that 
there is but one literal addition, and that of that letter which is 
most frequent in the Hebrew names : but being thus solemnly 
added by Moses, upon so remarkable an occasion as the view- 
ing of the land of Canaan was, and that unto a name already 
known, and after used ; it cannot be thought to give any less 
than a ^present designation of his person to be a Saviour of 
the people, and future certainty of salvation included in his 
name unto the Israelites by his means. Thirdly, though the 
number of the letters be augmented actually but to one, yet it 
is not improbable that another may be virtually added, and in 
the signification understood. For being the first letter of 
Hoshea will not endure a duplication, and if the same letter 
were to be added, one of them must be absorbed ; it is possi- 
ble another of the same might be by Moses intended, and one 
of them suppressed. If then unto the name Hoshea we join 
one of the titles of God, which is Jah, there will result from 
both, by the custom of that Hebrew tongue, Jehoshua, and so 
not only the f instrumental, but also the original cause of the 



* For it may well be thought that * is 
added to make the name yunn" the same 
with the third person of the future in 
Hiphil, jrunn". For although n the cha- 
racteristical letter of the conjugation 
Hiphil be excluded in the future tense, 
and so the regular word be ym- fre- 
quently in use ; yet sometimes it is ex- 
pressed, as it is used, 1 Sam. xvii. 47. 
mn- Tttnn'' n-^nm ainn ab And all the 

assembly shall know that the Lord saveth 
(or will save) not with sword and spear : 
and Psal. cxvi. 6. yunn* "bi "prhi I was 
brought low, and he helped me. And al- 
though there be another ^ in the future 
than in the name, yet being it is also 
found sometimes with the lesser Chiric, 
and so without the latter or without 
any Chiric at all, as frequently with the 
addition of 1, yun-l, there is no reason, 
but yunns the name of the son of Nun, 
may be of the same force, as consisting 
of the same letters with the third person 
of the future in Hiphil. Again, being * 
added to the future, as formative thereof, 
stands in the place of 1 (for the avoiding 
of confusion with i conjunctive) which is 
nothing else than the abbreviation of 
Nin, we may well assign at least this em- 
phasis to the mutation which Moses 
made : that whereas before there was 
nothing but salvation barely in his name, 
now there is no less than he shall save in 
which the Kin or - is a peculiar designa- 
tion of the person, and the shall or tense 
a certainty of the futurition. Thus will 
the design of Moses appear to be nothing 
else but a prediction or confirmation of that 
which was not before, but by way of de- 



sire or omination ; and this only by chang- 
ing the imperative into the future, ynn 
serva, the expectation of the people, into 
yunn'' servabit, the ratification of Moses. 

t So did the ancients understand it ■ 
to the Greeks Jesus is a-oern^ioy Qzov, to the 
Latins, Salvator Dei. So Eusebius De- 
monstr. Evang. 1. iv. ad Jinem. 'Ettei 
trairh^iov &£ov etj tw 'EXXa'Sa (pMvtiv to toI; 
'ifliToD fxera'ktt<p^tv ovofxa a-nfxaUet. 'l(Tova 

'wa^a Toig aiiToig Ituirovs ovo/xci^erai' 'lascrove 
Jl l<rT»v \aa} eriorn^ia., toSt' 'ia-ri, Qtov a-oorh- 
^lov. Where nothing can be more cer- 
tain than that 'laat is taken for the name 
of God, and 'law s-turri^ia, together, the sal- 
vation of God. And yet Theophylact has 
strangely mistaken it, Matt. i. 1. To 'l>j- 
croug ovo/xa oup^ 'EXX»ivixoy lo-riv, aXX' 'E0^ai- 
xov, IpfxwsvETcti traiTYi^, 'letoj ya^ h a-oornpia 
ntap 'E|3f«ioi? xiyBrar which words seem 
plainly to signify that Jesus is interpreted 
Saviour, because 'laoo in the Hebrew 
tongue signifieth salvation. I confess the 
words may be strained to the same sense 
with those of Eusebius, but not without 
some force, and contrary to what he 
seemeth to intend. Especially consider- 
ing those which followed him in the same 
mistake, as Bloschopulus wept a-x^^^v, 
p. 6. 'incovQ o.'rro tov 'lao) yivinrat, o S'nXo? 
<7rap 'E0pct'iots rhv a-oorrj^iav. Whereas 'letoj 
in Eusebius is certainly no other than 
mn", and 'icroua than nyw*, and so 'lojs-oui 
contracted of 'law ^la-ova, the salvation of 
God. Nor is this only the opinion of 
Eusebius, but of St. Jerome, a man much 
better acquainted with the Hebrew lan- 
guage; who on the first chapter of Hosea, 



108 



ARTICLE II. 



Jews* deliverance will be found expressed in one word; as if 
Moses had said, ' This is the person by whom God will save 
his people from their enemies/ 

Now being we have thus declared that J'e^Ms is the same 
name with Joshua ; being the name of Joshua was first imposed 
by divine designation, as a certain prediction of the fulfilling 
to the Israelites, by the person which bare the name, all which 
was signified by the name ; being Jesus was likewise named 
by a more immediate imposition from heaven, even by the mi- 
nistration of an angel : it followeth, that we believe he was in- 
fallibly designed by God to perform unto the sons of men 
whatsoever is implied in his nomination. As therefore in 
Hoshea there was expressed salvation, in Joshua at least was 
added the designation of that single person to save, with cer- 
tainty of preservation, and probably even the name of God, 
by whose appointment and power he was made a Saviour ; so 
shall we find the same in Jesus. In the first salutation, the 
angel Gabriel told the blessed Virgin, she should " conceive 
in her womb, and bring forth a son, and should call his name 
Jesus." (Luke i. 31.) In the dream of Joseph the angel of 
the Lord informed him not only of the nomination, but of the 
interpretation or etymology "thou shalt call his name 
Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." (Matt, 
i. 21.) In which words is clearly expressed the designation of 
the person He, and the futurition of salvation certain by him. 
He shall save. Beside that other addition of the name of God, 
propounded in Joshua as probable, appeareth here in some 
degree above probability, and that for two reasons. First, 
Because it is not barely said that He, but as the original raiseth 
it, He himself shall saveA Joshua saved Israel not by his own 
power, not of himself, but God by him ; neither saved he his 
own people, but the people of God : whereas Jesus himself, by 
his own power, the power of God, shall save his own people, 
the people of God. Well therefore may we understand the 
interpretation of his name to be God the Saviour. Secondly, 
Immediately upon the prediction of the name of Jesus, and 
the interpretation given by the angel, the evangelist expressly 
observeth, All this was done that it might be fulfilled which 
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet saying, Behold, a vir- 



shewing that Joshua had first the same 
name with that of the prophet, saith : 
* Non enim (ut male in Graecis codicibus 
legitur et Latinis) Aiise dictus est, quod 
nihil omnino intelligitur, sed Osee, id est, 
Salvator: et additum est ejus nomini Do- 
minus, ut Salvator Domini diceretur.' 
Comment, in Osee, c. i. 1. col. 9. What 
then was it but n- the Dominvs added to 
his name 1 For as in the name of Esaias, 
St. Jerome acknowledges the addition of 
the name of God : ' Interpretatur autem 



Esaias, Salvator Domini ;' Comment, in Is. 
c. i. 1. col. 2. in the same manner did he 
conceive it in the name of Joshua, only 
with this difference, that in the one it 
begins, in the other it concludes the name. 

* ' Jesus Hebraeo Sermone Salvator di- 
citur. Etymologiam ergo nominis ejus 
Evangelista signavit, dicens, Vocabis no- 
men ejus Jesum, quia ipse salvum faciet 
populum suum.' S. Hier. Comment, in 
Matt. c. i. 21. col. 587. 

t Avroi, ipse. 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



109 



gin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they 
shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is God 
with us." (Matt. i. 22, 23.) Several ways have been invented 
to shew the fulfilling of that prophecy, notwithstanding our 
Saviour was not called Emmanuel ; but none can certainly ap- 
pear more proper, than that the sense of Emmanuel should be 
comprehended in the name of Jesus: and what else is God 
with us, than God our Saviour? Well therefore hath the 
evangelist conjoined"^ the prophet and the angel, asserting 
Christ was therefore named Jesus, because it was foretold he 
should be called Emmanuel, the angelical God the Saviour being 
in the highest propriety the prophetical God with us. 

However, the constant Scripture interpretation of this name 
is Saviour. So said the angel of the Lord to the amazed 
shepherds, " Unto you is born this day in the city of David a 
Saviour which is Christ the Lord/' (Luke ii. 11.) So St. Paul 
to the Jews and Gentile proselytes at Antioch, " Of this man's 
seed hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel a 
Saviour, Jesus." (Acts xiii. 23.) Which explication of this sa- 
cred name was not more new or strange unto the world, than 
was the name itself so often used before. For the ancient 
Grecians usually gave it at first as a title to their gods,+ whom 



* BXettej? la-a^iQfXQVi; svnyyeXiff-rov not 
'!rfo<pnrov phosit;, fxsQe^fJirinvofxsvov ya,^ to ^aE^-' 

Suv'Ka)v^£sr7roTnvlfA,<pi'Ko)(^oti^£'iv. Anrlreas Cre- 
tensisin Circumc. p. 30. ed. Combef. 1644. 

t Jupiter, the chief of them, was most 
usually worshipped under this title. Eu- 
ripides makes Amphitryo sitting by his 
altar, which Hercules had built : Bw/uiov 
KaBi^et) TovSs iM'cn^oq Aioq. Here. Fur, 48. 
And Aristophanes introduces Bacchus 
swearing Nv rov aU tov loorripa, Plut. 878. 
as if it were the familiar oath among the 
Athenians, as well it might be, he having 
his temple in their Piraeeum, as Strabo 
testifieth, 1. ix. p. 606. al. 396. (where 
Demosthenes by virtue of a decree was 
to build him an altar. Plut. in Vit. De- 
mosth. j. and his porch in the city, 

which was called indeed vulgarly tov 
'EXsv^eplov Aicf a-roa, yet was it also named 
TOV 2<wTnfo?, as Harpocration and Hesy- 
chius have observed. "Ot» ^£ Iviysy^aTrrai 
f^lv iMTri^, ovofxa^erai S'e Ketl 'EXsuBe^iog, 
SnXoT Kal MEvavSfo,- SO the first. Tmv 
Mn^oov lii<^vy6vrei l^pva-avro tov 'EXsvQs^iov 
At'tt, rovrov SI evioj xai iMrn^a <^a.cri' so the 
latter. As in their oaths, so in their 
feasts they mentioned him always at the 
third cup. Tov fxh tt^mtov Aio? 'OXvfAiriou 
xai Qtoov 'OXvfxTrioov gXeyov, tov Seutejov 
Kfcucav, TOV Se t^i'tov i'aJTrijJoj, sub. Aioj* which 
is omitted in Hesychius, as appears out 
of Athenaeus, 1. ii. c. 2. and xv. c. 5. And 
especially that of Alexis the comedian : 



'aXX' £y)(Eov 

AvTX Afoj ys TwS's loorn^of dsZv 
©v»Tor; ATravrcov x^^na-fAixraToq ttoau 
'O Zeliq 6 lojThp. — Athen. 1. xv. c. 14. 
Pausanias in Corinthiacis, Messenicis, La- 
conicis et Arcadicis, mentions several sta- 
tues and temples anciently dedicated to 
Jupiter, sTrUxrurtv lajTr^fi. Of which title 
Cornutus in his book De natura Deorinn 
gives this account : Kara tov ysvvSjvTa ia-ri 
nai TO a-M^eiv a ysvva, ital tov Ajo? IvteSSev 
iMTn^of ehai y^eyofxivou. And though this 
title was so generally given to Jupiter, 
as that Hesychius expounds Icarh^, 6 Zeyj, 
yet was it likewise attributed to the other 
gods: as Herodotus relates how the Gre- 
cians in their naval war against the Per- 
sians made their vows Tloa-siUoovi liwr^pj, 
and that they preserved the title to Nep- 
tune in his days, 1, vii. c. 192. And Ar- 
temidorus takes notice that Castor and 
Pollux are taken for the ©eoj l.oorv^e<;, 
whom the poem, bearing the name of 
Orpheus to Musfeus, calls, v. 21. 

MiyaXovg (Tcarri^aq, Ofxov A(0j aipQira rinva- 
as the hymn of Homer, v. 6. 

2<WT«paj T£X£ TraTSa? £7r(p(;^9ovi.'(WV avSja-TTiWV, 

'^KUTTO^OOV TE V£i£v 

and Theocritus in the Idyllion on them, 
V. 6. 

' AvBpooTroov a-xrr.^ai Itt) ^v^ov n^n iovrcuv. 
Hence Lucian in Alejandro useth it as 
their constant title, aXe^ixaMg 'H^axXEi?, 

Hal ZEU aTTOTpOTTfliE, Ha] AlOS-HOVpOl CTfWTWfEf. 

Neither have we mention of the title only. 



110 



ARTICLE II. 



after any remarkable preservations they styled saviours, and 
under that notion built temples, and consecrated altars to them. 
ISor did they rest with their mistaken piety, but made it stoop 
unto their baser flattery, calling those men their saviours'^ for 
whom they seemed to have as great respect and honour as for 
their gods. 

Nor does it always signify so much as that it may not be 
attributed to man : for even in the Scriptures the Judges of 
Israel were called no less than their saviours. *' When the 
children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised up a 



but of tlie original and occasion of it. 
For when Castor and Pollux thrust the 
sons of Theseus out of Athens, and made 
Menestheus king, he gave them first this 
name : ^la TaZra TrpSroj o VLincrQivi; avaxTa? 
T£ xa; «raiT«ptt? uvifxaa-e. ^Han, Var. Hist. 
1. 4. c. 5. Beside these, we read in the 
ancient inscriptions: 'Aa-KXnTriS Qbm locrri^i' 
and again : 'AtrxXJiTTJM x,ai 'Tyeia SarHgcri. 
For as they had their female deities, so 
did the\' attribute this title to their god- 
desses, and that both in the masculine 
and the feminine gender. As to Venus, 

'A<|)^oSi't>i ©Si* Uavayctba] Kol I,oorri^i' to 
Diana, 'A^rkfxi^i loorii^t, as the same col- 
lection of inscriptions hath it. Thus Phe- 
recrates, 'Hyovfxs^a. t»?? iroXeaii; bTvcli Tavraq 
liWTjJga?, and Sophocles, Tvx,"^ ys rSb; 
Icarri^i. (Ed. Tyr. 80. Thus the epigram 
extant in Suidas, 

C>a;cr<f>6po?, oS laiTli^', Im naXXaSof IcrraS't 

Ov^EV nrrov xaXEiVov s-wrri^a ncCi a'KB^iytaiiov 
•jT^ocrriyo^zvov. Tlieodoret. Serm. viii. 595. of 
Hercules. The Bseenses, an ancient peo- 
ple in Peloponnesus, "Aprs/xiv ovofxilova-i 
idirtipav. Pans. 171 LaconiciSfC. 22. Jin. Her 
temple and statue in the city Troezen was 
built and named by Theseus at his safe re- 
turn from Crete. The Megarenses pre- 
served by her from the Persians, sttI toSs 
c-ooTsi^ag ayaXfjia eTroinTctvro 'AfTSfxi^og' and 
upon the same occasion another of the 
same bigness set up at Pag?e. Idem. But 
this title especially was given to Minerva. 
Sx'TEiga h 'aSjjvS 7ra.fi Totj^EXX^fTiv. Hesych. 
"Eo-ti ykp 'aQiivjis-; laoTZifo. Xeyofxiwi, ? nai 
Bvova-i. Schol. Aristoph. in Ranas, 381. Aris- 
totle in his will obliged Nicanor to a dedi- 
cation, Au a-oorripi Kai ^aQwo, o-auTStpj). Luert. 
in Vit. Aristi^t. 1. v. p. 117. And in gene- 
ral they invocated God under the notion 
of 2(WT^p, as Plato in Timaso: &bov U kuI 
vvv ett' a^^ri nrZv XtyofxevctiV criwrJipa cltottov 
»«f <xri9ou5 ^inyrxncct; Ttgoq to tZv elitoroov 
^oyfjcet ^laa-M^itv hfA,a( ETriJcaXEcrajUEVot, waXtv 
af;3^0|M.£&a T^sysiv. p. 341. 

* This was the constant title of the 
first Ptolemy, the son of Lagus, given to 
him by the Rhodians. 'Ov6fA.ara f^h ^ 



xara ra aura, nroXe/ixaToi a-<pts-iv, aXXn 5= 
l7r4jtX»£rif aXXaJ" xai yap ^iXofxriropa, KaXova-i, 
nal <I>iXa5£X<f)0v Brspov,rov Se rov Aayon eronrtipci, 
'TrapaKvroov 'Fo^ionv ro hofxa. Pans. Atticis, 
c. viii. 6. Which name first given him 
by the Rhodians was no way expressed 
in his usage of the Syrians, as is observed 
by Josephus : oog nai rhv Iv^iav avaa-av 
VTTo TLro'Kefxaiov rov Aayou 'Mrn^oq tote 
p^pHjUaTt^ovTOj ra havr'ia Tra^Biv avrov rn 
IrnxKna-Bi. Antiq. Jud. I. xii. c. 1. This 
was so familiar, that Tertullian useth the 
title instead of the name. ' Post eum 
(sc. Alexandrum) regnavit illic in Alex- 
andria Soter annis 35.' Adv. Judceos. c. 
8. Thus Antigonus was first called by 
the Greeks their Els^yirrig, or benefactor, 
then loorh^, or savioiLr : ol fxovov lxpi'9>j Tra^' 
avrov rev xai^ov Evepysrnq, aXXa Kal fXZra'K- 
Xa^ag, loarr)^. PoLyb, 1. v. 0. 9. Thus we 
read of Demetrius, who restored the A the- 
nians to their liberty : avExpoTi^o-av kcu 
BoMvrsg luiKtvav airo^amiv rov Anfxnrpiov, 
JODrti^a xa) Eve^ysrw avayopivovreg. Pint, 
in Vita, c. ix. And not only so, but num- 
bered Demetrius and Antigonus among 
their Dii Soteres; and instead of their an- 
nual archon, whose name they used in 
their distinction of years, they created a 
priest of these Dii Soteres, as the same 
author testifieth : fxovoi Je ixr^pctg avk- 
ypa-\>av ^iovg, xeil rov WiiivvfJiov yxti iTar^iov 
apyovra. Kara.Ti'ava'avrsg, h^ia Ixrh^cnv £%£t- 
porovovv JtaS'' 'ixas-rov hiaurov. c. x, Appian 
relates of Demetrius that he received this 
title from the Babylonians. Tifxapy^ov 
ETraVKTTttjUEVov avEXoiv, xal raWa Trovn^Zg rr,g 
BctBvhZvog hyov/xsvov, e<p' a> Koi 2(»T>5f ap^a- 
(xivoov roov Ba(3i;Xt)ViW hvo[j,a.s-^r), De Beil. 
Syriac. c- 47. Lucian's mistake in his 
Salutation tells us of 'Avrioyog 6 loorh^, 
and Appian gives us the routing of the 
Gauls as the cause of that title : og naX 
2ci>rh^ iTTSnXriBri VaXarag Ik rvg Ev^mmg Ig 
rhv 'Ao-ifiV IfjL^aXovrag l^e\as-ag. lb. c. 65. 
And in process of time this title grew so 
customary and familiar, that the Sicilians 
bestowed it upon Verres their oppressor. 
* Itaque ilium non solum patrouum istius 
insulje, sed etiam Sotera inscriptum vidi 
Syracusis,' says Cicero, 4. Ven\ c. 63. 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



Ill 



deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even 
Othniel the son of Kenaz." (Judg. iii. 9.) And again, When 
they cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, 
Ehud the son of Gera." (Judg. iii. 15.) Where, though in our 
translation we call Othniel and Ehud deliverers, yet in the 
original they are plainly termed saviours.^ 

Now what the full import and ultimate sense of the title of 
saviour might be, seemed not easy to the ancients : and the 
bestt of the Latins thought the Greek word so pregnant and 
comprehensive, that the Latin tongue had no single word able 
to express it. 

But whatsoever notion the heathen had of their gods or men 
which they styled saviours, we know this name belongeth unto 
Christ in a more sublime and peculiar manner. " Neither is 
there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under 
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." (Acts iv. 12.) 

It remaineth therefore that we should explain how and for 
what reason Christ truly is, and properly is called, our Saviour. 
First, then, I conceive, one sufficient cause of that appellation 



* Heb. bui^v" "31"? ywnQ mn- Dp"! 
DiJ-lT)"!. So the Septuagint clearly : Kat 
nysi^s nv^ioq loorrj^a, rrf 'itrpa^X, Hal ea-ooasv 
avrovQ, Tov To^ovink vVov Keve^* Qui suscita- 
vit eis Salvatorem, et liberavit eos, Othoniel. 
Again : nai nyei^s Kv^iog aiiToT? loorn^a tov 
'A«5, vlov rufa' Qui suscitavit Salvatorem 
vocabulo Aioth, jilium Gera. Vet. Transl. 
Upon which place St. Augustin notes : 
' Aniraadvertendum est autem quod Sal- 
vatorem dicat etiam hominem, per quem 
Deus salvos faciat.' Qucj^st. 1. vii, c. 18. 

t So Cicero in the place before cited, 
having said he saw Verres inscribed So- 
tera, goes on : ' Hoc quantum est 1 ita 
magnum, ut Latino uno verbo exprimi 
non possit.' But though in Cicero's time 
there was no Latin word used in that 
sense ; yet not long after it was familiar. 
For as in the Greek inscriptions we read 
often dedications Au 2(WT>)fr so in the La- 
tin we find often Jovi Servatori, or Corner va- 
tori, sometimes Jovi Salvatori, or Salutari : 
all which are nothing else but the Latin ex- 
pressions of the Greek inscriptions. And 
without question loorh^ might have been 
rendered Sospitator, and even Sospes, as it 
was used in the days of Ennius. ' Sospes, 
aalvus : Ennius tamen sospitem proserva- 
tore posuit.' Festus. Neither indeed could 
the Sicilians mean any more of Verres, by 
the word5ofe?-a,than Tuliy spake of himself, 
when he styled himself Servatorem Reipuh, 
Fru Plane, c. 36. At least Tacitus did con- 
ceive that Conservator is as much as Soter, 
when speaking of Milichus, who detected 
the conspiracies to Nero, he saith : ' Mi- 
lichus praemiis ditatus Conservatoris sibi 
nomen, Gikco ejus rei vocabulo, assum- 



psit.' Annal. 1. xv. c. 71. He took to him- 
self the name of Conservator, in a Greek 
word ivhich signifies so imich: and without 
question that must be 2<wTiif. However, 
the first Christians of the Latin Church 
were some time in doubt what word to use 
as the constant interpretation of loorv^, so 
frequent and essential to Christianity. 
Tertullian useth Salutijicator, or, as some 
books read it, Salvijicalor : ' Ergo jam non 
unus Deus, nec unus Salutificator, si duo 
salutis artifices, et utrique alter altero 
indigens-' De came Christi, c. 14. and 
shews it was so translated in the Philip- 
pians, iii. 20. ' Et quidem de terra in 
coelum, ubi nostrum municipatum Philip- 
penses quoque ab Apostolo discunt ; Unde 
et Salutificatorem. nostrum exspectamusJesum 
Christum.' De Resur. Carnis, c. 47. St. 
Hilary thought Salutaris a suflicient in- 
terpretation : ' Est autem Salutaris ipso 
illo nomine quo Jesus nuncupatur. Jesus 
enim secundum Hebraicam liuguam Sa- 
lutaris est.' In Psul. cxviii. St. Augustin 
is indifferent between that and Salvator : 
' Deus salvos faciendi Dominus est Jesus, 
quod interpretatur Salvator, sive Saluta- 
ris.' And so Lactantius. At last they 
generally used the word Salvator. First 
Tertullian : ' Christus in illo significaba- 
tur, taurus ob utramque dispositionem : 
aliis ferus.ut Judex,aliis mansuetus.ut Sal- 
vator.' ado. Marcion. 1. iii. c. 18. Which 
word of his was rather followed by his 
imitator St. Cyprian, after whom Arnobius 
used it, after him his disciple Lactantius : 
and from thence it continued the constant 
language of the church, till the late inno- 
vators thrust it out of the Latin translation. 



112 



ARTICLE 11. 



to consist in this, that he hath opened and declared unto us 
the only true way for the obtaining eternal salvation, and by 
such patefaction can deserve no less than the name of Saviour, 
For if those apostles and preachers of the Gospel, who received 
the way of , salvation froni him, which they delivered unto 
others, may be said to save those persons which were converted 
by their preaching; in a far more eminent and excellent man- 
ner must he be said to save them, who first revealed all those 
truths unto them. St. Paul '* provoked to emulation them 
which were his flesh, that he might save some of them 
(Rom. xi. 14.) and was made all things to all men, that he 
might by all means save some." (1 Cor. ix. 22.) He exhorted 
** Timothy to take heed unto himself, and unto the doctrine, 
and continue in them; for in doing this he should both save 
himself and them that heard him," (1 Tim. iv. 16.) And 
St. James speaks in more general terms ; " Brethren, if any of 
you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, 
that he which converteth a sinner from the error of his way, 
shall save a soul from death." (Jam. v. 19, 20.) Now if these 
are so expressly said to save the souls of them which are con- 
verted by the doctrine which they deliver, with much more 
reason must Christ be said to save them, whose ministers they 
are, and in whose name they speak. " For it was he which 
*' came and preached peace to them which were afar off, and 
to them that w^ere nigh." (Eph. ii. 17.) The will of God con- 
cerning the salvation of man was revealed by him. No man 
hath seen God at any time : the only-begotten Son, which is 
in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John i. 18.) 
Being then " the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto 
salvation to everyone that believeth," (Rom. i. 16.) being they 
which preach it at the command of Christ are said to save 
the souls of such as believe their word, being it was Christ 
alone "who brought life and immortality to light through the 
Gospel;" (2 Tim. i. 10.) therefore he must in a most eminent 
and singular manner be acknowledged thereby to save, and 
consequently must not be denied, even in this first respect, the 
title of Saviour. 

Secondly, This Jesus hath not only revealed, but also pro- 
cured, the way of salvation ; not only delivered it to us, but 
also wrought it out for us : and so ^' God sent his Son into the 
world, that the world through him might be saved." (John iii. 
17.) We were all concluded under sin, and, being the wages of 
sin is death, we were obliged to eternal punishment, from which 
it was impossible to be freed, except the sin were first remitted. 
Now this is the constant rule, that "without shedding of blood 
is no remission. It was therefore necessary that Christ should 
appear to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Heb. ix. 
22, 23. 26.) And so he did, for he " shed his blood for many, 
for the remission of sins," (Matt. xxvi. 28.) as himself profess- 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



113 



eth in the sacramental institution : he bare our sins in his own 
body on the tree," (1 Pet. ii. 24.) as St. Peter speaks ; and so 
in him " we have redemption through his blood, even the for- 
giveness of sins." (Col. i. 14,) And if while we were yet 
sinners, Christ died for us : much more then, being now justi- 
fied by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath by him." 
(Rom. V. 8, 9.) Again, we were all enemies unto God, and 
having offended him, there was no possible way of salvation, 
but by being reconciled to him. If then we ask the question, 
as once the Philistines did concerning David, Wherewith 
should we reconcile ourselves unto our master?" (1 Sam. xxix. 
4.) We have no other name to answer it but Jesus, For " God 
was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing 
their trespasses unto them." (2 Cor. v. 19.) And as under the 
law ** the blood of the sin-offering was brought into the taber- 
nacle of the congregation to reconcile withal in the holy place ;" 
(Lev. vi. 30.) so it pleased the Father through the Son, having 
made peace by the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all 
things unto himself." (Col. i. 20.) And thus it comes to pass, 
that us who were enemies in our mind by wicked works, yet 
now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death." 
(Ibid. 21, 22.) And upon this reconciliation of our persons 
must necessarily follow the salvation of our souls. " For if 
when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto God by the 
death of his Son : much more being reconciled, we shall be saved 
by his life." (Rom. v. 10.) Furthermore, we were all at first 
enslaved by sin, and brought into captivity by Satan, neither 
was there any possibility of escape but by way of redemption. 
Now it was the Law of Moses, that if " any were able, he 
might redeem himself :" (Lev. xxv. 49.) but this to us was im- 
possible, because absolute obedience in all our actions is due 
unto God, and therefore no act of ours can make any satisfac- 
tion for the least offence. Another law gave yet more liberty, 
that he who *' was sold might be redeemed again ; one of his 
brethren might redeem him." (Lev. xxv. 48.) But this in respect 
of all the mere sons of men was equally impossible, because 
they were all under the same captivity. Nor could they satisfy 
for others, who were only unable to redeem themselves. Where- 
fore there was no other brother, but that Son of man, which is 
the Son of God, who was like unto us in all things, sin only 
excepted, which could work this redemption for us. And what 
he only could, that he freely did perform. For ^' the Son of 
man came to give his life a ransom for many :" (Matt. xx. 28.) 
and as he came to give, so he *^ gave himself a ransom for all." 
(1 Tim. ii. 6.) So that in him we have redemption through 
his blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Eph. i. 7.) For we are 
'* bought with a price :" (1 Cor. vii. 23.) for we are redeemed, 
not with corruptible things, as silver and gold; but with the 
precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and 

I 



1J4 



ARTICLE II. 



without spot." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) He then which hath obtained 
for us remission of sins, he who through himself hath recon- 
ciled us to God, he who hath given himself as a ransom to re- 
deem us, he who hath thus wrought out the way of salvation 
for us, must necessarily have a second and a far higher right 
unto the name of Jesus, unto the title of our Saviour, 

Thirdly, Beside the promulging and procuring, there is yet a 
farther act, which is, conferring of salvation on us. All which 
we mentioned before was wrought by virtue of his death, and 
his appearance in the Holy of Holies : but we must still be- 
lieve he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come 
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for 
them." (Heb. vii. 25.) For now being set down at the right 
hand of God, he hath received all power both in heaven and 
earth ; and the end of this power which he hath received is, to 
confer salvation upon those which believe in him. For the 
Father gave the Son " this power over all flesh, that he should 
give eternal life to as many as he hath given him; " (John xvii. 
2.) that he should raise our bodies out of the dust, and cause 
our corruptible to put on incorruption, and our mortal to put 
on immortality: and upon this power we are to expect salva- 
tion from him. For we must 'Mook for the Saviour, the Lord 
Jesus Christ, from heaven, who shall change our vile body, 
that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according 
to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things 
unto himself." (Phil. iii. 20, 21.) And unto them that thus 
look for him shall he appear the second time, without sin unto 
salvation." (Heb. ix. 28.) Being then we are all to endeavour 
that our spirits may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus 
(1 Cor. V. 5.) being St. Peter hath taught us, that God hath 
exalted Christ with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour ;" 
(Acts. V. 31.) being the conferring of that upon us which he 
promised to us, and obtained for us, is the reward of what he 
suffered : therefore we must acknowledge that the actual giv- 
ing of salvation to us is the ultimate and conclusive ground of 
the title Saviour. 

Thus by the virtue of -his precious blood Christ hath ob- 
tained remission of our sins, by the power of his grace hath 
taken away the dominion of sin, in the life to come will free 
us from all possibility of sinning, and utterly abolish death, 
the wages of sin; wherefore well said the angel of the Lord, 
*'Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people 
from their sins ;" (Matt. i. 21.) well did Zacharias call him a 
horn of salvation ;" (Luke i. 69.) Simeon, " the salvation of 
God ;" (Luke ii. 30.) St. Paul, the Catpain and Author of 
eternal salvation ;" (Heb. ii. 10. v. 9.) St. Peter, a Prince and 
a Saviour," (Acts v. 31.) correspondent to those Judges of 
Israel, raised up by God himself to deliver his people from the 
hands of their enemies, and for that reason called saviours. 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 115 

" In the time of their trouble (say the Levites), when they 
cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven, and accord- 
ing to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who 
saved them out of the hand of their enemies." (Neh. ix. 27.) 

The correspondency of Jesm unto those temporal saviours 
will best appear, if we consider it particularly in Joshua, who 
bare that salvation in his name, and approved it in his actions. 
For, as the son of Sirach saith, Jesus the son of Nave was 
valiant in the wars, and was the successor of Moses in pro- 
phecies, who, according to his name, was made great for the 
saving of the elect of God." (Ecclus. xlvi. I.) Although there- 
fore Moses was truly and really " a ruler and deliverer," (Acts 
vii. 35.) which is the same^ with saviour ; although the rest of 
the judges were also by their office rulers and deliverers, and 
therefore styled saviours, as expressly Othniel and Ehud are ; 
yet Joshua, far more particularly and exactly than the rest, is 
represented as a type of our Jesus, and that typical singularity 
manifested in his name.f For first, he it was alone, of all 
which passed out of Egypt, who was designed to lead the 
children of Israel into Canaan, the land of promise flowing 
with milk and honey. Which land as it was a type of the 
heaven of heavens, the inheritance of the saints, and eternal 
joys flowing from the right hand of God; so is the person which 
brought the Israelites into that place of restj a type of him 
who only can bring us into the presence of God, and there 
prepare our mansions for us, and assign them to us, as Joshua 
divided the land for an inheritance to the tribes. Besides, it 
is farther observable, not only what Joshua did, but what Moses 
could not do. The hand of Moses and Aaron brought them 
out of Egypt, but left them in the wilderness, and could not 
seat them in Canaan. Joshua, the successor, only could effect 
that in which Moses failed. Now nothing is more frequent in 
the phrase of the Holy Ghost, than to take Moses for the doc- 
trine delivered, or the books written by him, that is, the Lavv;§ 



* 'PufTTJi;, a-cuTri^, XyTgcwT«?. And again : 
2a}^r^p, 6 "Lsvg, o eXevQepiog h XvrfcuTfi(;, He- 
sych. 

t * Quantum attinet ad propheticum 
apparatum.nec geri nec dici aliquid pos- 
sit insignius, quandoquidem res perducta 
est usque ad nominis expressionem.' S. 
August, contra Faust. 1, xvi. c. 19. 

I "Ov TpoTTov BKBivog zluhyaygv tlq t^v ayia.v 
yrv rov Xaov, ov^ Mootrnq, na,i EX£?Vof Iv 
xXnpo) hivUfMlv avrhv roiq iWt.\BoZ(7i fxzr 
avTOu' ovTM Koi 'lr)<roi;? o XgjtrTo? rhv iia- 
eriro^av rov \aou i'nrt(7rfs4'Si, aal ^lafxsfieX rhv 
ayadhv ynv IxaVTOJ. Justin. Dial, cum 
Tryph. p. 340. 

$ As Luke xvi. 29. 31. xxiv. 27. John 
V. 45, 46. Acts vi. 11. collated with the 
thirteenth verse. Acts xv. 21. xxi. 21. 
2 Cor. iii. 15. M«<rea vouteov tov vofAov, 



IntroZv rov ofxdvvfAOV IxEi'vo; (TwrSga. olxrTre^ 
roivuv nara rvv lo-TOgjav, Maxj-n teteXeuth- 
noroq, \rio-ovq rov Xaov £i? t^v iTtnyyz'KfA.ivnv 
Usrhyays yr,v, ovroj fxsra. to rou vq[a.ov ri\oq 
0 hfxBre^og e7ri<pav£'iq 'l«a-ouc avsai^s r£ svasBeT 
Xaw rhv ^acriXslav rZv ov^avxv. Theodoret. 
in Jos. Procem. t.i. p. 194, ' Cum Suc- 
cessor Moysi destinaretur Auses filius 
Nave, transfertur certe de pristino no- 
mine, et incipit vocari Jesus. Certe, in- 
quis. Hanc prius diciraus figuram futuri 
fuisse. Nam quia Jesus Christus secun- 
dum populum, quod sumus nos, nationes 
in ssBculi deserto commorantes antea, in- 
troducturus esset in terram repromissi- 
onis melle et lacte manantem, id est, in 
vitae aeternas possessionem, qua nihil dul- 
cius, idque non per Moysen, id est, non 
per legis disciplinam, sed per Jesum, id 

2 



116 



ARTICLE II. 



from whence it followetli, that the death of Moses and the 
succession of Joshua presignified the continuance of the Law 
till Jesus came, " by whom all that beUeve are justified from all 
things, from which we could not be justified by the Law of 
Moses." (Acts xiii. 39.) The Law and the prophets were 
untilJohn: since that the kingdom of God is preached." (Luke 
xvi. 16.) Moses must die, that Joshua may succeed. ** By 
the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified (for by 
the Law is the knowledge of sin); but the righteousness of 
God without the Law is manifested, even the righteousness of 
God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all 
them that believe." (Rom. iii. 20 — 22.) Moses indeed seems 
to have taken Joshua with him up into the mount : (Exod. 
xxiv. 13.) but if he did, sure it was to enter the cloud which 
covered the mount where the glory of the Lord abode : for 
without Jesus,^ " in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom 
and knowledge," (Col. ii. 3.) there is no looking into the secreis 
of heaven, no approaching to the presence of God. The com- 
mand of circumcision was not given unto Moses, but to Joshua ; 
nor were the Israelites circumcised in the wilderness, under 
the conduct of Moses and Aaron, but in the land of Canaan, 
under their successor. For ** at that time the Lord said unto 
Joshua, Make thee sharp knives, and circumcise again the 
children of Israel the second time/' (Jos. v. 2.) Which speak- 
eth "^Jesus to be the true circumciser, the author of another 
circumcision than that of the flesh commanded by the Law, 
even " the circumcision of the heart, in the spirit, and not in 
the letter;" (Rom. ii. 29.) that which '^is made without hands, 
in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh," (Col. ii. 11.) 
which is therefore called the circumcision of Christ." (Ibid.) 

Thus if we look upon Joshua as the minister of Moses," 
(Exod. xxiv. 13. Jos. i. 1.) he is even in that a type of Christ, 
the minister of the circumcision for the truth of God," (Rom. 



est, per novae legis giatiam, provenire 
habebat, circumcisis nobis petrina acie, 
id est, Christi prseceptis (petra enim 
Christus naultis modis et figuris pragdica- 
tus est), ideo is vir qui in hiijus Sacra- 
nienti imagine parabatur, etiam nominis 
Dominici inauguratus est figura, ut Jesus 
nominaretur.' Tertull. adv. JudcEos, c. 9. 
et adv. Marcion. 1. iii. c. 16. ' Idcirco 
Moysi etiam successit, ut ostenderet no- 
vam legem, per Jesum Christum datam, 
veteri legi successuram, quae data per 
Moysen fuit.' Lactan. de vera Sap. 1. iv. 
c. 17. ' In cujus comparatione (Moyses) 
improbatus est, ut non ipse introduceret 
populum in terram promissionis ; ne vi- 
delicet Lex per Moysen, non ad sal van - 
dum, sed ad convincendum peccatorem 
data, in regnunx coelorum introducere 
putaretur, sed gratia et Veritas per Jesum 
Christum facta.' S. August, contra Fans- 



turn, 1. xvi. c. 19. ' Jesus dux qui populura 
eduxerat de ^gypto, Jesus qui interpre- 
tatur Salvator, Mose mortuo et sepulto in 
Moab, hoc est, Lege mortua, in Evan- 
gelium cupit inducers populum suum.' 
iS. Hieron. in Psal. Ixxxvi. 

* ' ftJoyses in nubem intravit, ut operta 
et occulta cognosceret, adhaerente sibi 
socio Jesu, quia nemo sine vero Jesu po- 
test incerta sapientiae, et occulta compre- 
hendere. Et ideo in specie Jesu Nave 
veri Salvatoris significabatur affutura 
praesentia, per quem fierent omnes doci- 
biles Dei, qui Legem aperiret, Evange- 
lium revelaret.' S. Ambros. in Psal. xlvii. 

t * Non enim propheta sic ait, Et dixit 
Dominus ad me ; sed ad Jesum : ut osten- 
deret quod non de se loqueretur, sed de 
Christo, ad quem tum Deus loquebatur. 
Christi enim figuram gerebat ille Jesus.' 
Lactan. de vera Sup. I. iv, c. 17, 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 117 

XV. 8.) If we look on him as the successor of Moses, in that 
he representeth Jesus, inasmuch as the law was given by 
Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ." (John i. 17.) 
If we look on him as now judge and ruler of Israel, there is 
scarce an action which is not clearly predictive of our Saviour. 
He begins his office at the banks of Jordan,* where Christ is 
baptized, and enters upon the public exercise of his prophetical 
office. He chooseth there twelve men out of the people, to 
carry twelve stones over with them ; as our Jesus thence began 
to choose his twelvet apostles, those foundation-stones in the 
Church of God, whose '* names are in the twelve foundations 
of the wall of the holy city, the new Jerusalem." (Rev. xxi. 14.) 
It hath been observed,} that tlie saving Rahab the harlot alive, 
foretold what Jesus once should speak to the Jews, Verily I 
say unto you, that the publicans and harlots go into the king- 
dom of God before you." (Matt. xxi. 31.) *' He said in the 
sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon : and the 
sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go 
down about a whole day." (Jos. x. 12, 13.) Which great mi- 
racle was not only wrought by the power of him whose name 
he bare, but did also signify § that, in the latter days, towards 
the setting of the sun, when the light of the world was tending 
unto a night of darkness,** the Sun of righteousness should arise 
with healing in his wings," (Mai. iv. 2.) and, giving a check to 
the approaching night, become the true light, which lighteth 
every man that cometh into the world." (John i. 9.) 

But to pass by more particulars, Joshua smote the Amale- 
kites, and subdued the Canaanites; by the first making way 
to enter the land, by the second giving possession of it. And 
Jesus our ** Prince and Saviour," (Acts v. 31.) whose *' kingdom 
was not of this world," (John xviii. 36.) in a spiritual manner 
goeth in and out before us against our spiritual enemies, sub- 
duing sin and Satan, and so opening and clearing our way to 
heaven ; destroying the last enemy, death, so giving us pos- 
session of eternal life. II Thus do we believe the man called 

* TuTTov Se E<f)E§ey avrov 6 tov Nauw 'iwcroL;? in sua virtute Jesus Nave, sed in Christi 

Tiara. nroWa. ap^afA.svoi; yk^ ^fX^^v rou Xaou mysterio coelestibus luminibus iraperabat. 

Sf^aro ttTTo rov 'lo^^avow o0£v nal 6 X^icrroi; Designabatur enim Dei filium in hoc 

^aTtnahiig ri^^aro Evayyexi^ecrQai. S. Cyril. saeculum esse venturum, qui mundani lu- 

Hieros. Catech. 10. minis concidentis, et jam vergentis iu 

t St. Cyril addeth that he divided the tenebras, virtute divina differret occasum, 

land by twelve men : Aauhna Je Biai^ovvrai; lucem redderet, inveheret claritatem.' S. 

rhv H,Xn^ovofxiav x,aQia-rncnv o rou Navri vlog, Ambros. Apolog. David, poster, c. 4. ' lUe 

not SiwSEita TOL)? 'attoo-toXoi;? nhpvuag rtig imperavit Soli ut staret, et stetit ; et 

aXtiQiiag Elf 7ra<rav rhv olxoy^s'vw aTrocrreWei istius typo ille magnus erat. Ille impe- 

0 'ina-ovi. Ibid. rabat, sed Dominus eflficiebat.' S. Hieron. 

X By the same St. Cyril : Uia-rsva-aa-av in Psal. Ixxvi. 
'Paa0 rhv iropmv ia-aia-zv o rvTtiKoq' 6 Se a\tj- || Tt Xkyei TTaXiV Mcuirng rS 'lutrou rS rov 

^hs <}>i<r(V, 'l^ov ol TSXaJmi nal al wogvaj TTgo- Nat;!? vlS, eTtidsli; avrS rovro ovofA.a ovri ir^o- 

ayova-iv vfxaq elq rhv ^aa-tXiiav rou ®£ov . <phrri ; I'va fxovov axova-ti ttS; Xaog, on iravra 

Ibid. 0 Trarhp (pavepoH tfs^i rou vlou \n<rov v\cc Nau«" 

(f ' Stetit Sol, quia in Jesu et typum Jta» STtSiiq rouro ovofxa ottote 'imfx^'B nara- 

futuri agnoscebat et nomen. Neque enim a-nomv rrig ywj. Aa^e $i0xiov slg rag xeTga; 



118 



ARTICLE II. 



Jesus to have fulfilled in the highest degree imaginable, alF 
which was but typified in him who first bare the name, and in 
all the rest which succeeded in his office, and so to be the Sa- 
viour of the world ; ** whom God hath raised up, a horn of sal- 
vation for us, in the house of his servant David, that we should 
be saved from our enemies, and the hands of all that hate us." 
(Lukei. 69. 71.) 

The necessity of the belief of this part of the Article is not 
only certain, but evident : because there is no end of faith 
without a Saviour, and no other name but this by which we 
can be saved, and no way to be saved by him but by believing 
in him. For *^ this is his commandment, that we should be- 
lieve on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and he that keepeth 
his commandment dwelleth in him and he in him.''' (1 John 
iii. 23, 24.) From him then, and from him alone, must we 
expect salvation, acknowledging and confessing freely there is 
nothing in ourselves which can effect or deserve it for us, no- 
thing in any other creature which can promerit or procure it to 
us. For** there is but one God, and one mediator between 
God and man, the man Christ Jesus.*' (1 Tim.ii.5.) It is only 
" the beloved Son, in whom God is well pleased;" (Matt. iii. 17.) 
he is " clothed with a vesture dipped in blood ;"(Rev. xix. 13.) 
he hath ** trodden the wine-press alone/' (Isa. Ixiii. 3.) *^ We 
like sheep have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on him 
the iniquity of us all." (Isa. liii. 6.) *' By him God hath re- 
conciled all things to himself ; by him, I say, whether they be 
things in earth or things in heaven." (Col. i. 20.) By him 
alone is our salvation wrought : for his sake then only can we 
ask it, from him alone expect it. 

Secondly, This belief is necessary, that we may delight and 
rejoice in the name o{ Jesus, as that in which all our happiness 
is involved. At his nativity an angel from heaven thus taught 
the shepherds, the first witnesses of the blessed incarnation; 
"Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall 
be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of 
David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke ii. 10, 11.) 
And what the angel delivered at present, that the prophet 
Isaiah, that old evangelist, foretold at distance. When '* the 
people which walked in darkness should see a great light; 
ivhen unto us a child should be born, unto us a son should be 
given : then should they joy before God, according to the joy 
in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil." 
(Isa. ix. 2. 6. 3.) When " God shall come with recompense, 
when he shall come and save us ; then the ransomed of the Lord 
shall return, and come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy 
upon their heads." (Isa. xxxv. 4. 10.) 



snno^ii TravTtt Toy oT;tsv rov 'A^aX>jx o vloq 



aW' 6 vlog rou ^Bov, rvTrao 5g h a-a^Ki <}>av6- 
g(w9£t5. BartiabcB Epist. c. 9. al, 12 



AND IN JESUS, &c. 



119 



Thirdly, The belief in Jesus ought to inflame our affection, to 
kindle our love towards him, engaging us to hate all things in 
respect of him, that is, so far as they are in opposition to him, 
or pretend to equal share of affection with him. " He that 
loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and 
he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of 
me," (Matt. x. 37.) saith our Saviour; so forbidding all pre- 
lation of any natural affection, because our spiritual union is 
far beyond all such relations. Nor is a higher degree of love 
only debarred us, but any equal pretension is as much forbid- 
den. " If any man come to me (saith the same Christ), and 
bate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and 
brethren and sisters, yea and his own life also, he cannot be 
my disciple." (Luke xiv. 26.) Is it not this Jesus in whom the 
love of God is demonstrated to us, and that in so high a de- 
gree as is not expressible by the pen of man? *'God so loved 
the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son." (John iii. 16.) 
Is it not he who shewed his own love to us far beyond all pos- 
sibility of parallel ? For " greater love hath no man than this, 
that a man lay down his life for his friends;" (John xv. 13.) 
but while we were yet sinners (that is, enemies), Christ died 
for us," (Rom. v. 8.) and so became our Jesus. Shall thus the 
Father shew his love in his Son ? Shall thus the Son shew his 
love in himself? And shall we no way study a requital? or is 
there any proper return of love but love? The voice of the 
Church, in the language of Solomon, is, my love :" (Cant, 
ii. 7. iii. 5. viii.4.) nor was that only the expression of a spouse, 
but of Ignatius,^ a man, after the apostles, most remarkable. 
And whosoever considereth the infinite benefits to the sons of 
men flowing from the actions and sufferings of their Saviour, 
cannot choose but conclude with St. Paul, If any man love 
not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maran-atha." 
(1 Cor. xvi.22.) 

Lastly, The confession of faith in Jesus is necessary to breed 
in us a correspondent esteem of him, and an absolute obedi- 
ence to him, that we may be raised to the true temper of St. 
Paul, who " counted all things but loss for the excellency of 
the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, for whom he suffered 
the loss of all things, and counted them but dung, that he might 
win Christ." (Phil. iii. 8.) Nov can we pretend to any true 
love of Jesus, except we be sensible of the readiness of our 
obedience to him: as knowing what language he used to his 
disciples, If ye love me, keep my commandments ;" (John 
xiv. 15 ) and what the apostle of his bosom spake, *'This is the 
love of God, that we keep his commandments." (1 John v. 3.) 
His own disciples once marvelled, and said, "What manner of 
man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?" 
(Matt. viii. 27.) How much more should we wonder at dl dis- 

* 'O l/tAOf 'ifw^ io-TAv^ooreti, Epist. ad Roman, c. 7. 



120 



ARTICLE II. 



obedient Christians, saying, What manner of men are these, 
who refuse obedience unto him whom the senseless creatures^ 
the winds and the sea, obeyed ? Was the name of Jesus at first 
sufficient to cast out devils? (Mark ix. 38. Luke ix. 49.) and 
shall man be more refractory than they ? Shall the exorcist 
say to the evil spirit, I adjure thee hy the name of Jesus, (Acts 
xix. 13.) and the devil give place? Shall an apostle speak unto 
us in the same name, and we refuse ? Shall they obey that 
name which signifieth nothing unto them ; for " he took not 
on him the nature of angels," (Heb. ii. 16.) and so is not their 
Saviour? And can we deny obedience unto him, who took 
on him the seed of Abraham,'' (Ibid.) " and became obedient 
to death, even the death of the cross," (Phil. ii. 8.) for us, that 
he might be raised to full power and absolute dominion over 
us, and by that power be enabled at last to save us, and in the 
mean time to rule and govern us, and exact the highest venera- 
tion from us ? For " God hath highly exalted him, and given 
him a name which is above every name, that at the name of 
Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in 
earth, and things under the earth." (Phil.ii. 9, 10.) 

Having thus declared the original of the name Jesus, the 
means and ways by which he who bare it expressed fully the 
utmost signification of it; we may now clearly deliver, and 
every particular Christian easily understand, what it is he says, 
when he makes his confession in these words, J fee/ieve in Jesus: 
which may be not unfitly in this manner described. I believe 
not only that there is a God, who made the World ; but I ac- 
knowledge and profess that I am fully persuaded of this, as of 
a certain and infallible truth, that there was and is a man, 
whose name by the ministry of an angel was called Jesus, of 
whom, particularly Joshua, the first of that name, and all the 
rest of the judges and saviours of Israel, were but types. I 
believe that Jesws, in the highest and utmost importance of that 
name, to be the Saviour of the world ; inasmuch as he hath 
revealed to the sons of men the only way for the salvation of 
their souls, and wrought the same way out for them by the vir- 
tue of his blood, obtaining remission for sinners, making recon- 
ciliation for enemies, paying the price of redemption for cap- 
tives ; and shall at last himself actually confer the same sal- 
vation, which he hath promulged and procured, upon all those 
who unfeignedly and steadfastly believe in him. I acknow- 
ledge there is no other way to heaven besides that which he 
hath shewn us, there is no other means which can procure it 
for us but his blood, there is no other person which shall con- 
fer it on us but himself. And with this full acknowledgment, 
I BELIEVE IN Jesus. 



121 



And in Jesus Christ. 

Having thus explained the proper name of our Saviour, 
Jesus, we come unto that title of his office usually joined with 
his name, which is therefore the more diligently to be exa- 
mined, because the Jews^ who always acknowledge him to be 
Jesus, ever denied him to be Christ, and " agreed'* together, 
*• that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be 
put out of the synagogue." (John ix. 22.) 

For the full explication of this title, it will be necessary. 
First, To deliver the signification of the word ; Secondly, To 
shew upon what grounds the Jews always expected a Christ or 
Messias; Thirdly, To prove that the Messias promised to the 
Jews is already come ; Fourthly, To demonstrate that our Jesus 
is that Messias; and Fifthly, To declare in what that unction, 
by which Jesus is Christ, doth consist, and what are the proper 
effects thereof. Which five particulars being clearly discussed, 
I cannot see what should be wanting for a perfect understand- 
ing that Jesus is Christ. 

For the first, We find in the Scriptures two several names, 
Messias and Christ, but both of the same signification ; as ap- 
peareth by the speech of the woman of Samaria, ** I know that 
Messias cometh, which is called Christ;" (John iv. 25.) and 
more plainly by what Andrew spake unto his brother Simon, 
** We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the 
Christ." (John i. 41.) Messias in the Hebrew tongue, Christ 
in the Greek.f Messias,^ the language of Andrew and the 



* 'loviaioi ya§ xa.ra^BX,ovTai ro slvai avroi 
'ina-oZv ro Se nal X^iarov zTvai, rovrov olniri, 
S. Cyril. Hieros. Catech. 10. 
ilvyyon, Mea-^iav a-o<pov supofjiev, ©so? avri§ 

XfKTTO? 'loviaioia-iv aKovirai 'EXXaJt <^mvi, 
'^onnns, c. i. v. 137. 

t From niTD unxxt ; in the Hebrew 
mwD and iT'U'Q nnctus ; in the Syriac 
xn'U'O ; in the Greek, by changing ]V into 
c-y, by omitting n a guttural not fit for 
their pronunciation, and by adding ?, as 
their ordinary termination, xn'tt'D is turned 
into Mias-iaq. That this was the Greek 
Xf((7To?, and the Latin Christus, is evident; 
and yet the Latins living at a distance, 
strangers to the customs of the Jews, and 
the doctrine of the Christians, mistook 
this name, and called him Chrestus, from 
the Greek X^naroq. So Suetonius in the 
life of Claudius, c. 25. ' Judajos impul- 
sore Chresto assidue tumultuantes Roma 
expulit.' Which was not only his mis- 
take, but generally the R,omans at first, as 
they named him Chrestus, so they called 
us Chrestiani. ' Sed et cum perperam 
Chrestianus pronunciatur a vobis (nam 
nec uominis certa est notitia penes vos) 
de suavitate vel beniguitate compositum 



est.' Tertull. adv. Gentes, c. 3. * Sed ex- 
ponenda hujus nominis ratio est propter 
ignorantium errorem, qui eum immutata 
litera Chrestum solent dicere.' Lactan. de 
vera Sap. 1. iv. c. 7. Upon which mistake 
Justin Martyr justifies the Christians of 
his time : 'ETrst oVcv ys ex rou xetrr^yopnfxivou 
hfxoov Ivofxaroq, ^^ntrroraroi vTTafX^ofxsv. p. 
54. And again : X^ia-navol (or rather 
XfJXTTiavoi) yap sTvai x.etrriyopovjxt6a' ro 
XS^(rTov /jiio-iTa-Bcti ov Jwaiov. Apol. 2. p. 55. 
It was then the ignorance of the Jewish 
affairs which caused the Romans to name 
our Saviour Chrestus, and the true title is 
certainly Christus. X^nrroq fxev, nara ro 
xE;)^pi'cr&at, saith Justin. Apol. i. p. 44. 
To Toy Xpia-rov ovofjta, Tr^Zrov lAoocia roXq 
Xpio/ximq suTi^sTvai, says Euseb. Dem. 
Evang. 1. iv. c. 15. ' Quoniam Grasci 
veteres ^^iio-^ai dicebant ungi, quod nunc 
a'ksi<^sa-^ai, ob banc rationem nos eum 
Christum nuncupamus, id est, unctu7n, qui 
Hebraice Messias dicitur.' Lactan. de ver. 
Sap. 1. iv. c. 7. So the Latins generally 
Christus a Chrismate : and without ques- 
tion X^icrroq is from ai^pia-rai. Yet I con- 
ceive the first signification of this word 
among the Greeks hath not been hitherto 



122 



ARTICLE II. 



woman of Samaria, who spake in Syriac; Christ, the inter- 
pretation of St. John, who wrote this Gospel in the Greek, as 
the most general language in those days ; and the signification 



sufficiently discovered. The first of the 
ancients in whom I meet with the word 
XpjiTTo? is iEschylus the tragedian, and in 
him I find it had another sense than now 
we take it in ; for in his language that is 
not Xpjo-Tov which is anointed, but that 
with which it is anointed ; so that it sig- 
nifieth not the subject of unction, but the 
ointment as diffused in the subject. The 
place is this in his Prometheus Vinctus, 
ver. 478. 

OvK %v a\e^r]^' ol^h, ovU BpuicrifAov, 

Ou p^pjo-Tov, oL^s "Tria-roVj a'KXa <^a^fJ.a.Koov 

XgEi'a xarsa-KBWovro ■ 

Prometheus shews himself to be the in- 
ventor of the art of physic, that before 
him therefore there was no medicine, 
neither to be taken internally by eating 
or by drinking, nor externally by way of 
inunction, as the Scholiast very well ex- 
pounds it : OvK wv ov^sv ^onQn/w.* Srs^ctTrsiag 
ov^E Sja Bfcloa-zooq <;e^oo-<pe^6/x£)tov (which is 
ouSe 0pol!(rifA,ov in ^schylus) ovtb Je h' stti- 
P(;piV£i3i)f E^cuQev, (which is ov ^pia-rov^ ov^s 
J(a TTotrtaig (tovto Je JjiXo? to iria-rrov). So 
Eustathius : Tger? <pa§/j,a)ictiV l^sai itctg 
'Ofxrj^ai, Imiraa-ra, ag vvv iffi MEvEXaoy, xitt^ 
riiria ^affxayia eISo)? itka-arzv 6 Ma^awv xat 
p^fjfTTa otov lovg p^gteo-3-ctr Ka] Tritrnra, Kara 
TOV aIo-^vXov, rovTScm, irora n TroTifxct, Ad 
1 1. A. As therefore from ttw ma-oo, Tria-rov, 
so from p^gt'o) x^^<rx, p^ftcrTov. And as 
iticnlv is not that which receiveth drink, 
but that drink which is received, not quod 
potat, but quod potabile est ; so p(^f jo-tov is 
not that which receiveth oil, but that 
which is received by inunction. So the 
Scholiast upon Aristophanes, P/ut. v. 717. 
TZv (papfxaKMV ra fxiv la-ri Karan'haa-ra, ra 
Se p^gj3-Ta, ra Se TroTa. And the Scholiast 
of Theocritus : 'Ia-teov, o'ti t£v <papfxa)ia}v 
TO, fXBv Bia-i ^^lerra, riyovv, a7re§ p^fto^ES'a 
slg S-EgaTTEiav ra Se woTa, riyovv, avEf n'm- 
fA.Ev' ra ^£ ETrtTfaa-ra, nyovv, cltce^ Iotttixt- 
TOfA.ev. Idyl. xi. 1. So that x^^icrrov in his 
judgment is the same with Eyx,pi<rrov in 
Theocritus. 1. s. 1. 

Oi'S'EV woTTov s^oora 7r£<f>y}i£{ <papfA,aKov aXXo, 
NtJti'a, ovr sy^^io-rov, e{j,Iv ^oksT, ovr Im- 
maa-rov, 

*H Tat ITiEgiS'Ej 

In the same sense with ^schylus did 
Euripides use p^gia-Tov <f)agnx£tKov in Hippo- 
lyto, V. 516. 

Uore^a. Je p^gttTTOv h mrov to <pa§fA,axov ; 
and not only those ancient poets, but even 
the later orators ; as Dion Chrysostomus : 
IToXy j/ag p^e~pov nai ^i£<p^apfXEVov a-d}fxarog 
xai Vijovvrog \v)(t\ Sj6^&i»f/M£V>i, /ua At", oup^ 



Ino <papfA,aKa}v p^gtiTTaJv r) TTorZv. Orat. 78. 
And the LXX. have used it in this sense, 
as when the Hebrew speaks of nritt'Dn piy 
oleum unctionis, they translate it tou ettj- 
KEX^vfXEvov ETTi rhv Ke<pa'KKV rov l\aiov rov 
p^gja-Tou, Lev. xxi. 10. and again ver. 12. 
nrni'D pli' o't{ to ayiov 'iXatov to p^gio-TOV Itt' 
avra). Oleum unctionis then is iXatov p^gj- 
o-Tov, which in Exodus xxix. 7. xxxv. 13. 
xl. 9. the same translators, correspondent 
to the Hebrew phrase, call EXatov p^giV^a- 
Tof, and more frequently zKam p^gurEWf, 
The place of Sophocles is something 
doubtful, Trachin. 662. 

"oSev jM.oXoi TTavafASpog 
Tag TTtSovg Tray^^ig-ra 
SuyxpaSEj?, IttX v^o^aa-Ei Swgoj* 
for though the Scholiast takes it in the 
ordinary sense, wayp^piVroj] Xei'tte* rS iri- 
ttXw, nyovv rS ^pia-Qkvri mn'Kai, avyKEKpa- 
fjLEvog nai a^fxoa-^Eig t? weiSoT tou S'Hgoj* yet 
both rag TCEiQovg before it, and trvyn^aMi; 
after, seem to incline to the former sense, 
and in the next page aprlx,^i<rrov is clearly 
attributed to the ointment, v. 687. 

To <pa^fjiaKov rovr aitv^ov, aKrTvog r azi 
®s^fA,ng abmrov, Iv /xv^oXg a-u^siv ef*e, 
"Eoog av apr't)(^pi(rrov a^fAOiraifxi tcov, 
from whence Deianira says presently, 
v. 691. EX^p^s-a, fA,aK7<c2. But though it ap- 
pears from hence that the first use of the 
word among the Greeks was to 

signify the act or matter used in inunc- 
tion, not the subject or person anointed : 
yet in the vulgar acceptation of the LXX. 
it was most constantly received for the 
person anointed, of the same validity 
with p^ii^KT&Ei? or KE-x^^io-fAEVog (Suidas p^gt- 
a-rog, o K£Xpia-y,Evog Iv IXatw), as also with 
h'KsifXfxEvog. For though Lactantius in the 
place fore-cited seems to think that word 
an improper version of the Hebrew iT'li'D 
* Unde in quibusdam Graecis scripturis, 
quae male de Hebraicis interpretatae sunt, 
h'kEiy.y-mg, id est, unguento curatus, scrip- 
turn invenitur, «7ro tou a'KEl<psa-^ai :' yet 
the LXX. have so translated it. Numb, 
iii. 3. ol IsfEXg ol hT^EifXfxEvoi. And although 
Athenaeus hath observed, 1. xv. c. 39. rZv 
fAvpoov ra {jlev Itrrt ^^ta-fxara, ra 5' oKEifx- 
fxara' yet in the vulgar use of the words 
there is no diflFerence, as he himself 
speaks a little after : To SI xi^a-air^ai rS 
roiovTM aXsifXfjiari fxv^ia-aa-^ai bi^kkev. And 
Plutarch. Sympos. 1. iii. c. 4. Uvbov va^a 
rZv ETi <ryvava7rai;o/w.£va)» yvvai^lv h /av^ov 
a\YiKifxixEvaig n 'iXaiov avamfA.'rrXavrai yap 
avrov rov p^giV^aTo; Iv tw ervyx.a^£v$£iv. So 
Hesych. 'AXE^^ai, Ixaicti p^ptVai* KEp^gtcr^weva, 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



123 



of them both is, the anointed. St. Paul and the rest of the 
apostles, writing in that language, used the Greek name, which 
the Latins did retain, calling him constantly Christus ; and we 
in English have retained the same, as universally naming him 
Christ. 

Nor is this yet the full interpretation of the word, which is 
to be understood not simply according to the action only, but 
as it involveth the design in the custom of anointing^. For in 
the Law whatsoever was anointed was thereby set apart, as 
ordained to some special use or office : and therefore under the 
notion of unction we must understand that promotion and or- 
dination. Jacob poured out oil on the top of a pillar/' 
(Gen. xxviii. 18,) and that anointing was the consecration of 
it. Moses anointed the tabernacle and all the vessels, and this 
anointing was their dedication. Hence the priest that is 
anointed" (Lev. iv. 3.) signifieth, in the phrase of Moses, the 
high-priest, because he was invested in that office at and by 
his unction. When therefore Jesus is called the Messias or 
Christ, and that long after the anointing oil had ceased, it sig- 
nified no less than a person set apart by God, anointed with 
most sacred oil, advanced to the highest office, of which all 
those employments under the Law, in the obtaining of which 
oil was used, were but types and shadows. And this may suf- 
fice for the signification of the word. 

That there was among the Jews an expectation of such a 
Christ to come, is most evident. The woman of Samaria could 
speak with confidence, " I know that Messias cometh." (John 
iv, 25.) And the unbelieving Jews, who will not acknowledge 
that he is already come, expect him still. Thus we find "all 
men musing in their hearts of John, whether he were the Christ 
or not." (Luke iii. 15.) When Jesus taught in the Temple, 
those which doubted said, " When Christ cometh, no man 
knoweth whence he is;" (John vii. 27.) those which believed 
said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than 
these which this man hath done?" (John vii, 31.) Whether 
therefore they doubted, or whether they believed in Jesus, they 
all expected a Christ to come ; and the greater their opinion 
was of him, the more they believed he was that Messias. " Many 
of the people said. Of a truth this is the prophet : others said. 
This is the Christ." (John vii. 40, 41.) As soon as John began 
to baptize, " the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem, 
to ask him, Who art thou?" (John i. 19.) that is, whether he 
were the Christ or no, as appeareth out of his answer, " And he 

h'Keifj.fA.Bva. 'AXoKph, p^ftVjf. Schol. Horn. sebius : Tpir*) Ta^et p^gio-rov alrov yiyoviiai 

Xpio'a-cifA.evcti, a,\ei^a.fA.Eva.i. Od. Z. And IXetiaJ, ov tw vKrig o'cufxaToov, aXXa tS 

Suidas, 'HX«XtjM.^)iv, Ix^^iofxtiv. Hence Eu- IvQeoj rnq ayaXKiaa-icoq r\Kzi[xy.ivoy Tea^iinria-i. 

stathius : 'icrrsov nou on lero^vvaixovvroov Hist. Eccl. 1. i. c. 3. Xpicrroi; then in the 

Kara vovv tov t6 x^i'w, «at rov aXei<poo' to vulgar use of the LXX. is a person 

fxh x,?tot> TTcipa. Tov p^poSv Ipp^Sfl og p^^israj, anointed, and in that sense is our Saviour 

TO ahei<pca TTapk to aXea;. Od. z. So Eu- called Christ. 



124 



ARTICLE n 



confessed and denied not, but confessed, I am not the Christ.'* 
(John i. 20.) For as they asked him after, What then. Art thou 
Eiias ? and he said, I am not: Art thou that prophet? and he 
answered. No (John i. 21.) so without question their first 
demand was, ' Art thou the ChristV^ and he answered, * I am 
not from whence it clearly appeareth that there was a general 
expectation among the Jews of a Messias to come ; nor only so, 
but it was always counted among them an article of their faith,t 
which all were obliged to believe who professed the Law of 
Moses, and whosoever denied that, was thereby interpreted to 
deny the Law and the Prophets. Wherefore it will be worth 
our inquiry to look into the grounds upon which they built that 
expectation. 

It is most certain that the Messias was promised by God, 
both before and under the Law. God said unto Abraham, " In 
Isaac shall thy seed be called :" (Gen. xxi. 12.) and we know 
that was a promise of a Messias to come, because St. Paul 
hath taught us, Now to Abraham and his seed were the pro- 
nises made. He saith not, unto seeds as of many, but as of 
)ne, and to thy seed, which is Christ.'^ (Gal. iii. 16.) The 
Lord said unto Moses, I will raise them up a prophet from 
among their brethren like unto thee.'' (Acts iii. 22. vii. 37.) 
And St. Peter hath sufficiently satisfied us, that this prophet 
promised to Moses is Jesus the Christ. (Acts iii. 20.) Many 
are the prophecies which concern him, many the promises which 
are made of him : but yet some of them very obscure ; others, 
though plainer, yet have relation only to the person, not to the 
notion or the word Messias. Wheresoever he is spoken of as 
the Anointed, it may well be first understood of some other 
person ; except one place in Daniel, where Messiah is foretold 
to be cut off;" (Dan, ix. 26 ) and yet even there the Greek 
translation hath not the Messiah, but the Unction. It may 
therefore seem something strange, how so universal an expec- 
tation of a Redeemer under the name of the Messias should be 
spread through the church of the Jews. 

But if we consider that in the space of seventy years of the 
Babylonish captivity the ordinary Jews had lost the exact un- 
derstanding of the old Hebrew language before spoken in Judea, 
and therefore when the Scriptures were read unto them, they 
found it necessary to interpret them to the people in the Chaldee 
language, which they had lately learned : as when Ezra the 
Scribe brought the book of the Law of Moses before the con- 
gregation, the Levites are said to have caused the people to 
understand the Law, because they read in the book, in the 
Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to 

• So Nonnus hath expressed, what in the evangelist is to be understood : 

Tt'f a-v TTgXBif ; M»5 Xfia-Toj e<pv^; — c. i. v, 65. 
t Auctor Sepher Ikkarim, 1. iv, c. ult. Maimon. Tract, de Regibus. c. 11. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



125 



understand the reading." (Neh. viii. 8.) Which constant in- 
terpretation begat at last a Chaldee translation of the Old Tes- 
tament to be read every sabbath in the synagogues : and that 
being not exactly made word for word with the Hebrew, but 
with a liberty of a brief exposition by the way, took in, together 
with the text, the general opinion of the learned Jews. By 
which means it came to pass that not only the doctrine, but the 
name also, of the Messias was very frequent and familiar with 
them. Insomuch that even in the Chaldee paraphrase now ex- 
tant, there is express mention of the Messias in above seventy 
places, besides that of Daniel. The Jews then informed by the 
plain words of Daniel,^ instructed by a constant interpretation 
of the Law and the Prophets read in their synagogues every 
sabbath-day, relying upon the infallible predictions and pro- 
mises of God, did all unanimously expect out of their own 
nation, of the tribe of Judah, of the family of David, a Messias 
or a Christ, to come. 

Now this being granted, as it cannot be denied, our next 
consideration is of the time in which this promise was to be 
fulfilled : which we shall demonstrate out of the Scriptures to 
be past, and consequently that the promised Messias is already 
come. The prediction of Jacob upon his death-bed is clear and 
pregnant, ** The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a Jaw- 
giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come ; and to him 
shall the gathering of the people be." (Gen. xlix. 10.) But 
the sceptre is departed from Judah, neither is there one law- 
giver left between his feet. Therefore Shiloh, that is, the 
Messias, is already come. That the Jewish government hath 
totally failed, is not without the greatest folly to be denied : 
and therefore that Shiloh is already come, except we should 
deny the truth of divine predictions, must be granted. There 
then remains nothing to be proved, but that by Shiloh is to be 
understood the Messias: which is sufficiently manifest both 
from the consent of the ancient Jews, and from the description 
immediately added to the name. For all the old paraphrasts 
call him expressly the Messias,-]- and the words which follow, 
'* to him shall the gathering of the people be," (Gen. xlix. 10.) 
speak no less ; as giving an explication of his person, office, or 
condition, who was but darkly described in the name of Shiloh, 



* Celsus the Epicurean ackn owl edge th 
that both the Jews and Christians did con- 
fess that the prophets did foretell a Saviour 
of the world. OlWai (U»5ev o-e/ulvov sTvai ev 
TK lou^aiaiv xat X^is-riavaiv Tr^of a'K'knXoui; l^tj- 
rnffsi' Tria-TSvovraiv fxh a.fA.<poTe^(iov, on atto 

^iiov nVEUjUCtTOf 7rp0S(pr)TiV^U Tiff STTl^rjfj.rKroOV 

iMrhp tS yini todv av^piitoov. Orig. adv. 
Celsum, 1. iii. §. 1. And this Saviour, saith 
Origen, was to be called, nara ra "lov^aiaiv 
Tartlet, X^iirrog. 

+ For instead of n'7''U' Ni^-'D Onkelos 



renders it KWwrts ND^iQ "Tl-n l]f and Jona- 
than and the Jerusalem Targum, "ij; 
Nn-U'D ii-±ir2 "n""! Beside the Cabalists 
did generally so interpret it, because xn" 
n'^-Ti' according to their computation, made 
the same number with the letters of n-tt'a 
and in the Talmud, cod. Sar^htdrim, Rabbi 
Johanan asking what was the name of the 
Messias, they of the school of R. Schila 
answer, lOir nb^^l/ his name is Shiloh, ac- 
cording to that which is written, ^^nt^l 
Shiloli come. 



ARTICLE IL 



For this is the same character by which he was signified unto 
Abraham ; " In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be 
blessed (Gen. xxii. 18.) by which he is deciphered in Isaiah ; 
^*In that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand 
for an ensign of the people ; to it shall the Gentiles seek, and 
his rest shall be glorious (Isa. xi. 10.) and in Micah, ** The 
mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established on the 
top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, 
and people shall flow unto it." (Mic. iv. 1.) And thus the 
blessing of Judah is plainly intelligible: Judah thou art he, 
whom thy brethren shall praise ; thy hand shall be in the neck 
of thine enemies, thy father's children shall bow down before 
thee." (Gen. xlix. 8.) Thou shalt obtain the primogeniture 
of thy brother Reuben, and by virtue thereof shalt rule over the 
rest of the tribes : the government shall be upon thy shoulders, 
and all thy brethren shall be subject unto thee. And that you 
may understand this blessing is not to expire until it make way 
for a greater, know that this government shall not fail, until 
there come a son out of your loins, who shall be far greater than 
yourself : for whereas your dominion reacheth only over your 
brethren, and so is confined unto the tribes of Israel; his king- 
dom shall be universal, and all nations of the earth shall serve 
him. Being then this Shiloh is so described in the text, and 
acknowledged by the ancient Jews to be the Messias; being 
God hath promised by Jacob the government of Israel should 
not fail until Shiloh came ; being that government is visibly 
and undeniably already failed, it followeth inevitably, that the 
Messias is already come. 

In the same manner the prophet Malachi hath given an ex- 
press signification of the coming of the Messias while the Tem- 
ple stood. " Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall 
prepare the way before me ; and the Lord whom ye seek shall 
suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the cove- 
nant whom ye delight in." (Mal.iii. 1.)* And Haggai yet more 
clearly, '* Thus saith the Lord of hosts. Yet once it is a little 
while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, 
and the dry land ; and I will shake all nations ; and the desire 
of all nations shall come ; and I will fill this house with glory, 
saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be 
greater than the glory of the former, saith the Lord of hosts." 
(Hag. ii. 6, 7. 9.) It is then most evident from these predictions, 
that the Messias was to come while the second Temple stood. 
It is as certain that the second Temple is not now standing. 
Therefore, except we contradict the veracity of God, it cannot 
be denied but the Messias is already come. Nothing can be 
objected to enervate this argument, but that these prophecies 
concern not the Messias ; and yet the ancient Jews confessed 
they did, and that they do so cannot be denied. For, first, 

* n'U'on "ibo Kin piKn Kimcki on the place. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



127 



those titles, * the angel of the covenant,' ' the delight of the Is- 
raelites/ ' the desire of' all nations/ are certain and known cha- 
racters of the Christ to come. And, secondly, it cannot be 
conceived how the glory of the second Temple should be greater 
than the glory of the first, without the coming of the Messias 
to it. For the Jews themselves have observed that five signs 
of the divine glory were in the first Temple, which were want- 
ing to the second : as the Urim and Thummim, by which the 
high-priest was miraculously instructed of the will of God ; the 
ark of the covenant, from whence God gave his answers by a 
clear and audible voice ; the fire upon the altar, which came 
down from heaven, and immediately consumed the sacrifice ; 
the divine presence or habitation with them, represented by a 
visible appearance, or given, as it were, to the king and high- 
priest by anointing with the oil of unction ; and, lastly, the 
spirit of prophecy, with which those especially who were called 
to the prophetical office were endued. And there was no com- 
parison between the beauty and glory of the structure or build- 
ing of it, as appeared by the tears dropped from those eyes 
which had beheld the former, (" For many of the priests and 
Levites, and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that 
had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was 
laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice /' Ezra iii. 12.) 
and by those words which God commanded Haggai to speak to 
the people for the introducing of this prophecy, " Who is left 
among you that saw this house in her first glory ? And how do 
you see it now? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as 
nothing ?" (Hag. ii. 3.) Being then the structure of the second 
Temple was so far inferior to the first, being all those signs of 
the divine glory were wanting in it with which the former was 
adorned ; the glory of it can no other way be imagined greater, 
than by the coming of Him into it in whom all those signs of 
the divine glory were far more eminently contained : and this 
person alone is the Messias. For he was to be the glory of the 
people Israel, yea, even of the God of Israel ; he the Urim and 
Thummim, by whom the will of God, as by a greater oracle, 
was revealed ; he the true ark of the covenant, the only propi- 
tiatory by his blood ; he which was to baptize with the Holy 
Ghost and with fire, the true fire which came down from hea- 
ven ; he which was to take up his habitation in our flesh, and 
to dwell among us that we might behold his glory ; he who 
received the Spirit without measure, and from whose fulness we 
do all receive. In him were all those signs of the divine glory 
united, which were thus divided in the first Temple ; in him 
they were all more eminently contained than in those : therefore 
his coming to the second Temple was, as the sufficient, so the 
only means by which the glory of it could be greater than the 
glory of the first. If then the Messias was to come while the 
second Temple stood, as appeareth by God's prediction and 



128 



ARTICLE 11. 



promise ; if that Temple many ages since hath ceased to be, 
there being not one stone left upon a stone ; if it certainly were 
before the destruction of it in greater glory than ever the former 
was ; if no such glory could accrue unto it but by the coming 
of the Messias: then is that Messias already come. 

Having thus demonstrated out of the promises given to the 
Jews, that the Messias who was so promised unto them must 
be already come, because those events which were foretold to 
follow his coming are already past ; we shall proceed unto the 
next particular, and prove that the man Jesus, in whom we be- 
lieve, is that Messias who was promised. First, it is acknow- 
ledged, both by the Jew and Gentile, that this Jesus was born in 
Judea, and lived and died there, before the commonwealth of 
Israel was dispersed, before the second Temple was destroyed; 
that is, at the very time when the prophets foretold the Messias 
should come. And there was no other beside him, that did 
with any show of probability pretend to be, or was accepted as, 
the Messias, Therefore we must confess he was, and only he 
could be, the Christ, 

Secondly, All other prophecies belonging to the Messias were 
fulfilled in Jesus, whether we look upon the family, the place, 
or the manner of his birth ; neither were they ever fulfilled in 
any person beside him : he then is, and no other can be, the 
Messias, That he was to come out of the tribe of Judah 
and family of David, is every where manifest. The Jews, which 
mention Messias a son of Joseph or of Ephraim, do not deny, 
but rather dignify, the Son of David, or of Judah, whom they 
confess to be the greater Christ."^ " There shall come forth a 
rodf out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of 
his roots, and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,"saith 
the prophet Isaiah, (xi. 1, 2.) And again, " In that day there 
shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the 
people : to it shall the Gentiles seek, and his rest shall be glo- 
rious." (Isa. xi. 10.) Now who was it but Jesus of whom the 
elders spake, " Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root 
of David?" (Rev. v. 5.) Who but he said, " I am the root and 
offspring of David, and the bright and morning star?" (Rev. 
xxii. 16.) The Jews did all acknowledge it, as appears by the 
question of our Saviour, How say the scribes that Christ is 
the son of David V (Mark xii. 35.) " What think ye of Christ? 
whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David:" 
(Matt. xxii. 42.) and that of the people, amazed at the seeing 

* The Jews have invented a double two breasts are like two young roes," ^"in 

Messias : to one they attribute all those : Dnsx "la n-U'm Tn n-i^Q l-pno Two 

places which mention his low estate and are thy Redeemers, Messias the Son of David, 

sufferings ; to the other such as speak of and Messias the sou oj' Ephraim. 
his power and glory. The one they style t Which the Chaldee paraphrase thus 

tlW p n''U^, the other Tn )2 n-ir-Q.' The translates, Kn^wm "u^n "mnn soba t^'"' 

son of Joseph they name also the son of ^lin-.-mDn "inn A king shall came out of 

Ephraim, and the Son of David the son of the sons of Jesse, and the Messias out of his 

Judah : as the Targum, Cant. iv. 5. "Thy son's sons. So Rabbi Solomon and Kimchi. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



129 



of the blind, and speaking of the dumb, Is not this the Son 
of David?" (Matt. xii. 23.) The blind cried out unto him, 
Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us (Luke xviii. 
38.) and the multitude cried, ** Hosanna to the Son of David." 
(Matt. xxi. 9.) The genealogy of Jesus shews his family : the 
first words of the Gospel are, The book of the generation of 
Jesus Christ, the Son of David." (Matt. i. 1.) The prophecy 
therefore was certainly fulfilled in respect of his lineage ; for 
it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah."(Heb. vii. 14.) 

Besides, if we look upon the place where the Messias was to 
be born, we shall find that Jesus by a particular act of Provi- 
dence was born there. *' When Herod had gathered all the 
chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded 
of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him. 
In Bethlehem of Judea." (Matt. ii. 4, 5.) The people doubted 
whether Jesus was the Christ, because they thought he had 
been born in Galilee, where Joseph and Mary lived ; wherefore 
they said, '* Shall Christ come out of Galilee ? Hath not the 
Scripture said. That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and 
out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was ?" (John vii. 
4], 42.) That place of Scripture which they meant was cited 
by the scribes to Herod, according to the interpretation then 
current among the Jews, and still preserved in the Chaldee 
paraphrase.* ** For thus it is written in the prophet. And thou, 
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the 
princes of Judah, for out of thee shall come a governor that 
shall rule my people Israel." (Matt. ii. 5, 6.) This prediction 
was most manifestly and remarkably fulfilled in the birth of 
Jesus, when by the providence of God it was so ordered, that 
Augustus should then tax the world, to which end every one 
should go up into his own city. Whereupon Joseph and Mary 
his espoused wife left Nazareth of Galilee, their habitation, and 
went into Bethlehem of Judea, the city of David, there to be 
taxed, " because they were of the house^and lineage of David." 
(Luke ii. 4.) And, while they were there, as the days of the 
Virgin Mary were accomplished, so the prophecy w^as fulfilled ; 
for there she brought forth her first-born son ; and so unto us 
was born that day *' in the city of David, a Saviour, which is 
Christ the Lord." (Luke ii. 11 .) 

But if we add unto the family and place, the manner of his 
birth also foretold, the argument must necessarily appear con- 
clusive. The prophet Isaiah spake thus unto the house of 
David; "The Lord himself shall give you a sign: Behold a 
virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name 
Immanuel." (Isa. vii. 14.) What nativity could be more con- 



* Which expressly translateth it thiis : 

t'NnU'- Out of thee ahall come before me the 
Mnisias, that he may exercisa domination in 



Israel. So Rabbi Solomon, "b loia 
m-r ]n ^•'l^'D So Kimchi and Abarbanel, 



130 



ARTICLE II. 



gruoLis to the nativity of a Messias than that of a virgin, which 
is most miraculous] What name can be thought fitter for him 
than that of Imraanuel, *' God with us," (Isa. viii. 8.) whose 
land Judea is said to be? The Immanuel then thus born of a 
virgin was without question the true Messias. And we know 
Jesus was thus born of the blessed Virgin Mary, that it might 
be fulfilled which was thus spoken of the Lord by the prophet." 
(Matt. i. 22.) Wherefore being all the prophecies concerning 
the family, place, and manner of the birth of the Messias were 
fulfilled in Jesus, and not so much as pretended to be accom- 
plished in any other ; it is -again from hence apparent, that this 
Jesus is the Christ. 

Thirdly, He w^ho taught what the Messias was to teach, did 
what the Messias was to do, suffered what the Messias was to 
suffer, and by suffering obtained all which a Messias could ob- 
tain, must be acknowledged of necessity to be the true Messias, 
But all this is manifestly true of Jesus. Therefore we must 
confess he is the Chiist. For, first, it cannot be denied but 
the Messias was promised as a prophet and teacher of the peo- 
ple. So God promised him to Moses ; " I will raise them up 
a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee.'' (Deut. 
xviii. 18.) So Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Hosea, have expressed him, 
as we shall hereafter have farther occasion to shew. And, not 
only so, but as a greater prophet, and more perfect doctor, 
than ever any was which preceded him, more universal than 
they all. *' I have put my Spirit upon him, (saith God) : he 
shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles, and the isles shall 
wait for his law." (Isa. xlii, 1. 4.) Now it is as evident that 
Jesus of Nazareth was the most perfect Prophet, the Prince''^ 
and Lord of all the prophets, doctors, and pastors, which either 
preceded or succeeded him. For he hath revealed unto us the 
most perfect will of God both in his precepts and his promises. 
He hath delivered the same after the most perfect manner, with 
the greatest authority ; not like Moses and the prophets, say- 
ing. Thus saith the Lord; but " I say unto you ;" (Matt. v. often.) 
not like the interpreters of Moses, for " he taught them as one 
having authority, and not as the scribes :" (Matt. vii. 29.) with 
the greatest perspicuity, not, as those before him, under types 
and shadows, but plainly and clearly ; from whence both he 
and his doctrine is frequently called light : with the greatest 
universality, as preaching that Gospel which is to unite all the 
nations of the earth into one Church, that there might be one 
Shepherd and one flock. Whatsoever then that great Prophet 
the Messias was to teach, that Jesus taught ; and whatsoever 
works he was to do, those Jesus did. 

When John the Baptist had heard the works of Christ, he 
sent two of his disciples" with this message to him, **' Art 

* ' A5;)^^i7rotjWfiv. 1 Pet. v. 4. o reoifxriv tSv it^oBaTcev o julya?. Heb. xiii. 20. o 7roi(j,riv 
y.ai sTricrKSTTo^ rZy -^v^Zv. 1 Pet. ii. 25. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



131 



thou he that should come, or do we look for another ?" (Matt, 
xi. 2, 3.) And Jesus returned this answer unto him, shewing 
the ground of that message, " the works of Christ," was a 
sufficient resolution of the question sent ; Go and shew John 
again those things which ye do hear and see : the blind receive 
their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the 
deaf hear, and the dead are raised up." (Matt. xi. 4, 5.) And 
as Jesus alleged the works which he wrought to be a sufficient 
testimony that he was the Messias ; so did those Jews acknow- 
ledge it who said, ** When Christ cometh, will he do more 
miracles than these which this man doeth ?" (John vii. 31.) 
And Nicodemus, a ruler among them, confessed little less: 
Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God ; for 
no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be 
with him.^' (John iii. 2.) Great and many were the miracles 
which Moses and the rest of the prophets wrought for the rati- 
fication of the Law, and the demonstration of God's constant 
presence with his people; and yet all those, wrought by so 
many several persons, in the space of above three thousand 
years, are far short of those which this one Jesus did perform 
within the compass of three years. The ambitious diligence 
of the Jews hath reckoned up seventy-six miracles for Moses, 
and seventy-four for all the rest of the prophets : and supposing 
that they were so many (though indeed they were not), how 
few are they in respect of those which are written of our Saviour! 
How inconsiderable, if compared with all which he wrought ! 
when St. John testifieth with as great certainty of truth as 
height of hyperbole, that ^' there are many other things which 
Jesus did, the which if they should be written every one, he 
supposed that even the world itself could not contain the books 
that should be written." (John xxi. 25.) Nor did our Saviour 
excel all others in the number of his miracles only, but in the 
power of working. Whatsoever miracle Moses wrought, he 
either obtained by his prayers, or else consulting with God, 
received it by command from him ; so that the power of miracles 
cannot be conceived as immanent or inhering in him. Whereas 
this power must of necessity be in Jesus, *' in whom dwelt all 
the fulness of the Godhead bodily," (Col. ii. 9.) and **to whom 
the Father had given to have life in himself." (John v. 26.) 
This he sufficiently shewed by working with a word, by com- 
manding the winds to be still, the devils to fly, and the dead 
to rise : by working without a word or any intervenient sign ; 
as when the woman which ** had an issue of blood twelve years 
touched his garment, and straightway the fountain of her blood 
was dried up" (Mark v. 25. 29.) by the virtue which flowed 
out from the greater fountain of his power. And, lest this 
example should be single, we find that the men of Gennesaret," 
the *' people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the sea- 
coast of Tyre and Sidon, even the whole multitude sought to 

K 2 



132 



ARTICLE II. 



touch him ; for there went virtue out of him, and healed them 
all." (Matt. xiv. 34. 36. Luke vi. 17. 19.) Once indeed Christ 
seemed to have prayed, before he raised Lazarus from the 
grave, but even that was done because of the people which 
stood by (John xi. 42.) not that he had not power within him- 
self to raise up Lazarus, who was afterwards to raise himself ; 
but " that they might believe the Father had sent him." (Ibid.) 
The immanency and inherency of this power in Jesus 'i^ evident 
in this, that he was able to communicate it to whom he pleased, 
and actually did confer it upon his disciples : " Behold I give 
unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over 
all the power of the enemy." (Luke x. 19.) Upon the apostles: 

Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out 
devils ; freely ye have received, freely give." (Matt. x. 8.) Upon 
the first believers : ^' These signs shall follow them that believe; 
in my name they shall cast out devils." (Mark xvi. 17.) ** He 
that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and 
greater works than these shall he do." (John xiv. 12.) He then 
which did more actions divine and powerful than Moses and 
all the prophets ever did, he which performed them in a manner 
far more divine than that by which they wrought, hath done all 
which can be expected the MessiaSy foretold by them, should do. 

Nor hath our Jesus only done, but suffered, all which the 
Messias was to suffer. For we must not with the Jews deny 
a suffering Christ, or fondly of our own invention make a dou- 
ble MessiaSf one to suffer, and another to reign. It is clear 
enough by the prophet Isaiah what his condition was to be, 
whom he calls the servant of God (Isa. lii. 13.) and the 
later Jews cannot deny but their fathers constantly understood 
that place of the Messias:* 



* For, first, instead of those words, 
*' Behold, my servant shall deal pru- 
dently," the Targuin hath it plainly, Nn 
KTT'U'a "iny nbT Behold, my Son the Messias 
shall prosper. And Solomon Jarchi on the 
place : n-UTSn nb -Opm l^mm Our rabbins 
understand this of the Messias. And the 
reason which he renders of their interpre- 
tation is very observable. For they say 
(says he), that the Messias is stricken, as 
it is written, " He took our infirmities, 
and bare our griefs ;" which are the words 
of the 4th verse of the 53d chapter. From 
whence we may perceive how the ancient 
Jews did join the latter part of the 52d 
chapter with the 53d, and expound them 
of the same person. Beside, he cites a 
certain Midrash, or gloss, which attributes 
the same verse to the Messias, and that 
is to be found in Bereshit Rabba upon 
Gen. xxviii. 10. where, falling upon that 
place in Zech. iv. 7. " What art thou, O 
great mountain, before Zerubbabel 1" he 
•--"^-'prs. n'-U'O m bnjn *in that great moun- 



tain is the Messias. Then asking again, 
Why doth he call the Messias a great 
mountain '? he gives this answer, b"n3 NTlir 
n-'TTQ HT -mir bou?" n3n"3U' mnxn ]a Because 

he is greater than the fathers, as it is written, 
Behold, my servant shall understand, that is, 
the Messias ; which are the words of the 
verse before cited. And the same Be- 
reshit Rabba upon Gen. xxiv. 67. saith : 
Messias the King was in the generation 
of the wicked ; that he gave himself to 
seek for mercies for Israel, and to fast- 
ing and humbling himself for them, as it 
is written ; and so produceth the words of 
Isa. liii. 5. From whence it appears again, 
that the author thereof interpreted both 
the chapters of the same Messias. And 
farther it is observable that the Midrash 
upon Ruth ii. 14. expounds the same verse 
in the same manner. And Rabbi Moses 
Alshech speaks yet more fully of the con- 
sent of the ancient Jewish doctors upon 
this place, -D ibnpi nD'"'p ma ns V'ln nsr 
I"*.!! n'-U'Qn ^bQ bif Behold — i- doctors c 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



133 



Now the sufferings of Christ spoken of by the prophet may- 
be reduced to two parts : one in respect of contempt, by which 
he was despised of men; the other in respect of his death, 
and ail those indignities and pains which preceded and led 
unto it. For the first, the prophet hath punctually described 
his condition, saying, He hath no form or comeliness, and 
when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should de- 
sire him. He is despised and rejected of men." (Isa. liii. 2, 
3.) He seems to describe a personage no way amiable, an 
aspect indeed rather uncomely :^ and so the most ancient 
writers have interpreted Isaiah, + and confessed the fulfilling of 



happy memory conclude with one mouth, as 
they have receited from their ancestors, that 
this is spohen of the Messias. From hence 
it appears, that it was originally the ge- 
neral sense of the Jews, that all that piece 
of Isaiah is a description of the Messias, 
and consequently that the apostles cannot 
be blamed by them now for applying it 
to Christ ; and that the modern Jews may 
well be suspected to frame their contrary 
expositions out of a wilful opposition to 
Christianity. 

* The first lb ixn nb seems to signify 
Bo less, as being from the root "ixn which 
gignifieth to form, figure, fashion, or deli- 
neate; from whence the noun attributed to 
any person signifieth the feature, com- 
plexion, shape, or composition of the 
body : as Rachel was IND nS", forma 
piilcra, Gen. xxix. 17. and so Joseph nS'- 
-lt<n, Gen. xxxix. 6. so Abigail and Esther, 
and in general, Deut. xxi. 11. with an 
addition of fair added to IND, whereas 
David is called, without such addition, 
ixn U'^K, but with the full signification 
6 avhp aya&og s'ihi, in Judges viii. 18. 
^bon nxnDnnK bU ofz-oiMfxa, ulov QcLo-iXiccQ, 
so the Roman ; but the Aldus and Com- 
plut. better, obj sTSo? vlHv Qacrt'kecog' accord- 
ing to that verse of Euripides cited by 
Athenaeus and Porphyrins, 

The Messias was to be a king, whose ex- 
ternal form and personage spake no such 
majesty. 

t As Justin Martyr : Ol f-dv el'^nvTai ilq 

arifxoi;, xai aetSii?, not Svjito? (pavha-Ba-^ai 
nixri^vyfA.ivog lariv. Dial, cum Tryph. p. 232. 

vofxt^o/xsvov 'lai(rn<p tov rzKrovoq vlov uTra^p^^siv, 
Kcti ag4SoiJ?,wf etl •ypa<pa.] lunfivsa-ov, <pa.ivcfxivov. 
I6?d.p. 316. 'EttsiS")! J/af 01 h ov^avS a^^^^ovTBg 
swpm asi^ri KOI arj/uov to eTS'o? nal aJo^ov 'i)(_QVTa 
aVTOV, OV J/V^^l^OVTEJ avTOV, BTTuvBavoVTO' Tig 
ha-Tiv oZ-roq 0 Qa.(7iKBvg irnq ^o^rig; Ibid. p. 255. 
And Clemens Alex. Tov ku^iov avrhv rrjv 
o^/iv ala-^^ov yByoVivai ^ta. 'Ha-aiov ro Tlvsv/uca, 
fAK^rvpsT, Kal li'^oy.B'J ahrlv, naX ovu eTp^sv 
iihg, &c. Pad. 3. c. 1. "OTroy ys Koi avTog 



h }lB<paXn T-rig 'EiiKXr,<ria,g Iv aa^Ki fxlv a£tS'>;? 
^isXn'kvQB ncu afAOfxpog. Strom. 3. c. 17. p. 
202. And Celsus impiously arguing against 
the descent of the Holy Ghost upon our 
Saviour, says : It is impossible that any 
body in which something of the Divinity 
were should not dilFer from others; ToDto 
(the body of Christ) ov^bv aXT^ou M<ps^Bv, 
aXX', Mg <pas-i, fxiy,^ov, xa.) ^vnrBt^ig, Kal ayewBg 
Kv. This which Celsus by his Sig <pa<ri seems 
to take from the common report of Chris- 
tians in his age, Origen will have hini 
take out of Isaiah, and upon that ac- 
knowledgeth to WeiSej, but the other two, 
fj.iH^ov and ayBwlg, he denies : '0(jt.oKoyov}A.i- 
voog ro'ivvv yBypctTTTai to, tts^) tov ^VTB\.^Bg ys- 
yovBvai TO IhctoD a-oofxa., ol fxh oog inriBBiTai, 
Kai ayensg, ouSe a-a.'^wg ^n'KouTai, on fxm^ov 
hv ip^Ei Se h Xe^i? oZrtv iTct^a. rcc 'Uff-ata dvaye- 
y^dfxfxm, &c. 1. vi. §. 75. and then cites 
this place, and so returns it as an answer 
to the argument of Celsus, that because he 
was foretold to be as he was, he must be 
the Son of God : MsyaXr] naraaKcvh bctti 
TOV TOV afjio^^ov SojtouVTct sTvAi "incyovv, vlov 
SiVai ^Bov, TO Tt^o y-oWm \tqov Tr,g ysvBcrsaug 
avTov 'n'B7r^o<pnT£va-6ai nal TtBftTOuB'i^ovg avTov. 
Ibid. §. 76. In the same sense did St. Cyril 
take these words of the Prophet ; who, 
speaking of that place of the Psalmist, 
* speciosus forma pr8e filiis hominum,' ob- 
serves this must be understood of his 
Divinity : Khooaig ya^ avTW xat Tci'T^Bivooo'ig 
Trig [xBTo, a-a^Kog olaovofxiag oXov bo-tI to fj.v- 
c-TnpiOV y^a<pst ^fimu Kai 6 U^o<priTr)g 'H.a-aiag 
urs^l avTov, Ovu eTj^ev eTS'oc, ov^b KaWog, &c. 
And again : 'Ev sUbs 7rB<pnvev 6 vlog tS Xt'av 
aKaXXBa-Ta-TO}. Tertullian speaks plainly 
as to the prophecy, and too freely in his 
way of expression : • Sed carnis terrenas 
Don mira conditio ipsa erat, qufe csetera 
ejusmiranda faciebat, cum dicerent, Unde 
huic doctrina hcec et signa ista ? Adeo nec 
humanae honestatis corpus fuit, nedum 
coelestis claritatis. Tacentibus apud nos 
quoque prophetis (Isa. liii. 2.) de ignobili 
aspectu ejus, ipsae passiones ipsseque con- 
tumeliae loquuntur. Passiones quidem 
humanam carnem, contumeliae vero in- 
honestam probavere. An ausus esset ali- 



134 



ARTICLE II. 



it in the body of our Saviour. But what the aspect of his out- 
ward appearance was, because the Scriptures are silent, we 
cannot now know : and it is enough that we are assured, the 
state and condition of his life was in the eye of the Jews with- 
out honour and inglorious. For though, being in the form 
of God he thought it not robbery to be equal with God ; yet 
he made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form 
of a servant." (Phil. ii. 6, 7.) For thirty years he lived with 
his mother Mary and Joseph his reputed father, of a mean 
profession, and was subject to them.'^ (Luke ii. 51.) When 
he left his mother's house, and entered on his prophetical of- 
fice, he passed from place to place, sometimes received into a 
house, other times lodging in the fields : for while the foxes 
have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, the Son of man 
had not where to lay his head." (Matt. viii. 20.) From this low 
estate of life and condition, seemingly inglorious, arose in the 
Jews a neglect of his works, and contempt of his doctrine. "Is 
not this the carpenter's son?" (Matt, xiii.55.) nay, farther, "Is not 
this the carpenter, the son of Mary 1^ and they were offended at 
him." (Markvi.3.) Thus was it fulfilled in him, ^* he was despised 
and rejected of men, and they esteemed him not." (Isa. liii. 3.) 

This contempt of his personage, condition, doctrine and 
works, was by degrees raised to hatred, detestation and perse- 
cution, to a cruel and ignominious death. All which if we 
look upon in the gross, we must acknowledge it fulfilled in 



quis ungue summo perstringeie corpus 
novum, sputaminibus contaminare faciem 
nisi merenteml' De came Christi, c 9. 
And that we may be sure he pointed at 
that place in Isaiah, he says, that Christ 
was : ' Ne aspectu quidem honestus : Au- 
nunciavimus enim, inquit, de illo, sicut 
puerulus, sicut radix in terra sitienti, et 
non est species ejus neque gloria.' Adv. 
Marcmi. 1. iii. c. 17. and adv. Judaos, c. 
14. This humility of Christ, in taking 
upon him the nature of man without the 
ordinary ornaments of man, at first ac- 
knowledged, was afterwards denied, as 
appears by St. Jerome, on Isaiah Ivi. ' In- 
glorius erit inter homines aspectus ejus, 
non quo formae significat foeditatem, sed 
quod in humilitate venerit et paupertate.' 
kxidiEp'ist. 140. ' Absque passionibuscrucis 
universis pulcrior est virgo devirgine, qui 
non ex voluntate Dei, sed ex Deo natus 
est. Nisi enim habuisset et in vultu quid- 
dam oculisque sidereum, nunquam eum 
statim secuti fuissent Apostoli, nec qui ad 
comprehendendum eum venerant, corruis- 
sent.' So St. Chrysostom interprets the 
words of Isaiah of his Divinity, or humility, 
or his passion : but those of the Psalmist, 
of his native corporal beauty : Ovll ya.^ 
QavfJiarovpyZv riv ^Avy-acrrog |UOVoy, aXXa Hal 



fara^a. tou? v\ovq tSv a^Q^dTrm. Homil. 28. in 
Matt. Afterwards they began to magnify 
the external beauty of his body, and con- 
fined themselves to one kind of picture or 
portraiture, with a zealous pretence of a 
likeness not to be denied, which eight 
hundred years since was known by none, 
every several country having a several 
image. Whence came that argument of 
the Iconoclastfe, by way of query, which 
of those images was the true : ITotejov h 
•rrapa 'Pa}fA,aioiq, r, r.vrti^ 'ivSot ypacf^ouinv, ^ h 
'Tia.^ "EXXno-iv, r\ h <7ia^ Alyvsrrloig ; oup^ 
ofAOicti aKXhXaig avrai. Photius Epist. 64. 
And well might none of these be like an- 
other, when every nation painted our 
Saviour in the nearest similitude to the 
people of their own country. "exXjjvsj fxh 
avroig c'fA,oiov Im yng <^a.vr,vai tov Xpis-rov vofAi- 
^ova-i, 'PoofjiaToi Se (/.aXkov eavToXg ioiwra,' 
'ivS'ot §£ TToKlV f^o^<p*i T? avToov, Kol AiS/oTTef 
SvXov wg lavroTg. Photius ibid. And the. 
diflference of opinions in this kind is suf- 
ficiently apparent out of those words in 
Suidas : 'Io-te'ov H on <paj-]v ol atipi^Bs-TctTOi 
tZv la-TO^inaiv , a>g to ovXov x.cu oXtj^oTgip^ov 

olKBlOTBpOV IcTTi y^a<pBlV luri T^J EIXOVOJ TOU 

X^ia-Tov, 

* Kat TSXTOyo? vofxi^ofjiivoV touto. ya§ Ta 
rsKTeviiia, 'ipya, sl^ya^BTO Iv ayQ^xTToig wv, a^o- 
Tpa, Kal ^vya. Just. Mart. Vial, cum Tryph. 
p. 316. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



135 



him to the highest degree imaginable, that he was " a man 
of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Isa. liii. 3.) But if 
we compare the particular predictions with the historical pas- 
sages of his sufferings; if we join the prophets and evange- 
lists together, it will most manifestly appear the Messias was 
to suff'er nothing which Christ hath not suffered. If Zachary 
say, they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver;" 
(Zech. xi. 12.) St. Matthew will shew that Judas sold Jesus at 
the same rate; for the chief priests *' covenanted with him for 
thirty pieces of silver." (Matt. xxvi. 15.) If Isaiah say, that 
*'he was wounded ;" (Isa. liii. 5.) if Zachary, ^' they shall look 
upon me whom they have pierced ;" (Zech. xii. 10.) if the 
prophet David, yet more particularly, they pierced my hands 
and ray feet;" (Psal. xxii. 16.) the evangelists v;^ill shew how 
he was fastened to tlie cross, and Jesus himself'^ the print of 
the nails." (John xx. 25.) If the Psalmist tells us, they should 

laugh him to scorn, and shake their head, saying, He trusted in 
the Lord that he would deliver him, let him deliver him, seeing he 
delighted in him;" (Psal. xxii. 7, 8.) St. Matthew will describe 
the same action, and the same expression ; for they that passed 
by reviled him, wagging their heads, and saying. He trusted in 
God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him ; for he said 
I am the Son of God." (Matt, xxvii. 39. 43.) Let David say. 

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Psal. xxii. 
1.) and the Son of David will shew in whose person the Father 
spake it, Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani." (Matt, xxvii. 46.) Let 
Isaiah foretell, " he was numbered with the transgressors;" 
(Isa. liii. 12.) and you shall find him crucified between two 
thieves, one on his right hand, the other on his left." (Mark 
XV. 27.) Read in the Psalmist, *' in my thirst they gave me 
vinegar to drink;" (Psal. Ixix. 21.) and you shall find in the 
evangelist, Jesus, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, 
I thirst : and they took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, 
and put it on a reed, and gave it him to drink." (John xix. 
28. Matt, xxvii. 48.) Read farther yet, they part my garments 
among them, and cast lots upon my vesture ;" (Psal. xxii. 18.) 
and, to fulfil the prediction, the soldiers shall make good the dis- 
tinction, ** who took his garments, and made four parts, to every 
soldier a part, and also his coat : now the coat was without seam, 
woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among 
themselves. Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall 
be." (John xix. 23, 24.) Lastly, let the prophets teach us, that 
" he shall be brought like a lamb to the slaughter, and be cut off 
out of the land of the living ;" (Isa. liii. 7, 8.) all the evangelists 
will declare how like a lamb he suff'ered, and the very Jews will 
acknowledge, that he was cut off* : and now may we well con- 
clude. Thus it is written, and thus it behoveth the Christ to 
suff'er ;" (Luke xxiv. 46.) and what it so behoved him to suflfer 
that he suffered. 



136 



ARTICLE II. 



Neither only in his passion, but after his death, all things 
were fulfilled in Jesus which were prophesied concerning the 
Messias, "He made his grave with the wicked, and with the 
rich in his death," (Isa. liii. 9.) saith the prophet of the Christ 
to come : and as the thieves were buried with whom he was 
crucified, so was Jesws, but laid in the tomb of "Joseph of Ari- 
mathea, an honourable counsellor." (Mark xv. 43.) " After 
two days will he revive us, in the third day he will raise us 
up," saith Hosea (vi. 2.) of the people of Israel ; in whose lan- 
guage they were the type of Christ ; (Hos. xi. 1.) and the third 
day Jesus rose from the dead. ** The Lord said unto my Lord, 
f saith David) Sit thou at my right hand." (Psal. ex. 1.) Now 
*^ David is not ascended into the heavens," (Acts ii. 34.) and 
consequently cannot be set at the right hand of God ; but Jesus 
is already ascended and set down at the right hand of God : and 
so "all the house of Israel might know assuredly, that God hath 
made that same Jesus, whom they crucified, both Lord and 
Christ." (Acts ii. 36.) For he who taught whatsoever the 
Messias, promised by God, foretold by the prophets, expected 
by the people of God, was to teach ; he who did all which 
that Messias was by virtue of that office to do ; he which suf- 
fered all those pains and indignities which that Messias wsls to 
suffer ; he to whom all things happened after his death, the 
period of his sufferings, which were according to the divine 
predictions to come to pass : he, I say, must infallibly be the 
true Messias. But Jesus alone taught, did, suffered, and ob- 
tained all these things, as we have shewn. Therefore we may 
again infallibly conclude, that our Jesus is the Christ. 

Fourthly, If it were the proper note and character of the 
Messias, that all nations should come in to serve him ; if the 
doctrine of Jesus hath been preached and received in all parts of 
the world, according to that character so long before delivered ; 
if it were absolutely impossible that the doctrine revealed by 
Jesus should have been so propagated as it hath been, had it 
not been divine ; then must this Jesus be \hQ Messias ; and 
when we have proved these three particulars, we may safely 
conclude he is the Christ. 

That all nations were to come in to the Messias, and so the 
distinction between the Jew and Gentile to cease at his com- 
ing, is the most universal description in all the prophecies. 
God speaks to him thus, as to his Son ; " Ask of me, and I 
will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utter- 
most parts of the earth for thy possession." (Psal. ii. 8.) It 
was one greater than Solomon of whom these words were 
spoken, All kings shall fail down before him, all nations 
shall serve him." (Psal. Ixxii. 11.) " It shall come to pass in 
the last days, (saith Isaiah ii. 2.) that the mountain of the 
Lord's house shall be established in the top of the moun- 
tains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



137 



shall flow unto it/' And again, ^* In that day there shall be a 
root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people ; 
to it shall the Gentiles seek." (Isa. xi. 10.) And in general 
all the prophets were but instruments to deliver the same mes- 
sage, which Malachi concludes, from God : " From the rising 
of the sun, even to the going down of the same, my name shall 
be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall 
be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name 
shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of Hosts. 
(Mai. i. 11.) Now being the bounds of Judea were settled, 
being the promise of God was to bring all nations in at the 
coming of the Messias, being this was it which the Jews so 
much opposed, as loath to part from their ancient and peculiar 
privilege ; he which actually wrought this work must certainly 
be the Messias: and that Jesus did it, is most evident. 

That all nations did thus come in to the doctrine preached 
by Jesus, cannot be denied. For although he "were not sent 
but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" (Matt. xv. 24.) 
although of those many Israelites, which believed on him while 
he lived, very few were left immediately after his death ; yet 
when the apostles had received their commission from him 
to*' go teach all nations," (Matt, xxviii. 19.) and were en- 
dued with power from on high" (Luke xxiv. 49.) by the plen- 
tiful effusion of the Holy Ghost ; the first day there was an 
accession of "three thousand souls;" (Acts ii. 41.) imme- 
diately after we find " the number of the men, beside women, 
was about five thousand;" (Acts. iv. 4.) and still " believers 
were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and 
women." (Acts v. 14.) Upon the persecution at Jerusalem, 
they went through the " regions of Judea, Galilee, and Sa- 
maria," (Acts ix. 31.) and so the Gospel spread; insomuch 
that St. James the bishop of Jerusalem spake thus unto St. 
Paul, •* Thou seest, brother, how many thousands (or rather 
how many myriads,'^ that is, ten thousands) of the Jews there 
are which believe." (Acts xxi. 20.) Beside, how great was the 
number of the believing Jews, strangers scattered through 
Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, and the rest of 
the Roman provinces, will appear out of the epistles of St. Peter, 
St. James, and St. John. And yet all these are nothing to the 
fulness of the Gentiles which came after. First, those which 
were before Gentile worshippers, acknowledging the same God 
with the Jews, but not receiving the Law ; who had before 
abandoned their old idolatry, and already embraced the true 
doctrine of one God, and did confess the Deity which the 
Jews did worship to be that only true God ; but yet refused 
to be circumcised, and so to oblige themselves to the keeping 
of the whole Law. Now the apostles preaching the same God 
with Moses whom they all acknowledged, and teaching that 



138 



ARTICLE II. 



circumcision and the rest of the legal ceremonies were now 
abrogated, which, those men would never admit, they were 
with the greatest facility converted to the Christian faith. For 
being present at the synagogues of the Jews, and understand- 
ing much of the Law, they were of all the Gentiles readiest to 
hear, and most capable of the arguments which the apostles 
produced out of the Scriptures to prove that Jesus was the 
Christ. Thus many of the *^ Greeks that came up to worship" 
at Jerusalem, (John xii. 20.) ^' devout men out of every nation 
under heaven," (Acts ii. 5.) not men of Israel, but yet fearing 
God, did first embrace the Christian faith. After them 
the rest of the Gentiles left the idolatrous worship of their 
heathen gods, and in a short time in infinite multitudes re- 
ceived the Gospel. How much did Jesus work by one St. 
Paul to the ^'obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed?'' 
How did he pass from Jerusalem round about through Phoe- 
nice, Syria, and Arabia, through Asia, Achaia, and Macedonia, 
even to lUyricum, *^ fully preaching the Gospel of Christ?" 
(Rom. XV. 18, 19.) How far did others pass beside St. Paul, 
that he should speak even of his time, that the " Gospel was 
preached to every creature under heaven?" (Col. i. 23.) Many 
were the nations, innumerable the people, which received the 
faith in the apostles' days : and in not many years after, not- 
withstanding millions were cut off in their bloody persecutions, 
yet did their numbers equalize half the Roman empire and 
little above two ages after the death of the last apostle, the 
emperors of the world gave their names to Christ, and submitted 
their sceptres to his laws, that the ^* Gentiles might come to 
his light, and kings to the brightness of his rising;'' (Isa. Ix. 
3.) that kings might become the nursing fathers, and queens 
the nursing mothers, '^ of the Church. (Isa. xlix. 23.) 

From hence it came to pass, that according to all the pre- 



* * Visa est mihi res digna consulta- 
tione, maxime propter periclitantium, 
numerum. Multi enim omnis aetatis, 
omnis ordinis, utriusque sexus etiam, 
vocantur in periculum et vocabuntur. Ne- 
que enim civitates tantum, sed vicos 
etiam atque agros, superstitionis istius 
contagio pervagata est.' Pliii. Epist. ad 
Trajanum, 1. x. ep. 97. ' Tanta hominum 
multitudo, pars pene major civitatis cu- 
jusque, in silentio et modestia agimus.' 
Tertidl. ad Scapul. c. 2. ' Si hostes ex- 
sertos, non tan turn vindices occultos agere 
vellemus, deesset nobis vis numerorum 
et copiarum ? Plures nimirum Mauri et 
Marcomanni, ipsique Parthi, vel quan- 
ta3cunque unius tamen loci et suorum 
finium gentes, qaam totius orbis. He- 
sterni sumus, et vestra omnia implevimus, 
urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, con- 
riliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, decurias, 



palatium, senatum, forum.' Id. Apolog, 
c. 37. ' Potuimus et inermes, nec rebel- 
les, sed tantummodo discordes, solius 
divortii invidia adversus vos dimicasse. 
Si enim tanta vis hominum in aliquem. 
orbis remoti sinum abrupissemus a vobis, 
suffadisset utique dominationem vestrani 
tot qualiumcunque amisoio civium, imo 
etiam et ipsa destitutione punisset : pro- 
culdubio expavisseds ad solitudinem ve- 
stram, ad silentium rerura, et stuporem 
quendam quasi rnortuse urbis : quassissetis 
quibus in ea imperassetis.' Id. ibid. And 
IrensBus, v/ho wrote before Tertullian, 
and is mentioned by him, speaks of the 
Christians in his time living in the Court 
of Rome : ' Quid autem et hi qui in regali 
aula sunt ndeles ? nonne ex eis, quae 
CcEsaris sunt, habent utensilia, ethis, qui 
non habent, unusquisque secundum suam 
virtutem praestat V 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 139 



dictions of the prophets, the one God of Israel, the Maker of 
heaven and earth, was acknowledged through the world for the 
only true God : that the Law given to Israel was taken for the 
true Law of God, but as given to that people, and so to cease 
when they ceased to be a people ; except the moral part thereof, 
which, as a universal rule common to all people, is still acknow- 
ledged for the Law of God, given unto all, and obliging every 
man : that all the oracles of the heathen gods, in all places 
where Christianity was received, did presently cease, and all 
the idols or the gods themselves were rejected and condemned 
as spurious. For the Lord of Hosts had spoken concerning 
those times expressly, it shall come to pass in that day, that 
I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they 
shall no more be remembered : also I will cause the prophets 
and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land/' (Zech. xiii. 2.) 

Now being this general reception of the Gospel was so an- 
ciently, so frequently foretold, being the same was so clearly 
and universally performed ; even this might seem sufficient to 
persuade that Jesus is Christ. But lest any should not yet be 
fully satisfied, we shall farther shew, that it is impossible Jesus 
should have been so received for the true Messias, had he not 
been so ; or that his doctrine, which teacheth him to be the 
Christ, should be admitted by all nations for divine had it not 
been such. For whether we look upon the nature of the 
doctrine taught, the condition of the teachers of it, or the man- 
ner in which it was taught, it can no way seem probable, that 
it should have had any such success, without the immediate 
working of the hand of God, acknowledging Jesus for his Son, 
the doctrine for his own, and the fulfilling by the hands of the 
apostles what he had foretold by the prophets. 

As for the nature of the doctrine, it was no way likely to 
have any such success. For, first, it absolutely condemned all 
other religions, settled and corroborated by a constant succes- 
sion of many ages, under which many nations and kingdoms, 
and especially at that time the Roman, had signally flourished. 
Secondly, it contained precepts far more ungrateful and trouble- 
some to flesh and blood, and contrariant to the general inclina- 
tion of mankind ; as the abnegation of ourselves, the mortify- 
ing of the flesh, the love of our enemies, and the bearing of the 
cross. Thirdly, it enforced those precepts seemingly unreason- 
able, by such promises as were seemingly incredible and un- 
perceivable. For they were not of the good things of this 
world, or such as afl'ord any complacency to our sense ; but of 
such as cannot be obtained till after this life, and necessarily 
presuppose that which then seemed as absolutely impossible, 
the resurrection. Fourthly, it delivered certain predictions 
which were to be fulfilled in the persons of such as should em- 
brace it, which seem sufficient to have kept most part of the 
world from listening to it, as dangers, losses, afflictions, tribu- 



140 



ARTICLE II. 



lations ; and, in sum, all that would live godly in Christ Jesus 
should suffer persecution." (2 Tim. iii. I'i.) 

If we look upon the teachers ol' this doctrine, there appeared 
nothing in them which could promise any success. The first 
revealer and promulger bred in the house of a carpenter, 
brought up at the feet of no professor, despised by the high- 
priests, the Scribes and Pharisees, and all the learned in the 
religion of his nation; in the time of his preaching apprehended, 
bound, buffetted, spit upon, condemned, crucified ; betrayed in 
his life by one disciple, denied by another; at his death dis- 
trusted by all. What advantage can we perceive towards the 
propagation of the Gospel in this author of it, Christ crucified, 
unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolish, 
ness?" (I Cor. i. 23.) What in those which followed him, sent 
by him, and thence called apostles, men by birth obscure, by 
education illiterate, by profession low and inglorious? How 
can we conceive that all the schools and universities of the 
world should give way to them, and the kingdoms and empires 
should at last come in to them, except their doctrine were in- 
deed divine, except that Jesus, whom they testified to be the 
Christ, were truly so ? 

If we consider the manner in which they delivered this doc- 
trine to the world, it will add no advantage to their persons, 
or advance the probability of success. For in their delivery 
they used no such rhetorical expressions, or ornaments of elo- 
quence, to allure or entice the world ; they affected no such 
subtilty of wit, or strength of argumentation, as thereby to 
persuade or convince men; they made use of no force or vio- 
lence to compel, no corporal menaces to affright mankind unto 
a compliance. But in a plain simplicity of words they nakedly 
delivered w^hat they had seen and heard, ''preaching, not with 
enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonstration of 
the Spirit." (1 Cor. ii. 4.) It is not then rationally imaginable, 
that so many nations should forsake their own religions so 
many ages professed, and brand them all as damnable, only that 
they might embrace such precepts as were most unacceptable 
to their natural inclinations, and that upon such promises as 
seemed not probable to their reason, nor could have any in- 
fluence on their sense, and notwithstanding those predictions 
which did assure them, upon the receiving of that doctrine, to 
be exposed to ail kind of misery : that they should do this 
upon the authority of him who for the same was condemned 
and crucified, and by the persuasion of them who were both 
illiterate and obscure : that they should be enticed with words 
without eloquence, convinced without the least subtilty, con- 
strained without any force. I say, it is no way imaginable 
how this should come to pass, had not the doctrine of the 
Gospel, which did thus prevail, been certainly divine ; had not 
the light of the Word, which thus dispelled the clouds of all 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



141 



former religions, come from lieaven; had not that Jesus, the 
author and finisher of our faith," (Heb. xii. 2.) been the true 
Messias. 

To conclude this discourse. He who was in the world at the 
time when the Messias was to come, and no other at that time 
or since pretended ; he who w^as born of the same family, in the 
same place, after the same manner, which the prophets foretold 
of the birth of the Messias ; he which taught all those truths, 
wrought all those miracles, suffered all those indignities, re- 
ceived all that glory, which the Messias was to teach, do, suffer, 
and receive ; he whose doctrine was received in all nations, ac- 
cording to the character of the Messias: he was certainly the 
true Messias, But we have already sufficiently shewed that all 
these things are exactly fulfilled in Jesus, and in him alone. 
We must therefore acknowledge and profess, that this Jesus is 
the promised Messias, that is, the Christ. 

Having thus manifested the truth of this proposition, Jesus 
is the Christ, and shew^ed the interpretation of the word Christ 
to be anointed: we find it yet necessary, for the explication of 
this Article,* to inquire what was the end or immediate effect 
of his unction, and how or in what manner he was anointed to 
that end. 

For the first, as the Messias was foretold, so was he typified: 
nor were the actions prescribed under the Law less predictive 
than the words of the prophets. Nay,t whosoever were then 
anointed, were therefore so, because he was to be anointed. 
Now it is evident, that among the Jews they were wont to anoint 
those which were appointed as kings over them : J so *' Samuel 
said unto Saul, The Lord sent me to anoint thee to be king 
over his people, over Israel." (1 Sam. xv. 1.) When Saul was 
rejected, and David produced before Samuel, "the Lord said. 
Arise, anoint him, for this is he." (1 Sam. xvi. 12.) And some 
may have contented themselves with this,§ that the Messias 
was to be a king. But not only the kings, but beside and long 
before them, the high-priests were also anointed; insomuch as 
the anointed,^ in their common language, signified their high- 



* ' In Christi nomine subauditur qui 
unxit, et ipse qui unctus est, et ipsa unctio 
in qua unctus est.' Iren. ]. iii. c. 20. 

t Ol Bttct'KsTi TravTEj xai ol ^^Krro] aTTo 
Tovrov fxiria-xov ncu BctcriT^Big naKiia-bcti xat 
X^fia-roL Just. Mart. Dial, cum Tryph. p.31 3. 

I ' Christus a chrismate dicitur : quia 
sicut antiqui reges a sacerdotibus oleo 
sacro profundebantur, sic Cliristus Spiritus 
Sancti infusione repletus est.' Auctor 
Serm. 131. de Temp. 

§ ' Sicut nunc Romanis indumentum 
purpuras insigne est regiae dignitatis as- 
sumptae : sic illis unctio sacri unguenti 
nomen ac potestatera regiam conferebat.' 
Lactan. 1. iv. c. 7. 



II For thougb at the first the sons of 
Aaron were anointed as well as Aaron, as 
appears, Exod. xl. 15. " Thou shalt anoint 
them as thou didst anoint their father, 
that they may administer to me in the 
priest's office :" yet they were not after 
anointed, but the successors of Aaron 
only : for, saith the text, "Their anointing 
shall surely be an everlasting priesthood 
throughout their generations :" and, there- 
fore, after this first anointing they shall 
need no more, only the successors in the 
high-priesthood shall reiterate the unction : 
from whence the priest that is anointed 
afterwards signified the high-priest, as 
Lev. iv. 3. n-tran pDn LXX. o a^x^H^^'^ 



142 



ARTICLE II. 



priest. And because these two were most constantly anointed, 
therefore divers have thought it sufficient to assert, that the 
Messias W2iS to be a king and a priest.* But being not only 
the high-priests and kings were actually anointed (though they 
principally and most frequently) ; for " the Lord said unto 
Elias, Go anoint Hazael to be king over Syria, and Jehu the 
son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel, and 
Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be prophet in 
thy room:" (1 Kings xix. 15, 16.) Therefore hence it hath 
been concluded that the three offices of prophet, priest, and 
king, belonged to Jesus as the Christ,f and that upon good 
reason. For the commonwealth of Israel was totally ordered 
and disposed, both in the constitution and administration of it, 
for and with respect unto the Messias. The constitution of that 
people was made by a sej unction and separation of them from 
all other nations on the earth : and this began in Abraham, with 
a peculiar promise of a seed in whom all the nations should be 
blessed, and be united into one religion. That promised seed 
was the Messias, the type of whom was Isaac. This separation 
was continued by the administration of that commonwealth, 
which was "a royal priesthood (1 Pet. ii. 9.) and that ad- 
ministration of the people did consist in three functions, 
prophetical, regal, sacerdotal ; all which had respect unto the 
Messias,"]^ as the scope of all the prophets, and the complement 
of their prophecies, as the hojcd of the Temple, and the end of 
all the sacrifices for which the Temple was erected, as the heir 



0 y.e)(^fi(rfA,£vog, by way of explication ; 
whereas, verses the 5th and 16th of the 
same chapter, and vi. 22. they render it 
by a bare translation, o lepsvg 6 Xgio-ro? : 
which by the vulgar Latin is translated, 
Sacerdos qui jure patri succederet, because 
no other but the son, which succeeded the 
father in the office of the high- priest, was 
afterwards anointed : as the Arabic, Et 
similiter sacerdos successor de filiis suis. For 
in the anointing of Aaron and his sons, 

: bnj ]nD niN -3 -rnx mwab ab Levi 

Ben Gerson, 1 Kings i. 

* As Lactantius : ' Erat Judaeis ante 
praeceptum, ut sacrum conficerent unguen- 
tum, quo perungi possent ii, qui voca- 
bantur ad sacerdotium vel ad regnum.' 1. 
iv. c. 7. And St. Augustin : * Prioribus 
Veteris Testamenti temporibus ad duas 
solas personas pertinuit unctio.' Enarr. 
*2. Psal.xxvi. §. 2. ' Christus vel Pontificale 
vel Regium nomen est. Nam prius et 
Pontifices unguento chrismatis consecra- 
bantur et Reges.' Ruff, in Symb. §. 8. 

t Tovro TO "^^ia-f/.a i^h (a-ovov 'a^xi^suiti 
'jrctpah^nva.i , aXXa xeil toT? fxira, toZto. <rr^o- 
^hraiQ Hal 0a<TiXeva-iv, oTi; net] avroti; rovrca 
Xfisa-^ai (xmv h^ov h tw (jiv^cc. Euseb. 



Demonst. Evang. 1. iv. c. 15. and Hist. 1. 
i.e. o. Wherefore St. Augustin, recollect- 
ing a place, in his eighty-three questions, 
in which he had taught the two fishes in 
the Gospel, ' duas illas personas signifi- 
care quibus populus ille regebatur, ut per 
eas conciliorum moderamen acciperet, 
regiam scilicet et sacerdotalem, ad quas 
etiam sacrosancta ilia unctio pertinebat,' 
makes this particular retractation : * Di- 
cendum potius fuit, maxima pertinebat, 
quoniam unctos aliquando legimus et 
prophetas.' Retract. 1. i. c. 26. 

X Ol f/,6vovg apa tov? afx^ifxa-vvri TSrt- 
fjt.nfA,Bvov(; TO toD p^fi«rToD nareKoa-fxei ica.^ 
'E^gai'oi? ovofA,a' aXXa Jtat roug BacriXsat;, oik; 
nai ahrolx;, TtvevfActTi ^eiw 7r^o<ptira,t ^^iovtsi;, 
sluovinoix; rivaq 'x^^ia-rovQ aTTSipyA^ovTO' on 
S>] nai auro), T"? tou juovoy nal aXnQov? X^ia-rou, 
rou nara Tfavroov Ba<ri\svovro<; S'Si'oy "Koyou, 
(Sas-jXtKi?? xai ap)(^iKr)g l^ova-iai; tou? Tvitovq St' 
iawSiv i<J)Effov' rtln Si Ka\ avrZv tSv 7rpo<priroov 
Tjva? Sta ^^ta-fxaroi; p^^tiTToy? Iv tuttw yeyo' 
VBvai '!Tapei'Kri<pa/j.sv. ooq TouTOUf aTfavrag rhv 
im Tov aXiS"!? Xfto-Tov, tov I'vS'eov Jtat ov^avioy 
hoyov, ava<popci.v e'xejv, /uovov a^^is^sa rZv o'Koov, 
naX jwovov airatrnq rng ktiVemj ^aa-ihea, xal 
fAovov '7r§o<prirMV app^i7rfo4>»)T«v tou Tear^og 
rvyx^vovTa. Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. i. c. 3. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, 8ic. 



143 



of an eternal priesthood " after the order of Melchizedek," 
(Psal. ex. 4.) and of the throne of David, or an everlasting 
kingdom. I3eing then the separation v^^as to cease at the com- 
ing of the Messias, being that could not cease so long as the 
administration of that people stood, being that administration 
did consist in those three functions, it foUoweth that those three 
were to be united in the person of the Messias^ who was to make 
all one, and consequently, that the Christ was to be Prophet, 
Priest, and King. 

Again, the redemption or salvation which the Messias was to 
bring, consisteth in the freeing of a sinner from the state of 
sin and eternal death, into a state of righteousness and eternal 
life. Now a freedom from sin in respect of the guilt could not 
be wrought without a sacrifice propitiatory, and therefore there 
was a necessity of a priest; a freedom from sin in respect of 
the dominion could not be obtained without a revelation of the 
will of God, and of his wrath against all ungodliness, therefore 
there was also need of a prophet ; a translation from the state 
of death into eternal life is not to be effected without absolute 
authority and irresistible power, therefore a king was also 
necessary. The Messias, then, the Redeemer of Israel, was 
certainly anointed for that end, that he might become Pro- 
phet, Priest, and King. And if we believe him whom we call 
Jesus, that is, our Saviour and Redeemer, to be Christ, we must 
assert him by his unction sent to perform all these three offices. 

That Jesus was anointed to the prophetical office, though we 
need no more to prove it than the prediction of Isaiah, ** The 
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to 
preach the Gospel to the poor;" (Isa. Ixi. L) the explication of 
our Saviour, *'This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears ;'* 
(Luke iv.21.) and the confession of the synagogue at Nazareth, 
who ^' all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious 
words which proceeded out of his mouth :" (Luke iv. 22.) yet 
we are furnished with more ample and plentiful demonstrations; 
for whether we consider his preparation, his mission, or his 
administration, all of them speak him fully to have performed 
it. To Jeremiah indeed God said, Before thou earnest forth 
out of the womb, I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a pro- 
phet unto the nations ;" (Jer. i. 5.) and of John the Baptist, 
*' He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's 
womb." (Luke i. 15.) And if these became singular prophets 
by their preparative sanctification, how much more eminent 
must his prophetical preparation be, to whose mother it is said, 
*' The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee?" (Luke i. 35 ) If the Levites 
must be thirty years old, every one that came to do the 
service of the ministry," (Numb. iv. 47.) Jesus will not enter 
upon the public administration of this office till he begin to 
be about thirty years of age." (Luke iii. 23.) Then doth the 



144 



ARTICLE II. 



*^ Holy Ghost descend in a bodily shape like a dove upon him: 
then must a voice come from heaven, saying. Thou art my be- 
loved Son, in thee I am w^ell pleased." (Luke iii. 22.) Never 
such preparations, never such an inauguration of a prophet. 

As for his mission, never any was confirmed with such iet- 
ters of credence, such irrefragable testimonials, as the formal 
testimony of John the Baptist, and the more virtual testimony 
of his miracles. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet 
before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord,'' 
saith God by Malachi. (iv. 5.) And John went ^' before him 
in the spirit of Elias/' (Luke i. 17.) saith another Malachi, even 
an angel from heaven. This John, or Elias, saw the Spirit 
descend on Jesz^s, '^and bare record, that this is the Son of 
God." (John i. 34.) The Jews took notice of this testimony, 
who said unto him. Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond 
Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold the same bap- 
tizeth, and all men come unto him (John iii. 26.) and Jesus 
himself puts them in mind of it, " Ye sent unto John, and he 
bare witness unto the truth (John v. 33.) nay, they them- 
selves confessed his testimony to be undeniable, "John did 
no miracle, but all things that John spake of this man were 
true." (John x. 41.) But though the witness of John were thus 
cogent, yet the testimony of miracles was far more irrefragable; 

I have greater witness than that of John (saith our Saviour); 
for the works which my Father hath given me to finish, the 
same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath 
sent me." (John v. 36.) Notwithstanding the precedent record 
of John, Jesus requireth not an absolute assent unto his doc- 
trine without his miracles : If I do not the works of my Fa- 
ther, believe me not." (John x. 37.) But upon them he chal- 
lengeth belief : ^' But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe 
the works ; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in 
me, and I in him." (John x. 38.) If then Moses and other 
prophets, to whom God gave the power of miracles, did assert 
their mission to be from God by the divine works which they 
wrought; much more efficacious to this purpose must the mira- 
cles of Jesus appear, who wrought more wonders than they all. 
Never therefore was there so manifest a mission of a prophet. 

Now the prophetical function consisteth in the promulgation, 
confirmation, and perpetuation of the doctrine containing the 
will of God for the salvation of man. And the perfect adminis- 
tration of the office must be attributed unto Jesus. For " no 
man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which 
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John i. 
18.) He gave unto the apostles the words which his Father 
him. (John xvii. 8. 14.) Therefore he hath revealed the perfect 
will of God. The confirmation of this doctrine cannot be de- 
nied him, who lived a most innocent and holy life to persuade 
it, for he did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



145 



(1 Pet. ii. 22.) who wrought most powerful and divine works 
to confirm it, and was thereby "known" to be " a teacher from 
God ;" (John iii. 2.) who died a most painful and shameful death 
to ratify it, " witnessing a good confession before Pontius 
Pilate (1 Tim. vi. 13.) which in itself unto that purpose effi- 
cacious, was made more evidently operative in the raising of 
himself from death. The propagation and perpetual succession 
of this doctrine must likewise be attributed unto Jesus, as to no 
temporary or accidental prophet, but as to him who instituted 
and instructed all who have any relation to that function. For 
** the Spirit of Christ was in the prophets :" (1 Pet. i. 11.) and 
** when he ascended up on high, he gave gifts unto men."(Eph. 
iv. 8 ) For " he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and 
some pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for 
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." 
(Eph. iv. 11, 12.) It is then most apparent that Jesus was so 
far Christy as that he was anointed to the prophetical office, be- 
cause his preparation for that office was most remarkable, his 
mission unto that office was undeniable, his administration of 
that office w^as infallible. 

Now as Jeans was anointed with the unction of Elizeus to 
the prophetical, so was he also with the unction of Aaron to 
the sacerdotal office. Not that he was called after the order 
of Aaron ; for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, 
of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood :" 
(Heb. vii. 14.) but after a more ancient order, according to the 
prediction of the Psalmist, " the Lord hath sworn and will not 
repent. Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek." 
(Psal. ex. 4. Heb. vii. 21.) But though he were of another 
order, yet whatsoever Aaron did as a priest was wholly typical, 
and consequently to be fulfilled by the Messias, as he was a 
Priest. For the priesthood did not begin in Aaron, but was 
translated and conferred upon his family before his consecra- 
tion. We read of " the priests which came near the Lord;" 
(Exod. xix. 22.) of young men of the children of Israel which 
offered burnt-offerings, and sacrificed peace-offerings of oxen 
imto the Lord (Exod. xxiv. 5.) which without question were 
no other than the first-born,* to whom the priesthood did be- 
long. Jesus, therefore, as the first-begotten of God, was by 
right a Priest, and being anointed unto that office, performed 
every function, by way of oblation, intercession, and benedic- 
tion. Every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacri- 
fices : wherefore it is of necessity that this man Jesus, if he he 
a high-priest, have somewhat also to offer." (Heb. viii. 3.) Not 
that he had any thing beside himself, or that there was any pe- 
culiar sacrifice allowed to this Priest ; who, when he cometh 
into the world, saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, 

* For the Hebrew nj;: sigaifying juvenes, by all the Targums is rendered "IDIS 
that is primogeniLi : and so the Arabic and Persian translations. 



146 



ARTICLE II. 



but a body hast thou prepared me :" (Heb, x. 5.) and, by the 
offering of this body of Jesus Christ are we sanctified." (Heb. 
X. 10.) For he who is our Priest hath *' given himself an 
offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." 
(Eph.v.2.)* 

Now when Jesus had thus given himself a propitiatory sacri- 
fice for sin, he ascended up on high, and entered into the Holy 
of Holies not made with hands, and there appeared before God 
as an atonement for our sin. Nor is he prevalent only in his own 
oblation once offered, but in his constant intercession. *^ Who 
is he that condemneth ? (saith the apostle), it is Christ that 
died, yea rather that is risen again, who is even at the right 
hand of God ; who also maketh intercession for us." (Rom. 
viii. 34.) Upon this foundation he buildeth our persuasion, 
that he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come 
unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession 
for them." (Heb. vii. 25.) Nor must we look upon this as a 
servile or precarious,t but rather as an efficacious and glorious 
intercession, as of him to whom all power is given both in hea- 
ven and earth. Besides these offerings and intercedings, there 
was something more required of the priest, and that is bless- 
ing. Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most 
holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before 
the Lord, to minister unto him, and to bless in his name for ever." 
(1 Chron. xxiii. 13.) We read of no other sacerdotal act per- 
formed by Melchizedek the priest of the most high God, but 
only that of blessing, and in that respect both of God and man : 
First, He blessed man, and said. Blessed be Abram of the 
most high God, possessor of heaven and earth : then, Blessed 
be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into 
thine hand." (Gen. xiv. 19, 20.) Now it is observable what the 
Rabbins have delivered, that at the morning sacrifice the 
priests under the Law did bless the people with the solemn 
form of benediction, but at the evening sacrifice they blessed 
them not ; to shew that in the evening of the world, the last 
days, which are the days of the Messias, the benediction of the 
Law should cease, and the blessing of the Christ take place. 
When Zachariah the priest, the father of John Baptist, the 
forerunner of our Saviour, executed his office before God in 
the order of his course," and the whole multitude of " the peo- 
ple w^aited for him," to receive his benediction, " he could not 
speak unto them," (Luke i.8. 21, 22.) for he was dumb; shew- 



* ' Unus ipse erat qui ofFerebat et quod 
offerebat.' S. August, de Triii. 1. iv. §. 19. 
* Unum cum illo manebat cui ofFerebat, 
unum in se fecit pro quibus offerebat ; 
unus ipse erat qui offerebat et quod offe- 
rebat.' Id. ibid. 

t Ua^aKKnTOV t^ofxsv 'l:ia-ovv, ov^ vtte^ 
hfjtMV TtyonaXivioufAivov rod Ttarooq Ka< Upa-- 



TriTTrovra SofXiKa;?. aTrays rnv ^ovXriV ovrooq 
i'TTovoiav ital ava^iav rou TTVEu/occtTO?" oun yk^ 
rov iTa.r^o(; roZro £7n^»5T£iV, ol)t£ rov vioZ Ttk- 

ojf ttIttovS'Ev oag avS'^cuTTo?, 'nrei^si KaprBpsTv oof 
"KcycQ Kcti <na^ciivkrni;. rovro voBirai f/,oi h tta- 
panXi^c-ii, S. Greg. Naz. Omt. 36. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, ^c. 



147 



ing the power of benediction was now passing to another and 
far greater priest, even to Jesusy whose doctrine in the mount 
begins with blessed; who, when he left his disciples, lift up 
his hands and blessed them." (Luke xxiv. 50.) And yet this 
function is principally performed after his resurrection, as it is 
written, Unto you first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, 
sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his 
iniquities." (Acts iii. 26.) It cannot then be denied that 
JesuSf who offered up himself a most perfect sacrifice and 
oblation for sin, who still maketh continual intercession for 
us, who was raised from the dead, that he might bless us with 
an everlasting benediction, is a most true and most perfect 
Priest. 

The third office belonging to the Messias was the regal, as 
appeareth by the most ancient tradition of the Jews,* and by 
the express predictions of the prophets. " Yet have I set my 
king (saith the Psalmist), upon my holy hill of Sion." (Psal. 
ii. 6.) *^ Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the 
government shall be upon his shoulder," saith the prophet 
Isaiah, (ix. 6.) who calleth him the " Prince of peace," shew- 
ing the perpetuity of his power, and particularity of his seat. 
*' Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be 
no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom^ to 
order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice, 
from henceforth even for ever." (Lsa. ix. 7.) All which most 
certainly belongs unto our Jesus, by the unerring interpretation 
of the angel Gabriel, who promised the blessed Virgin that 
"the Lord God" should "give unto" her son " the throne of 
his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob 
for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke i. 
32, 33.) He acknowledgeth himself this office, though by a 
strange and unlikely representation of it, the riding on an ass ; 
but by that it was ** fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. 
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy King cometh unto 
thee, meek, and sitting on an ass." (Matt. xxi. 4, 5.) He made 
as strange a confession of it unto Pilate; for when he said unto 
him, " Art thou a king then ? Jesus answered. Thou sayest that 
1 am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came 
1 into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth." 
(John xviii. 37.) The solemn inauguration into this office was 
at his ascension into heaven, and his session at the right hand 
of God : not but that he was by right a King before, but the 
full and public execution was deferred till then, " when God 
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in 
the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and 
might, and dominion." (Eph. i. 20, 21.) Then he, whose "name 
is called the Word of God, had on his vesture and on his 

* For the Chaldee paraphrase in the most places where it mentioneth tli^ 
Messias doth it with the addition of king, KniW3 KDbp. 
L 2 



148 



ARTICLE II. 



thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords/' 
(Rev. xix. 13. 16.) 

This regal office of our Saviour consisteth partly in the rul- 
ing, protecting, and rewarding of his people ; partly in the 
coercing, condemning, and destroying of his enemies. First, 
he ruleth in his own people, by delivering them a Law by whicli 
they walk: by furnishing them with his grace, by which they 
are enabled to walk in it. Secondly, he protecteth the same, 
by helping theui to subdue their lusts, which reign in their 
mortal bodies ; by preserving them from the temptation of the 
world, the flesh, and the devil ; by supporting them in all their 
afflictions ; by delivering them from all their enemies. Thirdly, 
whom he thus rules and protects here, he rewards hereafter in 
a most royal manner, making them " kings and priests unto 
God and his Father." (Rev. i. 6.) On the contrary, he sheweth 
his regal dominion in the destruction of his enemies, whether 
they were temporal or spiritual enemies. Temporal, as the 
Jews and Romans, who joined together in his crucifixion. 
While he was on earth he told his disciples, There be some 
standing here, which shall not taste of death till they see the 
Son of man coming in his kingdom :" (.Matt. xvi. 28.) and in 
that kingdom he was then seen to come, when he brought utter 
destruction on the Jews by the Roman armies, not long after 
to be destroyed themselves. But beside these visible enemies, 
there are other spiritual, those which hinder the bringing in of 
his own people into his Father's kingdom, those which refuse 
to be subject unto him, and consequently deny him to be their 
King; as all wicked and ungodly men, of whom he hath said, 
** These mine enemies, which would not that I should reign 
over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." (Luke xix. 
27.) Thus sin, Satan, and death, being the enemies to his king- 
dom, shall all be destroyed in their order. For he must reign 
till he hath put all his enemies under his feet : and the last 
enemy that shall be destroyed is death." (1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.) 
Thus is our " Jesus" become the Prince of the kings of the 
earth ;" (Rev. i. 5.) thus is the Lamb" acknowledged to be 
" Lord of lords, and King of kings." (Rev. xvii. 14.) 

Wherefore seeing we have already shewed that the prophe- 
tical, sacerdotal, and regal offices Were to belong unto the pro- 
mised Messias, as the proper end and immediate effect of his 
unction; seeing we have likewise declared how Jesus was 
anointed to these offices, and hath and doth actually perform the 
same in all the functions belonging to them ; there remaineth 
nothing for the full explication of this particular concerning 
the Christ, hut only to shew the manner of this unction, which 
is very necessary to be explained. For how they were anointed 
under the Law, who were the types of the Messias, is plain and 
evident, because the manner was prescribed, and the materials 
were visible : God appointed an oil to be made, and appro- 



AND IjN JESUS CHRI3T, &c. 



149 



priated it to that use ; and the pouring that oil upon the body 
of any person was his anointing to that office for which he was 
designed. But being that oil so appropriated to this use was 
lost many hundred years before our Saviour's birth, being the 
custom of anointing in this manner had a long time ceased, 
being howsoever we never read that Jesus was at all anointed 
with oil ; it remaineth still worthy of inquiry, how he was 
anointed, so as to answer to the former unctions ; and what it 
was which answered to that oil, which then was lost, and was 
at the first but as a type of this which now we search for. 

The Jews* tell us, that the anointing oil was hid in the days 
of Josiah, and that it shall be found and produced again when 
the Messias comes, that he may be anointed with it, and the 
kings and high-priests of his days. But though the loss of 
that oil bespake the destruction of that nation, yet the Christ 
which was to come needed no such unction for his consecra- 
tion ; there being as great a difference between the typical and 
correspondent oil, as between the representing and represented 
Christ. The prophet David calleth it not by the vulgar name 
of oil of unction, but the " oil of gladness.'' (Psal. xlv. 7.) For 
though that place may in the first sense be understood of So- 
lomon, whom when Zadok the priest anointed, " They blew 
the trumpet, and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 
And all the people came up after him, and the people piped 
with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent 
with the sound of them (1 Kings i. 39, 40.) though from 
thence it might be said of him, "Thy God hath anointed thee 
with the oil of gladness above thy fellows :" (Psal. xlv. 7.) yet 
being those words are spoken unto God, as well as of God, 
(" therefore God, thy God"t) the oil with which that God is 
anointed, must in the ultimate and highest sense, signify a far 
greater gladness than that at Solomon's coronation was, even 
the fountain of all joy and felicity in the Church of God. 

The ancientsj tell us that this oil is the Divinity itself, and 

Nin "ina umpn T'ny n''U'Dn mD'a * t ' Duas personas, ejus qui unctus est 

n'273 nit'yu' xniTDn nmx n'THnb Dei, et qui unxit, intellige. Unde et 

D-^nDm □"Dbon inwo- tiinh Dj; Aquila ELohim. n-mbx verbum Hebraicum 

: ann "rs^n n-biun In the days of the Mes- non nominativo casu, sed vocativo, inter- 

sias God will rector'; unto his people the oil pretatur, dicens See : et nos propter intei- 

of unction which Moses made, which was ligentiam D^e posuimus, quod Latina lin- 

hidden with the Ark ; and the kings and gua non accipit, ne quis perverse putet 

high-priests shall be anointed with it in those Deum dilecti et araantissimi et Regis bis 

da vs. Abarbanel Comment, ad 30. Exodi. Patrem nominari.' S. Hieron. Epist. 104. 

Now the loss of that oil, which they call * Quod sequitur, Unxit te, Deus,Deustuus, 

the hiding of it, may well be thought to primum nomen Dei vocativo casu intel- 

foretell the period of the Mosaical admi- ligendum est, sequens nominativo ; quod 

nistration, being, they confess, that after satis miror cur Aquila non, ut coeperat in 

that they never had any priests anointed, primo versiculo, vocativo casu interpre- 

because they had no power to make the tatus sit, sed nominativo, bis nominans 

same oil. So plainly confesseth the same Deum, qui supradictum unxerit Deum.' 

Abarbanel : -Sib "21^ n-ia r\WO ini n-n Idem. Ibid. 

ay in-WK- nnwnn ]m 1333 n-n "laair t So &reg. Naz. expounds the place : 



150 



ARTICLE n. 



in the language of the Scriptures it is the Holy Ghost. St. 

Peter teacheth us how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with 
the Holy Ghost, and with power." (Acts x. 38.) Now though 
there can be no question but the Spirit is the oil, yet there is 
some doubt, when Jesus was anointed with it. For we know 
the angel said unto the blessed Virgin, *' the Holy Ghost shall 
come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall oversha- 
dow thee : therefore also that holy thing which shall be born 
of thee, shall be called the Son of God," (Luke i. 35.) From 
whence it appeareth that from the conception, or at the incar- 
nation Jesus was sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and the power 
of the Highest; and so consequently, as St. Peter spake, he 
was anointed then with the Holy Ghost, and with power."* 
Again, being we read that after he was thirty years of age, the 
Spirit '* like a dove descended and lighted upon him;" (Matt, 
iii. 16.) and he, descending in the power of the Spirit into 
Galilee, said unto them of Nazareth, "This day is this Scrip- 
ture fulfilled in your ears, (meaning that of Isaiah, Ixi. 1.) The 
Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to 
preach the Gospel (Luke iv. 18.) hence hath it been also col- 
lected, that his unction was performed at his baptism. f Nor 
need we contend which of these two was the true time of our 
Saviour's unction, since neither is destructive of the other, and 
consequently both may w^ell consist together. David, the most 
undoubted type of the Messias, was anointed at Bethlehem; 
for there ^^Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in 
the midst of his brethren : and the Spirit of the Lord came upon 
David from that day forward." (1 Sam. xvi. 13.) Of which 
unction those words of God must necessarily be understood, 
I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I 



S'soTflTj, xcrrs TTOina-ai ra afxt^o-n^a, £v. And 
again : Xp;o-To? Sia t^v Ssotjjto.- (not that 
liis Divinity was anointed, or Christ 
anointed in respect of his Divinity ; but 
that he was anointed in his humanity by 
his Divinit)') _;n^?iVi? yap avr-n t?? avS-pwTro- 
TWTCj o-jJt hspysia., Kara, rovt; ciXXoy; ^picnohi; 
kyia^ovTa., Tra^cutr'nt o\cv tov p^^iovTO?' rjg 
s^yov, avdpajTToy aKoinrat to p^fiov, aal Troitia-ai 
bsov TO ■)^^iofjLVjov. Orat. 2. de Filio, ad fin. 

* X^t^To; l^^'iT^r^ out; ^aa-ihibq xa; U^ihq 
tS p^piVjWaTt T>35 <ragxaj(7£<wj. Germanus 
Coiutant. Rer. Eccl. Contempl. Biblioth. 
Patr. Gr. vol. ii. p. 132. Ksxiia-^ca U 
ovx ETEjCD? <pafA,iv TOV ulov, Pi oTi naTo, (Tupua 
yivoy.i\ov, ^nXovon xaS' hy-ag, nal Ivav^poo'mh- 
cavTa. Titus Bostrens, ad Luc. iv. 18. 
ibid. p. 783. * Deus est qui ungit, et 
Peus qui secundum carnem ungitur Dei 
filius. Denique quos habet unctionis su<e 
Christus nisi in carne participes T Vides 
igitur, quia Deus a Deo vmctus, sed in 
assumptione naturte unctus human?e Dei 
Tilius designatur.' S. Ambras, de Fide, 1. i. 



c. 3, ' Hero omnia carni conveniunt, cui 
piissimum et gloriosissimum Verbum uni- 
tum est pro salute cunctorum.' Cassio- 
dorus in Psal, xliv. 

J St. Jerome, mentioning that place of 
the Psalm: 'Quando consjrtes nominantur, 
naturam carnis intellige ; quia Deus con- 
sortes substantiee suee non habet. Et quia 
erat unctio spiritualis et nequaquam hu- 
mani corporis, (ut fuit in sacerdot«ibus 
Judaeorum) idcirco pree consortibus, id 
est, cseteris Sanctis, unctus esse memora- 
tur. Cujus vmctio illo expleta est tempore 
quando baptizatus est in Jordane, et Spi- 
ritus Sanctus in specie Columbae descen- 
dit super eum, et mansit in illo.' Com- 
ment. in Fsaiam, c. 61. ' In ilia columba 
quEe super ipsum post baptisma descendit, 
cum Sacramento baptismatis, et veri sa- 
cerdotii jura suscepit, fuso videlicet super 
eum oleo exsultationis, de quo Psalmista 
canit ; Unxit ie, inquit, Deus, Deus tuns.' 
Petrus Damianus, Opuscul.vi. c. 4. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



151 



anointed him." (Psal. Ixxxix. 20.) And yet he was again 
anointed at Hebron ; first " over the house of Judah," (2 Sam. 
ii. 4.) then over all the tribes of Israel." (2 Sam. v. 3.) As 
therefore David at his first unction received the Spirit of God, 
and a full right unto the throne of Israel, which yet he was not 
to exercise till the death of Saul and acceptation of the tribes ; 
and therefore when the time was come that he should actually 
enter upon his regal oflSce, he was again anointed : so our 
Jesus, the son of David, was first sanctified and anointed with 
the Holy Ghost at his conception, and thereby received a right 
unto, and was prepared for, all those offices which belonged to 
the Redeemer of the World : but when he was to enter upon 
the actual and full performance of all those functions which 
belonged to him, then doth the same Spirit which had sanc- 
tified him at his conception, visibly descend upon him at his 
inauguration. And that most properly upon his baptism ; be- 
cause, according to the customs of those ancient nations, wash- 
ing was wont to precede their unctions wherefore " Jesus, 
when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water : 
And lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the 
Spirit of God descending like a dove." (Matt. iii. 16.) As 
David sent Solomon to be anointed at Gihon : from whence 

* As appears by those entertainments so frequently mentioned by Homer in his 
Odyssey ; as when Telemachus is entertained by Nestor : 
To<f)pa TttXljCtap^ov "Kova-iv kclXy) noXuaaa-rn , 
N£(rTO^oj 0TTXora.Tr] ^uyarri^ NnXrjiaJao* 

AvTO.^ I Tret Xoutrh t£ Kal 'i)(^^i<7iii XItt' IXaiu. Od. F. 463. 
And Telemachus and Pisistratus are invited to the court ofMenelaus; 

"E? f aa-afxivBovg ^avrs? lu^ia-raq Xovcavro' 

Toiig J'IttsI ouv ^fxocal Xovaav ncu p^fl'ff-ctv IXalo). Od. A. 48. 
Thus Ulysses is entertained, Od. ©. thus Prraeus and Telemachus, Od. P. And Venus 
returning to Paphus, is so ordered by the Charites ; 

"Ev^tt §■£ fxiv XapJTE? Xova-av xai p^p~crav lxai<w 

'A/xQfOTcc, oia Ssou? eTrevmo^Ev aUv lovra?. Od. ©. 364. 
So Helena speaks of her entertaining Ulysses in a disguise 

'aXX' otb fj.:v syaiv IXotvv Kal Xp~ov sXaioo. Od. A. 252. 
It is apparent that^this was the custom of the ancient Greeks. Of which Eustathius 
gives this reason ; ''EXa.ico Ip^^giovro o\ Xoua-afxsvoi efxTrXami/reg rovg croifxa.riH.oug Tro^ovg, oog av 
/wET<i Xovrfov crreyoisv rhv uy^orvra. This custom was so ancient and general, that the 
Greeks had one word to express this anointing with oil after washing with water, 
which they called X'^rXa and ;)^uT\a;ira{. Etymol. XvrXZa-ai, oux a-TrXSig ro a.Xzi-\>ai, aXXa, 
TO Ittj XovrfS a.Xsi^a.a-^a.1. Schol. Aristoph. Vesp. v. 506. XvrXa. U nupiwg, ro vy^ou 'in a-rro 
l^tarcg hrog rou ira}fxa.rog aXEi^ajrS-ai. Hesych. XurXa, ro e<f v^arog sXaiov and, 'XyrXMS-a.i , 
ro a.X{(-\,a.i fx£ra ro Xoucracr2ra.(. Hence, when Nausicaa went unto the pools to wash, 
her mother gave her a box of oil. Od. Z. 79. 

AwHE S'g x^va-iin Iv Xnnv^ci) hy^h IXaiov, 

E\oog xyrXuia-airo <rvv afxtptTToXoia-i ywai^iv. 
Where the old Scholiast, ;)^i;TXa;5-ajTo, Xovaafxiyn aXEi'^atro- and Eustathius, E"oog xyrXw- 
a-atro, avrl rou, cTTcag fxBrk Xovrfov 'xvrXoo^iin aX£t4^t/-tev»j* which exposition is warranted 
by the performance aftermentioned, 

Ai Xoii7<Ta.[j.ivai aai aXzi-\.afA.£va.i Xiii lXa.'i^. V. 96. 
And as this was the ancient custom of the Greeks, so was it also the common custom 
of the Jews, as appears by the words of Naomi to Ruth, " wash thyself, therefore, 
and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee." Ruth iii. 3. 



152 ARTICLE II. 

arose that ancient observation of the Rabbins, that ^ kings were 
not to be anointed but by a fountain/* 

Now as we have shewn that Jesuswsis anointed mth the Holy- 
Ghost, lest any should deny any such descension to be a proper 
or sufficient unction, we shall farther make it appear, that the 
effusion, or action of the Spirit, eminently containeth whatso- 
ever the Jews have imagined to be performed or signified by 
those legal anointings. Two very good reasons they render 
why God did command the use of such anointing oil, as in re- 
spect of the action. First, that it might signify the divine elec- 
tion of that person, and designation to that office : from w'hence 
it was necessary that it should be performed by a prophet, 
who understood the will of God. Secondly, that by it the 
person anointed might be made fit to receive the divine influx. 
For the first, it is evident there could be no such infallible sign 
of the divine designation of Jesus to his offices, as the visible 
descent of the Spirit attended with "a voice from heaven," in- 
stead of the hand of a prophet, saying, "This is my beloved 
Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matt. iii. 17.) For the se- 
cond, this spiritual unction was so far from giving less than an 
aptitude to receive the divine influx, that it was that divine 
influx, nay, the Divinity itself, the Godhead dwelling in him 
bodily. 

In respect of the matter, they give two causes why it w^as oil, 
and not any other liquor. First, because of all other, it signi- 
fies the greatest glory and excellency. The olive was the first 
of trees mentioned as fit for sovereignty, in regard of its " fat- 
ness, wherewith they honour God and man." (Judg. ix. 9.) 
Therefore it was fit that those persons which were called to a 
greater dignity than the rest of the Jews, should be consecrated 
by oil, as the best sign of election to honour. And can there 
be a greater honour than to be the Son of God, the beloved 
Sou, as Jesus was proclaimed at this unction, by which he w^as 
consecrated to such an office, as will obtain him a name far 
above all names ? Secondly, they tell us that oil continueth 
nncorrupted longer than any other liquor. And indeed it hath 
been observed to preserve not only itself but other things from 
corruption ;+ hence they conclude it fit their kings and priests, 
whose succession was to continue for ever, should be anointed 



* They say in the Gemara, that this is 
a maxim of the doctors, vn K-l?2an TiOX 
: v^yon by nbH Dobon nn rmn?3 i-n pm 
Abarbanel in 30 Eiod. The end of which 
ceremony was to shew the prolonging of 
his kingdom, who was so anointed ; and 
the original is referred to the anointing 
of Solomon, 1 Kings i. 39. For so it fol- 
loweth in the Talmud, imDbn iirtt-m-ia 
ipn'-J nmx am mm Abarbanel ibid. 

t ' Unguenta optime servantiir in ala- 
bastris, odores ia olec' FUn. Hist. 1. xiii. 



c. 2. 'Existimatur et ebori vindicando 
a carie utile esse. Certe simulacrum 
Saturni Romse intus oleo repletum est.' 
Id, 1. XV. c. 7. And whosoever made that 
statue at Rome, seems to have had his 
art out of Greece, from that famous ivory 
statue made by Phidias. oZtoi; yk^ (xzra 
TO xcnaa-Kivktrai Uis-am li'^ai'Kov, (1^ IX£<|)ay- 
To? §■£ rovro ^v) sXaiov l>i;)^s~<ri&<ij Tr^oa-'ira^sv 
rovQ wo^a.^, ifXTt^otr^iv roZ ayaXfxaro^, 
aQivarov bI; w\ay.iv <J)uX«<r<ra,-v a vro. Proclus 
apud S. Epiphan. Htcr. Ixiv. §. 18. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, ac. 



153 



with oil, the most proper emblem of eternity. But even by this 
reason of their own, their unction has ceased, being the suc- 
cession of their kings and priests is long since cut off, and their 
eternal and eternizing oil lost long before; and only that one 
Jesus, who was anointed with the most spiritual oil, " con- 
tinueth ever ; and therefore hath an unchangeable priesthood, 
as being made not after the law of a carnal commandment, but 
after the power of an endless life." (Heb. vii. 24. 16.) 

Beside, they observe, that simple oil, without any mixture 
was sufficient for the candlestick ; but that which was designed 
for unction must be compounded with principal spices, which 
signify a good name, always to be acquired by those in places 
of greatest dignity by the most laudable and honourable ac- 
tions. And certainly never was such an admixion of spices as 
in the unction of our Saviour, by which he was endued with all 
variety of the graces of God, by which he was enabled to " offer 
himself a sacrifice for a sweet-smelling savour." (Eph. v. 2.) 
For as he was " full of grace and truth ; so of his fulness have 
we all received, grace for grace;" (John i. 14. 16.) and as we 
"have received anointing of him," (1 John ii. 27.) so we are 
unto God a sweet savour of Christ." (2 Cor. ii. 15.) 

Again, it was sufficient to anoint the vessels of the sanc- 
tuary in any part; but it was particularly commanded that the 
oil should be poured upon the head of the kings and priests, 
as the seat of all the animal faculties, the fountain of all dig- 
nity, and original* of all the members of the body. This 
was more eminently fulfilled in Jesus, who, by his unction, or 
as Christ, became " the head of the Church;" (Col. i. 18.) nay, 
the "head of all principality and power, from which all the 
body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and 
knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col. 

ii. 10. 19.) 

Lastly, They observe, that though in the vessels nothing 
but a single unction was required ; yet in the kings and 
priests there was commanded, or at least practised, both 
unction and effusion; as it is written ''He poured of the 
anointing oil upon Aaron's head, and anointed him to sanctify 
him :" (Lev. viii. 12.) the first to signify their separation, the 
second to assure them of the falling of the Spirit upon them. 
Now what more clear, than that our Christ was anointed by 
effusion, whether we look upon his conception, "the Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee ;" (Luke i. 35.) or his inaugura- 
tion, "the Spirit descended and lighted upon him?" (Matt. 

iii. 16.) And thus, according unto all particulars required by 
the Jews themselves to complete their legal unctions, we have 
sufficiently shewed that Jesus was, as most eminently, so most 
properly, anointed with the Spirit of God. 

* According to the Etymology in the Hebrew language, of which Abarbanel here 
takes notice ; ; onnu' nbiyo HTm "inNn b'Db nwNi Nin "3 iz'ni NipD pbi 



154 



ARTICLE II. 



Wherefore being we have shewn that a Messias was to come 
into the world ; being we have proved that he is already come, 
by the same predictions by which we believe he was to come ; 
being we have demonstrated that Jesus born in the days of 
Herod, was and is that promised Messias; being we have 
farther declared, that he was miointed to those offices, which 
belonged to the Messias, and actually did and doth still per- 
form them all; and that his anointing was by the immediate 
effusion of the Spirit, which answereth fully to all things re- 
quired in the legal and typical unction : I cannot see what 
farther can be expected for explication or confirmation of this 
truth, that Jesus is the Christ. 

The necessity of believing this part of the Article is most 
apparent, because it were impossible he should be our Jesus. 
except he were the Christ. For he could not reveal the way 
of salvation, except he were a prophet; he could not work 
out that salvation revealed, except he were a priest; he could 
not confer that salvation upon us, except he were a king ; he 
could not be Prophet, Priest, and King, except he were the 
Christ. This was the fundamental doctrine which the apostles 
not only testified, as they did that of the resurrection, but 
argued, proved, and demonstrated out of the Law and the 
Prophets. We find St. Paul, at Thessalonica, three sab- 
bath-days, reasoning with them out of the Scriptures, opening 
and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered and risen 
again from the dead ; and that this Jesus whom I preach 
unto you, is Christ." (Acts xvii. 2, 3.) We find him again at 
Corinth " pressed in spirit, and testifying to the Jews, that 
Jesus was Christ." (Acts xviii. 5.) Thus Apollos, by birth 
a Jew, but instructed in the Christian faith by Aquila and 
Prisciila, mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, 
shewing by the Scriptures, that Jesus was Christ." (Acts 
xviii. 28.) This was the touchstone by which all men at first 
w^ere tried, whether they were Christian or anti-Christian; 
" For whosoever believeth (saith St. John) that Jesus is the 
Christ, is born of God." (1 John v. 1.) What greater com- 
mendation of the assertion of this truth? Who is a liar 
(saith the same apostle), but he that denieth that Jesus is the 
Christ ? This man is the antichrist, as denying the Father and 
the Son." (1 John ii. 22.) What higher condemnation of the 
negation of it? 

Secondly, As it is necessarily to be believed as a most 
fundamental truth, so it hath as necessary an influence upon 
our conversations ; because except it hath so, it cannot clearly 
be maintained. Nothing can be more absurd in a disputant, 
than to pretend to demonstrate a truth as infallible, and at 
the same time to show it impossible. And yet so doth every 
one who professeth faith in Christ already come, and liveth 
not according to that profession: for thereby he proveth, as 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



155 



far as he is able, that the true Christ is not yet come, at least 
that Jesus is not he. We sufficiently demonstrate to the Jews 
that our Saviour, who did and suffered so much, is the true 
Messias ; but by our lives we recall our arguments, and 
strengthen their wilful opposition. For there was certainly 
a promise, that when Christ should come, " the wolf should 
dwell with the lamb, and the leopard should lie down with 
the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling toge- 
ther, and a little child should lead them (Isa. xi. 6.) that is, 
there should be so much love, unanimity, and brotherly kind- 
ness in the kingdom of Christ, that all ferity and inhumanity 
being laid aside, the most different natures and inclinations 
should come to the sweetest harmony and agreement. Whereas 
if we look upon ourselves^ we must confess there was never 
more bitterness of spirit, more rancour of malice, more heat 
of contention, more manifest symptoms of envy, hatred, and 
all uncharitableness, than in those which make profession of 
the Christian faith. It was infallibly foretold, that when 
the Law should go forth out of Zion, and the word of the Lord 
from Jerusalem, they should beat their swords into plough- 
shares, and their spears into pruning-hooks : nation should 
not lift up sword against nation, neither should they learn 
war any more:" (Isa. ii. 3, 4.) whereas there is no other art 
so much studied, so much applauded, so violently asserted, 
not only as lawful, but as necessary. Look upon the face of 
Christendom, divided into several kingdoms and principali- 
ties : what are all these but so many public enemies, either 
exercising or designing war? The Church was not more fa- 
mous, or did more increase by the first blood, which was shed 
in the primitive times through the external violence of ten 
persecutions, than now it is infamous, and declines through 
constant violence, fraud, and rapine, through public engage- 
ments of the greatest empires in arms, through civil and in- 
testine wars, and, lest any u'ay of shedding Christian blood 
should be unassayed, even by massacres. It was likewise 
prophesied of the days of the Messias, that all idolatry should 
totally cease, that all false teachers should be cut off, and un- 
clean spirits restrained. (Zech. xiii. 2.) And can we think 
that the Jews, who really abhor the thoughts of worshipping 
an image, can ever be persuaded there is no idolatry commit- 
ted in the Christian church ? Or can we excuse ourselves in 
the least degree from the plague of the locusts of Egypt, the 
false teachers ? Can so many schisms and sects arise and 
spread, can so many heresies be acknowledged and counte- 
nanced, without false prophets and unclean spirits? If then 
we would return to the bond of true Christian love and cha- 
rity, if we would appear true lovers of peace and tranquillity, 
if we would truly hate the abominations of idolatry, false 
doctrine, and heresy, let us often remember what we ever pro- 



156 



ARTICLE II. 



fess in our Creed, that Jesus is the Christ, that the kingdom of 
the Messias cannot consist with these impieties. 

Thirdly : The necessity of this belief appeareth, in respect 
of those offices which belong to Jesus, as he is the Christ. We 
must look upon him as upon the prophet anointed by God to 
preach the Gospel, that we may be incited to hear and em- 
brace his doctrine. Though Moses and Elias be together 
with him in the mount, yet the voice from heaven speaketh of 
none but Jesus, " Hear ye him." (Matt. xvii. 5.) He is that 
Wisdom, ^' the delight of God," crying in the Proverbs, 
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my 
gates, waiting at the posts of my doors." (Prov. viii. 30. 34.) 

There is one thing needful, (saith our Saviour,) and Mary 
chose that good part, who sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his 
word." (Luke x. 42. 39.) Which devout posture teacheth us, 
as a willingness to hear, so a readiness to obey ; and the pro- 
per effect, which the belief of this prophetical office worketh 
in us, is our obedience of faith. We must farther consider 
him as our high-priest, that we may thereby add confidence 
to that obedience. For we have boldness to enter into the 
holiest by the blood of Jesus ; ijea, having a high-priest over 
the house of God, we may draw near with a true heart, in full 
assurance of faith." (Heb. x. 19. 21, 22.) And as this breed- 
eth an adherence and assurance in us, so it requireth a resig- 
nation of us. For if Christ have redeemed us, we are his ; if 
he died for us, it was that we should live to him: if we be 
*' bought with a price," we are no longer our own ; but we 
must '* glorify God in our body, and in our spirits, which are 
God's." (1 Cor. vi. 20.) Again, an apprehension of him as a 
King!;, is necessary for the performance of our true and entire 
allegiance to him. Send the Lamb to the Ruler of the 
earth," (Isa. xvi. 1.) do him homage, acknowledge him your 
King, shew yourselves faithful and obedient subjects. We 
can pretend, and he hath required, no less. As soon as he let 
the apostles understand, that, " all power was given unto him 
in heaven and earth," he charged them to ''teach all nations, 
to observe all things whatsoever he commanded them." (Matt, 
xxviii. 18. 20.) Can we imagine he should so strictly enjoin 
subjection to " higher powers," (Rom. xiii. 1.) the highest of 
whom are here below, and that he doth not expect exact obe- 
dience to him who is exalted far above all principalities and 
powers, and is set down at the right hand of God ?" (Eph. i. 
21. 20.) It is observable, that in the description of the 
coming of the Son of man, it is said, " the King shall say unto 
them on his right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit 
the kingdom prepared for you :" (Matt. xxv. 34.) which title 
as it secures hope, in respect of his power; as it magnifies our 
reward, by the excellency of our inheritance ; so also it teach- 
eth us the indispensable condition of obedience. 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



157 



Fourthly, The belief of Jesus the Christ, is necessary to in- 
struct us what it is to be a Christian, and how far we stand 
obliged by owning that name. Those who did first embrace 
the faith, were styled ^ disciples,'^ (as when the number of 
the disciples were multiplied/' Acts vi. 1, 7.) or * believers,' 
(Acts V. 14. 1 Tim. iv. 12.) or ' brethren,' (Acts and Epistles, 
often) or * men of the church,'"t or ' callers upon the name of 
Christ,' (Acts ix. 21.) or 'men of the way ;'J or by their ene- 
mies * Nazarenes/ (Acts xxiv. 5.) and * Galileans.' (Acts ii. 7.) 
But in a short time they gained a name derived from their 
Saviour, though not from that name of his which signifieth 
salvation ; for, from Christ, they w^ere called * Christians.' 
A title so honourable, and of such concernment, that St. Luke 
hath thought fit to mention the city "in which that name was 
first heard. ^' And the disciples were called Christians first at 
Antioch," (Acts xi. 26. )§ as the Scriptures assure us; so 



* For when our Saviour gave that com- 
mand to his apostles, no^evdivrss ivv /xa- 
&mivcra-TZ ijjkvra rk i'Svn, Go make all na- 
ti.o>is disciples, they which delivered the 
Gospel, were fxadvrevovreq, they which 
were taught it and received it, were at 
that time fxa^nrBv^hrsg, and after by a 
name habitual, fj,a.9riTal, translated by 
Tertullian discenies, ordinarily (liscipiili. 
MaS'nr^f ouv su-rlv, oog /xav^^avofxev Trap' avToZ 

ajTTB aKoXoyOsTv avTM, rovtB<mv, anovtiv touv 
XoyMV avTOu, TliarBuBiv IB nal TTBiBBaQcti auT« 
ocg j£3-7roT>i, Jta( Baai'hBX, Kctt lar^M, nai S(- 
^xay.a.'hc)} aXrjS'eia?, bit' IXTTtJt l^oorig aloovlov. 
S. Basil, de Baptism. I. i. §. 2. Thus then, 
in the language of the Scriptures, fA.a.$rr,- 
TcvBiV riva,, is to make a disciple ; as, juta,6v- 
rBvcraVTsg luavoln;, Acts xiv. ^1. fAaQr,TBvBiv 
TiVi, to be a disciple ; as, Joseph of Arima- 
thea, BfAaQnTevcre rS 'Utrou, IMatt. xxvii. 57. 
Ma&nTEu^wvaj the same ; as, y^a/A/xuTSvg 
fxa^nrsvQBlg slg rhv ^a.cri'Kiici.v tmv ougavSv, 
Matt. xiii. 52. Thus ^aS-»Tei;&^va{ 
Kupiv, is often used by St. Basil de Bap- 
tisnuiie, whose title is : "Oti^bT Trpoirov (xa.- 
6tirBv&r,vcti tS Kugifti, Koi totb naTa^Ktibnvai 
TOV aylciv (SaTTrio-fxaTog- according to our 
Saviour's method. Hence those which 
were first converted to the faith, were 
called fxa^nrctl, as the disciples of Christ 
their doctor and master. 

t Ol oLTTo Trig BKHXtia-iag , as when Herod 
stretched forth his hand, y-axMO-cti TivagTMV 
aTTo Tr,g lnn'kria-icLg . to mischief some of those 
v hich were of the. Church. 

t As when Saul went down to Da- 
mascus with a commission : ottiw? lav nva? 
Bi'^ri Ttjg o^ou ovTag avSgaj re ko,] yuvcunag, 
iB^SfxBvovg aykyn Big 'li^ova-a'Krifx, Acts ix, ^, 
we translate it, any of this way, when 
there was no way mentioned to which 
the pronoun this should have relation j 



nor is h o^og in the Greek any more than 
the way. So when St. Paul went to the 
Synagogue at Corinth, divers were har- 
dened and believed not, naxoy^oyov^TBg tvv 
oScv Ivci'STiov TOV wXji&ot/?, Acts xlx. 9. here 
we translate it, spake evil of that way ; 
but Beza has left his Articulus pronominis 
vice finigitnr, whi'-h he had from Eras- 
mus, and hath otherwise supplied it. 
male loqiientes de via Dei : and the old 
translation, which in the former had hujus 
vicf, in this hath simply maledicentes vice : 
and certainly o5'oc is nothing but tliewaii. 
Again, at Ephesus, lyBVBTo U hclto. tov 
xaifov bkb'ivov T«fa;)^of ovk o>iyog vrefi Tr,g 
ohv, Acts xix. '23. de via, V. 'J'ransl. 
Beza again oh viam Dei, but it is nothing 
but the way. Thus Felix put off St. Paul, 
aKptiSicTTEpov sl^obg TO, TTEpl T>)? o^ov, till he h(id 
a more exact knowledge of the way , V. 
IVanslat de via hcer ; Beza, ad sectam 
istam. Whereas then the phrase is so 
simply and so frequently the same, it can 
be nothing else but the word then in use 
to signify the religion which the Chris- 
tians professed. And so some also of the 
ancients seem to have spoken, as appears 
by the language of the Melchizedecians : 
X^ia-Tog B^B'hByn, I'va h/xag xa.\B(ry) In TToXXaTv 

OdMV Big fXiCtV T«UT!iV Trjv y\oi)-7iv, ETTElSaV aTTE- 

aT^B-\.B\i hfxag am EiSajXiwv, nal IttbIbi^bv hfxHv 
TY.M oSov, and in that description of the 
Gallican persecution : "E/xbivclv Se b^m oi 

fxyj^S Tpj^VO? TTMTTOTB TTiVtEiW?, fXK^B a\crBn(Tiv 
h'SvfxaTog vvfx'^iKov, fxn^B hvoiav <p60ov @Bou 
(3-p^ovTE?, aXXa nal Jta Trig ava!TTfo<prig avTaiiv 
B'ka.(7<^nixovvTBg Tnv oSo'v. Eiiseb. Hist. 1. v. 
c. 1. p. 208. 

§ St. Luke noteth the place, but neither 
the time when, nor person by whom this 
name was given. Tertullian seems to 
make it as ancient as the reign of Tibe- 
rius : * Tiberius ergo, cujus tempore no- 



158 



ARTICLE 11. 



named by Euodius the bishop of that place, as ecclesiastical 
history informs us. A name no sooner invented, but em- 
braced by all believers, as bearing the most proper significa- 
tion of their profession, and relation to the Author and Master 
whom they served. In which the primitive Christians so 
much delighted, that before the face of their enemies they 
vvould acknowledge no other title but that, though hated, re- 
viled, tormented, martyred for it.* Nor is this name of 
greater honour to us, than obligation. There are two parts of 
the seal of the foundation of God, and one of them is this, 
" Let every one that naraeth the name of Christ depart from 
iniquity." (2 Tim. ii. 19.) It was a common answer of the 
ancient martyrs, ' I am a Christian, and with us no evil is 
done.'f The very name was thought to speak something of 
emendation ;J and whosoever put it on, became the better 
man. Except such reformation accompany our profession, 
there is no advantage in the appellation nor can we be ho- 



raen Christianum in seculum introivit.' 
Apot. c. 5. But I conceive indeed, he 
speaks not of the name, but of the reli- 
gion ; for so he may well be thought to 
expound himself, saying soon after : ' Cen- 
sus istius disciplinas, ut jam edidimus, a 
Tiberio est.' c. 7. However, the name of 
Chriidan is not so ancient as Tiberius, 
nor, as I think, as Caius. Some ancient 
author in Suidhs assures us, that it was 
first named in the reign of Claudius, when 
St. Peter had ordained Euodius bishop of 
Antioch. 'Ittsov on Itti K.'Ka.v'^lov Bacri- 
"KicDt; 'PctifA,nt;, TlBTpov rou o.ttoo-to'Kou •)(r.iporo- 
vna-avrog E-lioS'iov, y.Brcovofxaa-Qiitrav ol TTaXai 
\iyo(xzvoi Na^ctpaToi usu ra.\i\aAoi, XgiJ"navoi. 
Said, in ^a.^apa.l!oq and in X^ianavci. And 
Johannes Antiochenus confirms not only 
the time, but tells us that Euodius the 
bishop was the author of the name : 
Kal I'm avToZ (KXayJt'oy) XQio-riavol wvoy,a- 
o-^Ko-av, Tou avTOu luris-y.o'UTOv EuoJi'ou TTpotro- 
fxiXhcravrog avroTq >tai BTTi^nravrog avTo'ig to 
cvofAct TovTO' nprnv yk^ Na{aftt~ot naX Ta\i- 
\aAoi luaXovvTo ol Xpicmctvoi. Thus the name 
Christian was first brought into use at 
Antioch, by Euodius the bishop of the 
place, and hath ever since been conti- 
nued as the most proper appellation which 
could be given unto our profession, being 
derived from " the Author and finisher of 
our faith." ' At nunc secta orditur in 
nomine utique sui auctoris. Quid novi, 
si aliqua disciplina de magistro cogno- 
men tum sectatoribus suis inducit 1 Nonne 
philosophi de auctoribus suis nuncupantur 
Platonici, Epicurei, Pythagorici 1 Etiam 
a locis conventiculorum et stationum sua- 
rum Stoici, Academici 1 Nonne Medici 
ab Erasistrato, et Grammatici ab Ari- 
Btarcho, coqui etiam ab Apicio'i Neque 



tamen quenquam ofFendit professio no- 
minis cum institutione transmissi ab in- 
stitutore.' TertnlL ApoL c. 3. 

* As we read of Sanctus, a deacon at 
Vienna, in a hot persecution of the French 
Church, who being in the midst of tor- 
tures, was troubled with several ques- 
tions, which the Gentiles usually then 
asked, to try if they could extort any con- 
fession of any wicked actions practised 
secretly by the Christians; yet would not 
give any other answer to any question, 
than that he was a Christian. To'j-avrtj 
'/rapaa-racrsi avmrapBTa^aro avro7i;, cia-rs 
fxriTS TO Z'5(ov xareiTTEt'i' 'ivofxa., junre e'Svouc, 
juhrs TToXSiWf odsv hv, fxrirs si SouXo? yi eXeuSe^oj 
sh' aXXi -57^0? TTcLvra, ra, STTSpairoo/xBva. am- 
Kpiva.ro rr, 'P^w^aixj? (pMVrl, X^i(Tria.vo<; fijULi, 
rouro Ktti a,vr] hvifxaroq, ita.) a.vr) 'rtoXixQ, kcu 
avr\ ysvov;, Ka) avr] wavrog I'zraXXiiXw? oj/no- 
Xoysi. Enseh. Hist. Eccl. 1. v. cap. I. The 
same doth St. Chrysostom testifj^ of St. 
Lucian : ITetctj eT'STaTpi'S'o?; X^iTriciv6(; sljui, 
<pna-i. Ti s^Big ItiTiTri^BUfxa. ; X^;a-ria.vog b\ui. 
Tivag TT^oyovoug ; 6 S'g Tr^of a.'uja.vra 'iXByiv, 
on XptJ-Tjctvu? elfxi. Ontt. 75. 

t So Blandina in the French persecu- 
tion : '^Hv avrtii; aVaXn^K; jtat avcLitavc-iq Kcti 
avaXymrict rZv av/a^atvovrcov, ro XBynv on 
Xpio-riavn Ei/^t, nal 7ra^' h/Luv ouJev (^atjXov 
yivBrai. Eiiseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. v. c. 1. 

i 'Alii quos ante hoc nomen vagos, 
viles, improbos noverant, ex ipso denotant 
quod laudant, ca?citate odii in sufi'ragium 
irnpingunt. Quae mulier ! quam lasciva! 
quam festival qui juvenis! quamlascivus! 
quam amasius ! facti sunt Christiani : 
ita nomen emendationis imputatur.' Ter- 
tnlL Apol. c. 3. 

§ ' Totum in id revolvitur, ut qui 
Christiani norainis opus non agit, Chris- 



AND IN JESUS CHRIST, &c. 



159 



noured by that title, while we dishonour him that gives it. 
If he be therefore called Christ, because anointed ; as we de- 
rive the name of ' Christian,' so we do receive our unction,* 
from him. For as " the precious ointment upon the head ran 
down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, and went down to 
the skirts of his garments ;" (Psal. cxxxiii. 2.) so the Spirit, 
which without measure was poured upon Christ our head, is 
by him diffused through all the members of his body.t For 
** God hath established and anointed us in Christ:" (2 Cor. 
1.21.) "We have an unction from the Holy One, and the 
anointing which we have received from him, abideth in us." 
(1 John ii. 20. 27.) Necessary then it cannot choose but be, 
that we should know Jesus to be the Christ : because he is 
Jesus, that is, our Saviour, by being Christ, that is, anointed ; 
so we can have no share in him as Jesus, except we become 
truly * Christians,' and so be in him as Christ, anointed with 
that unction from the Holy One.:}: 

Thus having run through all the particulars at first designed 
for the explication of the title Christ, we may at last clearly 
express, and every Christian easily understand, what it is we 
say, when we make our confession in these words, / believe in 
Jesus Christ. I do assent unto this as a certain truth, that there 
was a man promised by God, foretold by the prophets, to be 
the Messias, the Redeemer of Israel, and the expectation of the 
nations. 1 am fully assured by all those predictions, that the 
Messias so promised, is already come. I am as certainly per- 
suaded, that the man born in the days of Herod of the Virgin 
Mary, by an angel from heaven called Jesus, is that true Messias, 
so long, so often promised : that, as the Messias, lie was anointed 
to three special offices, belonging to him as the mediator be- 
tween God and man ; that he was a Prophet, revealing unto 
us the whole will of God, for the salvation of man ; that he 
was a Priest, and hath given himself a sacrifice for sin, and so 
hath made an atonement for us ; that he is a King, set down at 
the right hand of God, far above all principalities and powers, 
whereby, when he hath subdued all our enemies, he will con- 
fer actual, perfect, and eternal happiness upon us. I believe 
this unction, by which he became the true Messias, w^as not 
performed by any material oil, but by the Spirit of God, which 
he received as the Head, and conveyeth to his members. And 
iiTthis full acknowledgment, I believe in Jesus Christ. 



tianus non esse videatur. Nomen enim 
sir.e actu atque officio suo nihil est.' 5a/- 
viar. de Gnbtrn. Dei, 1. iv. in inii. p. 100. 
al. 89. 'Eav Tt? TO ovofxa, XaBujv tov p^pi- 
{rTifiivicr,u6t; ivu^fi^f? tov Xgi(7Tov, ouSev 'd<fsXog 
a\rS a.'ao t^? TT^os-nyo^iag, S, Basil, ad 
Amphtloch. Epist. 199. al. 2. can. 45. 

* ' Christiar.us vero, quantum inter- 
pretatio est, de unctioae deducitur.' Ter- 



tull. Apol. c. 3. 

t • lude apparet Christi corpus nos 
esse, quia omnes ungimur ; et omnes in 
illo et Christi et Christus sumus, quia 
quodammodo totus Christus caput et cor- 
pus est.' S. August, in Psal. xxvi. 

t Toiya^ovv hfxsii roCrov tl'vsKa, naXov/ns^a 
XfKTTiavoi, oTt ^^tofxeSa fXawv fc)HOL/. Theo- 
ph.il. ad Autol. 1. i. p. 77. 



160 



ARTICLE II. 



His 01 ill/ Son, 

After our Saviour's nomination immediately follovveth his 
filiation: and justly after we have acknowledged him to be the 
Christ, do we confess him to be the Son of God; because these 
two were ever inseparable, and even by the Jews themselves 
accounted equivalent. Thus Nathanael, that true Israelite, 
maketh his confession of the Messias : " Rabbi, thou art the 
Son of God, thou art the King of Israel." (John i. 49.) Thus 
Martha makes expression of her faith : *'I believe that thou art 
the Christ the Son of God, which should come into the world." 
(John xi. 27.) Thus the high-priest maketh his inquisition : " I 
adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou 
be the Christ, the Son of God." (Matt. xxvi. 63.) This was the 
famous confession of St. Peter : '* We believe and are sure, that 
thou art that Christ the Son of the living God." (John vi. 69.) 
And the Gospel of St. John was therefore written, that '* we 
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God." (John 
XX. 31.) Certain then it is, that all the Jews, as they looked for a 
Messias to come, so they believed that Messias to be the Son of 
Go6?(although since the coming of our Saviour they have denied 
it):=^' and that by reason of a constant interpretation of the 
second psalm, as appropriated unto him. And the primitive 
Christians did at tiie very beginning include this filial title of 
our Saviour together with his names into the compass of one 
word.+ Well therefore, after we have expressed our faith in 
Jesus Christ, is added that, which always had so great affinity 
with it, the only Son of God. 

In these words there is little variety to be observed, except 
that what we translate the o/dj/ Son,'^ that in the phrase of the 



* For when Celsus, in the person of a 
Jew, had spoken these words : xai sTttev 
Bfxcx; 7r^o<prnTig Iv 'u^os-o'Kv/xoig ttotb, on n^si 
@Bov viig, raiv oericov x^irJij, xa; t£v a^inuiv 
KQ\u(nr\r- Origen says they were most im- 
properly attributed to a Jew, who did look 
indeed for a Messias, but not for the Son 
of God, /. e. not under the notion of a 
Son. 'lov^ciioq ovK ttV cfxoXoyr,s-ai ori iroo- 
(pnTni; Tig eTttev jj^eiv Qbov vlov. o ya,^ "Ksyovirlv 
EiTTtv, cTi ri^Bi 0 Xiiirrog rev ©sou* Ka; ttoX- 

©EoD, wg oI^BvIq OVTOf TOIOVTDV, ov'Sb 9rpo<f>Ji- 

TEu^EVTCf. Adv. Cels. 1. i. §. 49. 

t That is, IX0T2 [np. 'l-n<rovg Xpis-To; 
Gbcu y!o? 2a;Tiio.] ' Nos pisciculi secundum 
Ix^''^'^ nostrum Jesum Christum in aqua 
nascimur.' TeriuU. de Bapt. c. 1. which 
is thus interpreted by Optatus : ' Cujus 
piscis nomen secundum appellationem 
Graecam in uno nomine per singulas lite- 
ras turbam sanctorum nominum continet, 
Ix^vg, quod est Latine, Jesus Christus Dei 
Filius Salvator.' lib. iii. c. 2. 



i The Latins indeed generally use the 
word unicum. So Ruffinus : ' Et in unico 
filio ejus:' §. 8, 9. which is so far from 
being in his apprehension the same with 
unigenitus, that he refers it as well to 
Lord as Son : * Hie ergo Jesus Christus, 
Filius unicus Dei, qui est et Dominus 
noster unicus, et ad Filium referri et ad 
Dominum potest.' So St. Augustin in 
Enchirid. c. S4i. and L.eo Epist. 10. Which 
is therefore to be observed, because in 
the ancient copies of those epistles, the 
word unicum was not to be found ; as ap- 
peareth by the discourse of Vigilius, who, 
in the fourth book against Eutyches, hath 
these words : ' Ilia primitus uno diluens 
volumine quee Leonis objiciuntur Epistolce, 
cujus hoc sibi prime capitulum iste, nescio 
quis, proposuit ; Fidelium universitas pro- 
fitetur credere se in Deum Patrem omni- 
potentem, et in Jesum Christum, Filium 
ejus, Dominum nostrum,' 1. iv. §. 1. That 
which he aims at, is the tenth epistle of 
Leo, in which those words are found, but 



HIS ONLY SON. 



161 



Scripfure, and the Greek Church is, the only-he gotten. It is 
then sufiScient for the explication of these words, to shew how 
Chriat is the Son of God, and what is the peculiarity of his 
generation ; that when others are also the sons of God, he 
alone should so be his Son, as no other is or can be so ; and 
therefore he alone should have the name of the only -begotten. 

First, then. It cannot be denied that Christ is the Son of 
God, for that reason, because he was by the Spirit of God born 
of the Virgin Mary; for that which is conceived (or begotten)^ in 
her, by the testimony of an 2inge\, is of the Holy Ghost; and 
because of him, therefore the Son of God. For so spake the 
angel to the Virgin; ^*The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, 
and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee : therefore 
also that holy thing which shall be born of thee (or which is 
begotten of thee) shall be called the Son of God." (Luke i. 35.) 
And the reason is clear, because that the Holy Ghost is God. 
For were he any creature, and not God himself, by whom our 
Saviour was thus born of the Virgin, he must have been the 
Son of a creature, not of God. 



with the addition of unicum, which, as it 
seems, then was not there ; as appears yet 
farther by the words which follow, §. 2. 
* Miror tamen quomodo hunc locum iste 
notavit, et ilium prsetermisit, ubi unici 
filii commemorationem idem beatus Leo 
facit, dicens. Idem vero sempiterni geni- 
toris unigenitus sempiternus, natus de 
Spiritu S. ex Maria Virgine :' which words 
are not to be found in the same epistle. 
Howsoever it was in the first copies of Leo : 
both RuflSnus and St. Augustin, who were 
before him, and Maximus Tauriensis, 
Chrysologus, Etherius and Beatus, who 
were later, read it, ' et in Jesum Christum 
filium ejus unicum.' But the word used in 
the Scriptures, and kept constantly by the 
Greeks, is jUovoj'Evrf, the only -begotten. 

* For the original is to sv alrn yv^riQiv 
and it is the observation of St. Basil, cIk 
etfrirai, to nvrj^sv, aWa, to ysmQiv. Homil. 
in Sanct. Christ. Gen. §. 4. Indeed the 
vulgar translation renders it, quod in ea 
nntnm est, and in St. Luke, quod nascetur 
sanctum ; and it must be confessed this 
was the most ancient translation. For so 
TertuHian read it : * Per virginem dicitis 
natum, non ex virgine, et in vulva, non ex 
vulva, quia et Angelus in somnis ad 
Joseph, Nam quod in ea natum est, inquit, 
de Sp. S. est.' De carne Christi, c 19. and 
of that in St. Luke : ' U^c et ab Angelo 
exceperat secundum nostrum Evangelium, 
Prnpterea, quod in te nascetur, vocabitur 
sanctum, Jilius Dei.' Adv. Marcion. 1. iv. c. 
7. Yet quod in ea natum est cannot be pro- 
per, while it is yet in the womb ; nor can 
the child first be said to be born, and then 



that the mother shall bring it forth. It 
is true indeed, yVAoiv signifies not always 
to beget, but sometimes to bear or bring 
forth ; as h yvvn s-ov 'EXi<rac£T yinnrti vlov 
a-ot, Luke i. 13. and verse 57. xa» lysnmrn 
vlov. So ToZ Js 'luroy yermSevTO^; Iv Br^dxei/x, 
Matt. ii. 1. must necessarily be understood 
of Christ's nativity, for it is most certain, 
that he was not begotten or conceived at 
Bethlehem. And this without question 
must be the meaning of Herod's inquisi- 
tion, 'TToZ 0 Xparrli yinarai, where the 
Messias was to be bom. But though ysnaiv 
have sometimes the signification of 6eari»fl;^ 
or bringing forth ; yet to ev avrri ysvvn^Bv 
cannot be so interpreted, because it speaks 
of something as past, when as yet Christ 
was not born ; and though the conception 
was already past, and we translate it so, 
" which is conceived ;" yet St. Basil re- 
jects that interpretation : j/svvav is one 
thing, (TvXXctfjt^avziv another. Seeing then 
the nativity was not yet come, and yewnSsv 
speaks of something already past, there- 
fore the old translation is not good, qucd 
in ea natiim est. Seeing, though the con- 
ception indeed were past, yet yiv/av sig- 
nifieth not to conceive, and so is not pror 
perly to be interpreted, that uhich is con- 
ceived. Seeing ysv\S-j is most properly to 
beget, as h yv.vririKri the generative facultv : 
therefore I conceive the fittest interpreta- 
tion of those words, to Iv avT^ yz'mQh, 
that uliich is begotten in her. And because 
the angel in St. Luke speaks of the same 
thing, therefore I interpret to ysnuifASvcv In 
a-Qv, in the same manner, that which, is 
begotten of thee. 



162 



ARTICLE II. 



Secondly, It is as undoubtedly true, that the same Cluist, 
thus born of the Virgin by the Spirit of God, was designed to 
so liigh an otBce by the special and immediate will of God, 
that by virtue thereof he must be acknowledged the Son of God. 
He urgeth this argument himself against the Jews ; '* Is it not 
written in your law, I said. Ye are gods?" (John x. 34.) Are not 
these the very words of the eighty-second Psalm? (ver. 6.) "If 
he called them gods," if God himself so spake, or the Psalmist 
from him, if this be the language of the Scripture, if they be 
called gods " unto whom the word of God came (and the Scrip- 
ture cannot be broken,'* nor the authority thereof in any par- 
ticular denied), **Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified, 
and sent into the world," whom he hath consecrated and com- 
missioned to the most eminent and extraordinary office, '* say 
ye of him. Thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of 
God?" (John X.35, 36.) 

Thirdly, Chrkt must therefore be acknowledged the Son of 
God, because he is raised immediately by God out of the earth 
unto immortal life. For " God hath fulfilled the promise unto 
us, in that he hath raised up Jesus again ; as it is also written 
in the second psalm. Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten 
thee." (Acts xiii. 33.) The grave is as the womb of the earth ; 
Christ, who is raised from thence, is as it were begotten to 
another life : and God who raised him, is his Father. So true 
it must needs be of him, which is spoken of others, who are 
** the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." 
(Luke XX. 36.) Thus was he defined, or constituted, and ap- 
pointed the Son of God with power by the resurrection from 
the dead :" (Rom. i. 4 ) neither is he called simply the first that 
rose, but with a note of generation, ** the first-born from the 
dead." (Col. i. 18.) 

Fourthly, G^/ /5^, after his resurrection from the dead, is made 
actually heir of all things in his Father's house, and Lord of 
all the spirits which minister unto him, from whence he also 
hath the title of the Son of God, "He is set down on the 
right hand of the Majesty on high ; being made so much bet- 
ter than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more 
excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said 
he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten 
thee?" (Heb. i. 3 — 5.) From all which testimonies of the 
Scriptures it is evident, that Christ hath this fourfold right 
unto the title of the Son of God: by generation, as begotten of 
God; by commission, as sent by him ; by resurrection, as the 
first-born; by actual possession, as heir of all. 

But beside these four, we must find yet a more peculiar 
ground of our Saviour's filiation, totally distinct from any 
which belongs unto the rest of the sons of God, that he may be 
clearly and fully acknowledged the only-btgotten Son, For 
although to be born of a virgin be in itself miraculous, and 



HIS ONLY SON. 



163 



justly entitles Christ unto the [title of the] Son of God ; yet it 
is not so far above the production of all mankind, as to place 
him in that singular eminence, which must be attributed to the 
only-begotten. We read of" Adam the son of God," as well as 
** Seth the son of Adam (Luke iii. 38.) and surely the framing 
Christ out of a woman cannot so far transcend the making 
Adam out of the earth, as to cause so great a distance as we 
must believe between the first and second Adam. Beside, there 
were many, while our Saviour preached on earth, who did 
believe his doctrine, and did confess him to be the Son of God, 
who in all probability understood nothing of his being born 
of a virgin ; much less did they foresee his rising from the 
dead, or inheriting all things. Wherefore, supposing all these 
ways by which Christ is represented to us as the Son of God, 
we shall find out one more yet, far more proper in itself, and 
more peculiar unto him, in which no other son can have the 
least pretence of share or of similitude, and consequently in 
respect of which we must confess him the only-begotten. 

To which purpose I observe, that the actual possession of 
his inheritance, which was our fourth title to his Sonship, pre- 
supposes his resurrection, which was the third : and his com- 
mission to his office, which was the second, presupposeth 
his generation of a virgin, as the first. But I shall now en- 
deavour to find another generation, by which the same Christ 
was begotten, and consequently a Son before he was conceived 
in the virgin's womb. Which that I may be able to evince, I 
shall proceed in this following method, as not only most facile 
and perspicuous, but also most convincing and conclusive. 
First, I will clearly prove out of the Holy Scriptures, that 
Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, had an actual being or 
subsistence, before the Holy Ghost did come upon the Virgin, 
or the power of the Highest did overshadow her. Secondly, I 
will demonstrate from the same Scriptures, that the being 
which he had antecedently to his conception in the Virgin's 
womb, was not any created being, but essentially divine. 
Thirdly, We will shew that the divine essence which he had, 
he received as communicated to him by the Father. Fourthly, 
We will declare this communication of the divine nature, to be a 
proper generation, by which he which communicateth, is a pro- 
per Father, and he to whom it is communicated, a proper Son. 
Lastly, We will manifest that the divine essence was never 
communicated in that manner to any person but to him, that 
never any was so begotten besides himself; and consequently, 
in respect of that divine generation, he is most properly and 
perfectly the only -begot ten Son of the Father. 

As for the first, that Jesus Christ had a real being or exist- 
ence, by which he truly was, before he was conceived of the 
Virgin Mary, I thus demonstrate. He which was really in 
heaven, and truly descended from thence, and came into the 

M 2 



164 



ARTICLE 11. 



world from the Father, before that which was begotten of the 
Virgin ascended into heaven, or went unto the Father, he had 
a real being or existence before he was conceived in the 
Virgin, and distinct from that being which was conceived in 
her. This is most clear and evident, upon these three suppo- 
sitions not to be denied. First, That Christ did receive no 
other being or nature after this conception before his ascension, 
than what was begotten of the Virgin. Secondly, That what 
was begotten of the Virgin had its first being here on earth, 
and therefore could not really be in heaven till it ascended thi- 
ther. Thirdly, That what was really in heaven, really was; be- 
cause nothing can be present in any place, which is not. Upon 
these suppositions certainly true, the first proposition cannot 
be denied. Wherefore I assume ; Jesus Christ was really in 
heaven, and truly descended from thence, and came into the 
world from the Father, before that which was begotten of the 
Virgin ascended into heaven, or went unto the Father; as I 
shall particularly prove by the express words of the Scripture. 
Therefore I conclude, that Jesus Christ had a real being or ex- 
istence before he was conceived in the Virgin, and distinct 
from that being which was conceived in her. Now that he 
was really in heaven before he ascended thither, appeareth by 
his own words to his disciples; " What and if you shall see 
the Son of man ascend up where he was before ?" (John vi. 
62.)^ For he speaketh of a real ascension, such as was to be 
seen or looked upon, such as they might view as spectators. The 
place to which that ascension tended, was truly and really the 
heaven of heavens. The verb substantive, not otherwise used^ 
sufficiently testifieth not a figurative but a real being, espe- 
cially considering the opposition in the word before. Whether 
we look upon the time of speaking then present, or the time 
of his ascension, then to come, his being or existing in heaven 
was before. Nor is this now at last, denied, that he was in 
heaven before the ascension mentioned in these words, but that 
he was there before he ascended at all. We shall therefore 
farther shew that this ascension was the first j that what v/as 
born of the Virgin was never in heaven before this time of 
which he speaks : and being in heaven before this ascension, 
he must be acknowledged to have been there before he ascended 
at all. If Christ had ascended into heaven before his death, 
and descended from thence, it had been the most remarkable ac- 
tion in all his life, and the proof thereof of the greatest efficacy 
towards the disseminating of the Gospel. And can we ima- 
gine so divine an action, of so high concernment, could have 
passed, and none of the evangelists ever make mention of it? 
Those who are so diligent in the description of his nativity and 
circumcision, his oblation in the Temple, his reception by Si- 
meon, his adoration by the wise men ; those who have de- 

* ©ewjijTE* as it came to pass, ^XiTyovroov alriv inf,^Qn, Acts i. 9. oirw 



HIS ONLY SON. 



scribed his descent into Egypt ; would they have omitted his 
ascent into heaven? Do they tell us of the wisdom which he 
shewed, when he disputed with the doctors? And were it not 
worthy our knowledge, whether it were before he was in 
heaven or after ? The diligent seeking of Joseph and Mary, and 
their words when they found him, " Son, why hast thou dealt 
so with us?" (Luke ii. 48.) shew that he had not been missing 
from them till then, and consequently not ascended into heaven. 
After that he went down to Nazareth, and '* v/as subject unto 
them:" (Luke ii. 51.) and I understand not how he should 
ascend into heaven, and at the same time be subject to them ; 
or there receive his commission and instructions as the great 
legate of God, or ambassador from heaven, and return again 
unto his old subjection ; and afterwards to go to John to be 
baptized of him, and to expect the descent of the Spirit for his 
inauguration. Immediately from Jordan he is carried into 
the wilderness to be tempted of the devil, and it were strange 
if any time could then be found for his ascension: for ''he 
was forty days in the wilderness," (Mark i. 13.) and certainly 
heaven is no such kind of place ; he was all that time with 
the beasts," who undoubtedly are none of the celestial hier- 
archy ; and "tempted of Satan," (Ibid.) whose dominion reach- 
eth no higher than the air. Wherefore in those forty days 
Christ ascended not into heaven, but rather heaven descended 
unto him ; " for the angels ministered unto him." (Ibid.) After 
this he '* returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee," (Luke 
iv. 14.) and there exercised his prophetical office : after w^hich 
there is not the least pretence of any reason for his ascen- 
sion. Beside, the whole frame of this antecedent or preparatory 
ascension of Christ is not only raised, without any written tes- 
timony of the word or unwritten testimony of tradition, but is 
without any reason in itself, and contrary to the revealed w^ay 
of our redemption. For what reason should Christ ascend 
into heaven to know the will of God, and not be known to 
ascend thither? Certainly the Father could reveal his w^ill 
unto the Son as well on earth as in heaven. And if men must 
be ignorant of his ascension, to what purpose should they 
say he ascended, except they imagine either an impotency 
in the Father, or dissatisfaction in the Son? Nor is this only 
asserted without reason, but also against that rule to be 
observed by Christ, as he was anointed to the sacerdotal office. 
For the Holy of Holies made with hands was the figure 
of the true {that is, heaven itself)," (Heb. ix. 24.) into which 
the high-priest alone went once every year :" (Ibid. 7.) and 
Christ as our high-priest ^' entered in once into the Holy 
place."" (Ibid. 12.) If then they deny Christ was a priest be- 
fore \\Q preached the Gospel, (Mark ii. 2.) then did he not en- 
ter mto heaven, because the high- priest alone went into the 
type thereof, the Holy of Holies. If they confess he was, then 



166 



ARTICLE II. 



did he not ascend till after his death, because he was to enter 
in but once, and that not without blood. Wherefore being Christ 
ascended not into heaven till after his death, being he certainly 
was in heaven before that ascension, we have sufficiently made 
good that part of our argument, that JesMS Christ vf^^ in heaven 
before that which was begotten of the Virgin ascended thither. 
Now that which followeth, will both illustrate and confirm it ; 
for as he was there, so he descended from thence before he 
ascended thither. This he often testifieth and inculcateth 
of himself : the bread of God is he, which cometh down from 
heaven ; and, I am the living bread which came down from 
heaven." (John vi. 33. 51.) He opposeth himself unto the 
manna in the wilderness, which never was really in heaven, or 
had its original from thence. " Moses gave you not that bread 
from heaven," (John vi. 32.) but the Father gave Christ really 
from thence. Wherefore he saith, ^' I came down from heaven, 
not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." 
(John vi. 38.) Now never any person upon any occasion is 
said to descend from heaven, but such as were really there be- 
fore they appeared on earth, as the Father, the Holy Ghost, 
and the angels : but no man, however born, however sanctified, 
sent, or dignified, is said thereby to descend from thence ; but 
rather when any is opposed to Christ, the opposition is placed 
in this very origination. John the Baptist was '* filled with 
the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb ;" (Luke i. 15.) 
born of an aged father and a barren mother, by the power of 
God : and yet he distinguisheth himself from Christ in this ; 

he that cometh from above is above all : he that is of the 
earth is earthy, and speaketh of the earth ; he that cometh 
from heaven is above all." (John iii. 31.) Adam was framed 
immediately by God, without the intervention of man or 
woman : and yet he is so far from being thereby from heaven, 
that even in that he is distinguished from the second Adam. 
For the first man is of the earth, earthy ; the second man is 
the Lord from heaven." (1 Cor. xv. 47.) Wherefore the descent 
of Christ from heaven doth really presuppose his being there, 
and that antecedently to any ascent thither. For that he as- 
cended, what is it, but that he also descended first?" (Eph. iv. 
9.) So St. Paul, asserting a descent as necessarily preceding 
his ascension, teacheth us never to imagine an ascent of Christ 
as his first motion between heaven and earth ; and conse- 
quently, that the first being or existence which Christ had, was 
not what he received by his conception hereon earth, but what 
he had before in heaven, in respect whereof he was with the 
Father, from whom he came. His disciples believed that he 
" came out from God :" and he commended that faith, and 
confirmed the object of it by this assertion : I came forth 
from the Father, and am come into the world ; again, I leave 
the world, and go to the Father." (John xvi. 27, 28.) Thus. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



167 



having by uiidoubted testimonies, made good the latter part of 
the aroiiment, I may safely conclude, that being Christ was 
really in heaven, and descended from thence, and came forth 
from the Father, before that which was conceived of the Holy 
Ghost, ascended thither ; it cannot with any show of reason 
be denied that Christ had a real being and existence antecedent 
unto his conception here on earth, and distinct from the being 
which he received here. 

Secondly, We shall prove not only a bare priority of exist- 
ence, but a pre-existence of some certain and acknowledged 
space of duration. For whosoever was before John the Baptist, 
and before Abraham, was some space of time before Chmt was 
man. This no man can deny, because all must confess the 
blessed Virgin was first saluted by the angel six months after 
Elizabeth conceived, and many hundred years after Abraham 
died. But Jesus Christ was really existent before John the 
Baptist, and before Abraham, as we shall make good by the 
testimony of the Scriptures. Therefore it cannot be denied, 
but Christ had a real being and existence some space of time 
before he was made man. For the first, it is the express tes- 
timony of John himself ; " This is he of whom I spake. He that 
Cometh after me, is preferred before me, for he was before me." 
(John i. 15.) In which words, first, he taketh to himself a 
priority of time, speaking of Christ, he that cometh after me 
for so he came after him into the womb, at his conception ; into 
the world, at his nativity ; unto his office, at his baptism ; 
always after John, and at the same distance. Secondly, He at- 
tributeth unto Christ a priority of dignity, saying, he is pre- 
ferred before me as appeareth by the reiteration of these 
Vv'ords, *' He it is who coming after me, is preferred before me, 
whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose." (John i. 27.) 
The addition of which expression of his own unworthiness 
sheweth, that to be " preferred before him" is the same with 
being " worthier than he," to which the same expression is 
constantly added by all the other three evangelists. Thirdly, 
He rendereth the reason or cause of that great dignity which 
belonged to Christ, saying, ** for (or rather, because) he was be- 
fore me." (John i. 15.) And being the cause must be sup- 
posed different and distinct from the effect, therefore the priority 
last mentioned cannot be that of dignity. For to assign any 
thing as the cause or reason of itself, is a great absurdity, and 
the expression of it a vain tautology. Wherefore that priority 
must have relation to time or duration (as the very tense, he 
was before me," suflSciently signifieth), and so be placed in op- 
position to his coming after him. As if John the Baptist had 
thus spoken at large : ' This man Christ Jesus, who came into 
the world, and entered on his prophetical office six months after 
me, is notwithstanding of far more worth and greater dignity 
than I am ; even so much greater, that I must acknowledge 



ARTICLE II. 



myself unworthy to stoop down and unloose the latch«5t of his 
shoe : and the reason of this trancendent dignity is, from the 
excellency of that nature which he had before I was ; for though 
he Cometh after me, yet he was before me.' 

Now as Christ was before John, which speaks a small, so 
was he also before Abraham, which speaks a larger, time. 
Jesus himself hath asserted this pre-existence to the Jews ; 
** Verily, verily, I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.'' 
(John viii. 58.) Which words, plainly and literally expounded, 
must evidently contain this truth. For, first, Abraham in all 
the Scriptures never hath any other signification than such as 
denotes the person called by that name ; and the question to 
which these words are directed by way of answer, without con- 
troversy, spake of the same person* Beside, Abraham must 
be the subject of that proposition, " Abraham was because 
a proposition cannot be without a subject, and if Abraham be 
the predicate, there is none. Again, as we translate " Abraham 
was," in a tense signifying the time past ; so it is most certainly 
to be understood, because that which he speaks unto, is the 
pre-existence of Abraham, and that of long duration ; so that 
whatsoever had concerned his present estate or future condition 
had been wholly impertinent to the precedent question. Lastly, 
The expression, I am," seeming something unusual or im- 
proper to signify a priority in respect of any thing past, because 
no present instant is before that which precedeth, but that 
which followeth; yet the* use of it sufficiently maintaineth, 
and the nature of the place absolutely requireth, that it should 
not here denote a present being, but a priority of existence> 



* So Nonnus here more briefly and 
plainly than usual : c. viii. v. 187. 

'A&^afx rr^h yivoq 'icr^Bv, iych irkXov. 
So John xiv. 9. roa-ourov )(^^6vov fA,e&' vfA,vv 
slju), x.ai ovx. 'iyvoonai [xs ; Have 1 been so 
long time with you, and yet hast thcu not 
known me? and John xv. 27. on utt' app^^f 
fA,ST l|Uo3 e<rre, because ye have been (or con- 
tinued ) with me from the beginning. Thus 
Nonnus : v. 110. 

'E^ ap^^Q ysyavrst; oXiuv ^mropsg sgyoov. 
John vi. t i. OTE oZv sTSev o o'x^"? 'inirovg 
ovK la-riv i-Ai", When the 'people saw that 
Jesus uias not there. Nor only doth St, 
Johii use thus the present tense for that 
which is past, but as frequently for that 
which is to come. For as before, roa-ovrov 
Xi°yov [xs'Sr* vfxZv elfxi, so on the contrary, 
'in fxiK^Qv ^i^ovQv fjie^' v[xmv z\fM, John vii. 33. 
and oirov Bifju lyoo, IkbX na) 6 ^ixKovog o Ifxoi 
eo-rai, John xii.26.xiv. 3.xvii.24. Where- 
fore it is very indifferent whether (John 
vii. 34.) we read Wov slfM lyoo, or otsov sTfxi, 
For Nonnus seems to have read it eT^i by 
his translation, v. 130. 

slg cir^aTfov nv Trep' o^BV(7ai' 
and the Jews' question, v. 33. wou olrot 



|UsXXEi TTopsuea-Qai, shows they understood 
it so: for this eTfxi, though of a present 
form, is of a future signification. Hesych. 
Ejfxi, ito^Bva-ofxcu. And so it agree th with 
that which follows, John viii. 21. onov lycb 
v-rrayo), vfMiiq oh Juva«r&£ Ix^e'iv. If we read 
as the old translation, ubi ego sum, 
it will have the force of ea-ofxai, and agree 
with the other, I'va qtov Blfx'i iyH), naX vfAS^i; 
ri rB. Howsoever, it is clear, St. John useth 
the present slfA either in relation to what 
is past, or what is to come, and is there- 
fore to be interpreted as the matter iu 
hand requireth. And certainly, the place 
now under our consideration can admit 
no other relation but to the time already 
past, in which Abraham lived. And we 
lind the present tense in the same manner 
joined with the aorist elsewhere ; as Psal. 
xc. 2. TTfo Tou of» yBvnbtivai, Kai TrXa^bmat 
rr,v yvv nal tw olKoufXBvnv, xal am alaivoi;, Boog 
rov ai£vc?, crv s7. What can be more 
parallel than, ttjo tou o^k ysvn^rivai, to tt^Iv 
'A^paifx yBVBa-Qcii, and a-v il, to ly^ sly-i ; in 
the same manner, though by another 
word ; Tfpo rou o^k k^^aj-Bmai, tf^o ds Travroov 
&OVVXIV, yBna fxe. Prov. viii. 25. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



169 



together with a continuation of it till the present time* And 
then the words will plainly signify thus much : * Do you question 
how I could see Abraham, who am not yet fifty years old ? 
Verily, verily, I say unto you, before* ever Abraham, the person 
whom you speak of, was born, I had a real being and existence 
(by which I was capable of the sight of him), in which I have 
continued until now,' In this sense certainly the Jews under- 
stood our Saviour's answer, as pertinent to their question, but 
in their opinion blasphemous ; and therefore " they took up 
stones to cast at him." (John viii. 59.) 

This literal and plain explication is yet farther necessary ; 
because those who once recede from it, do not only wrest and 
pervert the place, but also invent and suggest an answer un- 
worthy of and wholly misbecoming him that spake it. For 
(setting aside the addition of the light of the world, which there 
can be no shew of reason to admit),f whether they interpret 
the former part (*' before Abraham was*') of something to come, 
as the calling of the Gentiles, or the latter (" I am") of a pre- 
existence in the divine foreknowledge and appointment; they 
represent Christ with a great asseveration, highly and strongly 
asserting that which is nothing to the purpose to which he 
speaks, nothing to any other purpose at all ; and they propound 
the Jews senselessly offended and foolishly exasperated with 
those words, which any of them might have spoken as well as 
he. For the first interpretation makes our Saviour thus speak : 
* Do you so much wonder how I should have ^' seen Abraham/* 
who am "not yet fifty years old'.'" (John viii. 57.) Do ye 
imagine so great a contradiction in this ? I tell you, and be ye 
most assured that what I speak unto you at this time, is most 
certainly and infallibly true, and most worthy of your observa- 
tion, which moves me not to deliver it without this solemn as- 
severation (*' Verily, verily, I say unto you"), before Abraham 
shall perfectly become that which was signified in his name, 
** the father of many nations," (Gen. xvii. 4.) before the Gentiles 
shall come in, I am." Nor be ye troubled at this answer, or 
think in this I magnify myself : for what I speak is as true of 



♦ So the .^thiopic Version : * Amen 
dico vobis, priusquam Abraham nasce- 
retur, fui ego ;' and the Persian : ' Vere, 
vera vobis dico, quod nondum Abraham 
factus erat, cum ego eram.' 

t This is the shift of the Socinians, who 
make this speech of Christ elliptical, and 
then supply it from the 12th verse. "I 
am the light of the vi'orld." ' Qaod vero 
ea verba, Ego sum, sint ad eum modum 
supplenda, ac si ipse subjecisset iis, Ego 
sum lux mundi, superius e principio ejus 
orationis, ver. 12., et hinc quod Christus 
bis seipsum iisdeni, Ego sum, lucem mundi 
vocHverit.ver. 24.et 98.deprehendi potest.' 
Catech. Racov. Sect. iv. c. 1. p. 57. Where- 



as there is no ground for any such con- 
nexion. That discourse of the light of the 
world was in the treasury, ver. 20. that 
which followeth was not, at least appeareth 
not to be so. Therefore the ellipsis of the 
24th and 28th verses is not to be supplied 
by the 12th, but the 24th, from the 23d, 
lyw Ik tmv avwSsv sljui, and the 28th, either 
from the same, or that which is most ge- 
neral, his office, lyco slfAi 6 X^i.a-roq. Again, 
ver. 31. it is very probable that a new dis- 
course is again begun, and therefore if 
there were an ellipsis in the words alleged, 
it would have no relation to either of the 
former supplies, or if to either, to the lat- 
ter J but indeed it bath to neither. 



170 



ARTICLE II. 



you, as it is of me ; before Abraham be thus made Abraham, 
ye are. Doubt ye not therefore, as ye did, nor ever make that 
question again, whether I ^' have seen Abraham".' The second 
explication makes a sense of another nature, but with the same 
impertinency ; ^ Do ye continue still to question, and that with 
so much admiration? Do you look upon my age, and ask, 
" Hast thou seen Abraham I confess it is more than eighteen 
hundred years since that patriarch died, and less than forty since 
I was born at Bethlehem : but look not on this computation, 
for before Abraham was born, I was. But mistake me not, 1 
mean in the foreknowledge and decree of God. Nor do I 
magnify myself in this, for ye were so.' How either of these 
answers should give any reasonable satisfaction to the question, 
or the least occasion of the Jews' exasperation, is not to be un- 
derstood. And that our Saviour should speak any such im- 
pertinences as these interpretations bring forth, is not by a 
Christian to be conceived. Wherefore being the plain and 
most obvious sense is a proper and full answer to the question, 
and most likely to exasperate the unbelieving Jews ; being those 
strained explications render the words of Christ, not only im- 
pertinent to the occasion, but vain and useless to the hearers 
of them ; being our Saviour gave this answer in words of 
another language, most probably incapable of any such inter- 
pretations : we must adhere unto that literal sense already 
delivered by which it appeareth Christ had a being, as before 
John, so also before Abraham (not c^nly before Abram became 
Abraham, but before Abraham was Abram), and consequently 
that he did exist two thousand years before he was born, or 
conceived by the Virgin. 

Thirdly, We shall extend this pre-existence to a far longer 
space of time, to the end of the first World, nay to the begin- 
ning of it. For he which was before the flood, and at the 
creation of the world, had a being before he was conceived by 
the Virgin. But Christ was really before the flood, for he 
preached to them that lived before it ; and at the creation of the 
World, for he created it. That he preached to those before the 
flood, is evident by the words of St. Peter, who saith, that 
Christ *' was put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the 
Spirit; by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in 
prison, which sometimes were disobedient, when once the long- 
suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the Ark was 
a preparing." (1 Pet. iii. 18 — 20.) From which words it ap- 
peareth that Christ preached by the same Spirit, by the virtue 
of which he was raised from the dead : but that Spirit was not 
his soul, but something of a greater power. Secondly, That 
those to whom he preached, were such as were disobedient. 
Thirdly, That the time when they were disobedient, was the 
time before the flood, while the ark was preparing.^ It is cer- 



HIS ONLY SON. 



171 



tain then that Christ did preach unto those persons, which in 
the days of Noah were disobedient, all that time ^' the long-suf- 
fering of God waited," and consequently, so hi.ng as repentance 
was offered. And it is as certain that he never preached to 
them after they died; which I shall not need here to prove, 
because those against whom I bring this argument deny it not. 
It follow^eth therefore, that he preached to them while they 
lived, and were disobedient ; for in the refusing of that mercy, 
which was offered to them by the preaching of Christ, did their 
disobedience principally consist. In vain then are we taught 
to understand St. Peter of the promulgation of the Gospel to 
the Gentiles after the Holy Ghost descended upon the apostles, 
when the words themselves refuse all relation to any such times 
or persons. For all those of whom St. Peter speaks, were dis- 
obedient in the days of Noah. But none of those to whom the 
apostles preached, were ever disobedient in the days of Noah. 
Therefore, none of those to whom the apostles preached, were 
j^ny of those of whom St. Peter speaks. It remaineth there- 
fore, that the plain interpretation be acknowledged for the true, 
that Christ did preach unto those men which lived before the 
flood, even while they lived, and consequently that he was 
before it. For though this was not done by an immediate act 
of the Son of God, as if he personally had appeared on earth, 
and actually preached to that old World ; but by the ministry 
of a prophet,* by the sending of Noah, the eighth preacher of 
righteousness: (2 Pet. ii. 5.)t yet to do any thing by another 



* ' Prophetje ab ipso habentes donum in 
ilium prophetaverunt.' Barnab<e Epist. c. 
4. al. 5. 

t I have thus translated this place of 
St. Peter, because it may add some ad- 
vantage to the argument : for if Noah were 
the eighth preacher of righteousness, and 
he were sent by the Son of God ; no man, 
I conceive, will deny that the seven before 
him were sent by the same Son : and so 
by this we have gained the pre-existence 
of another thousand years. However, 
those words, aXX' oj/Soov n£s ^LKaioa-vvKi 
Kh^vKa l<pu'Ka^£, may be better interpreted 
than they are, when we translate them, 
but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher 
of righteousness. For, first, if we look upon 
the Greek phrase, c^Soo? nSe, may not be the 
eighth person, but one of eight, or Noah 
with seven more ; in which it signifieth 
not the order in which he was in respect 
of the rest, but only con-signifieth the 
number which were with him. As when 
we read in the Snpplices of ^schylus, v. 
715. 

To ya^ TEJtovTAJV o-iBai;, 

TfLrov ToS"' |y SscTjUicj? 

Ai'xaf yBy^afTrai ixeyia-rortixov, 
we must not understand it, as if honour 
due to parents, were the third command- 



ment at Athens, but one of the three re- 
markable laws left at Eleusis by Tripto- 
lemus. So Porphyrius : <J>aa-i y.ai Tjj- 

vo/xccv avrov t^bT^ Iti SevoxpaTnj o <piX6irc<^og 
\syii S'lttjulvEJV 'EXsvcrTvi rous-h- TovsTf Tifxav 
Qiovq xafTTcT? kyaWiir T^Sia. fxh n-ivetrQai. De 
Ahstinent. ab Aiiim. £*», 1. iv. ad fin. Which 
words are thus translated by St. Jerome, 
who hath made use of most part of that 
fourth book of Porphyrius : ' Xenocrates 
Philosophus de Triptolemi legibus apud 
Athenienses tria tantum praecepta in 
'I'emplo Eleusinae residere scribit ; Hono- 
randos Parentes, Venerandos Deos, Car- 
nibus non vescendum.' adv. Jovinian. 1. ii. 
col. 528. Where we see honour due to 
parents the first precept, though by 
^schylus called the third, not in respect 
of the order, but the number. Thus 
Dinarchus the orator : Kal ikq it/xvat 

auToV. From whence we must not collect 
that the person of whom he speaks, was 
the tenth in order of that ofl5ce, so that 
nine were necessarily before or above him, 
and many more might be after or below 
him ; but from hence it is inferred, that 
there were ten U^ottoicI waiting on the 
lifjiva] ^txl, and no more, of which num- 



172 



ARTICLE II. 



not able to perform it without him, as much demonstrates the 
existence of the principal cause, as if he did it of himself with- 
out any intervening instrument. 

The second part of the argument, that Christ made this 
World, and consequently had a real being at the beginning of 
it, the Scriptures manifestly and plentifully assure us. For the 
same So)i, by whom in these last days God spake unto us, is 
hcy by whom also he made the worlds." (Heb. i. 2*) So that 
as "through faith we understand that the worlds were framed 
by the word of God," (Heb. xi. 3.) so must we also believe 
that they were made by the Son of God.* Which the apostle 
doth not only in the entrance of his epistle deliver, but in the 
sequel prove. For shewing greater things have been spoken 
of him than ever were attributed to any of the angels, the most 
glorious of all the creatures of God ; amongst the rest he saith, 
the Scripture spake, *' Unto the Son, Thy throne, O God, is for 
ever and ever. And not only so, hut also, Thou, Lord, in the 
beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the hea- 
vens are the work of thine hands. They shall perish, but thou 
remainest : and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and. 
as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed ; 
but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." (Heb. i. 
8. 10 — 12.) Now whatsoever the person be to whom these 
words were spoken, it cannot be denied but he was the Creator 
of the World. For he must be acknowledged the Maker of 
the earth, who laid the foundation of it; and he may justly 
challenge to himself the making of the heavens, who can say 
they are the work of his hands. But these words were spoken 
to the Son of God, as the apostle himself acknowledgeth, and 
it appeareth out of the order and series of the chapter ; the 
design of which is to declare the supereminent excellency of 
our Saviour Christ. Nay, the conjunction ajid refers this place 
of the Psalmistf plainly to the former, of which he had said 

ber that man was one. After this manner and destroyed many. From whence it 

speak the Attic writers, especially Thucy- seems Enos was a preacher or prophet, 

dides. And so we may understand St. and so ihe rest that followed him ; and 

Peter, that God preserved Noah (a then Noah is the eighth, 

preacher of righteousness) with seven * It being in both places expressed in 

more, of which he deserveth to be named the same phrase by the same author, 

the first, rather than the last or eighth. S't' oZ koI rov? aluimQ STrolijtrev, Heb. i. 2. 

But, secondly, the original oySoov may pos- tt/j-tei voovfxsv Karn^Tis-Qai rovg alZya; fh- 

sibly not belong to the name or person of fji,ari ®sov. 

Noah, but to his title or office ; and then t The answer of Socinus to this con- 

we must translate oyloov N*'£ ^incuoa-vwq junction is very weak, relying only upon 

nn^vna, Noah the eighth preacher oj righteous- the want of a comma after Kat in the 

ness. For we read at the birth of Enoa, Greek, and Et in the Latin. And whereas 

that "men began to call upon the name it is evident that there are distinctions, 

of the Lord," Gen. iv. 26. which the an- in the Latin and Greek copies after that 

cients understood peculiarly of his person: conjunction, he flies to the ancientest 

as the LXX. outo? yiXTuriv Ifny.xXBitrB-oct to copies, which all men know were most 

ovofix Kv^'iov Tou ©joy, and the vulgar Latin, careless of distinctions, and urgeth that 

hie co^pit invocare nomen Domini. The there is no addition of rursum or the like 

Jews have a tradition, that God sent in after ef, whereas in the Syriac translation 

lh€ sea upon mankind in the days of Eno?, we find expressly that addition : nim 



HIS ONLY SON. 



173 



expressly, ''but unto the Son he saith/' As sure then as **Thy 
throne, O God, is for ever and ever," w^as said unto the Son ; 
so certain it is, ** Thou, Lord, hast laid the foundations of the 
earth," was said unto the same. Nor is it possible to avoid the 
apostle's connexion by attributing the destruction of the hea- 
vens, out of the last words, to the Son, and denying the crea- 
tion of them out of the first, to the same. For it is most evident 
that there is but one person spoken to, and that the destruc- 
tion and the creation of the heavens are both attributed to the 
same. Whosoever therefore shall grant, that the apostle pro- 
duced this Scripture to shew that the Son of God shall destroy 
the heavens, must withal acknowledge that he created them: 
whosoever denieth him to be here spoken of as the Creator, 
must also deny him to be understood as the destroyer. Where- 
fore being the words of the Psalmist were undoubtedly spoken 
of and to our Saviour (or else the apostle hath attributed that 
unto him which never belonged to him, and consequently 
the spirit of St. Paul mistook the spirit of David) ; being to 
whomsoever any part of them belongs, the whole is applicable, 
because they are delivered unto one ; being the literal exposi- 
tion is so clear, that no man hath ever pretended to a meta- 
phorical : it remaineth as an undeniable truth, grounded upon 
the profession of the Psalmist, and the interpretation of an 
apostle, that the Son of God created the World. Nor needed 
we so long to have insisted upon this testimony, because there 
are so many which testify as much, but only that this is of a 
peculiar nature and different from the rest. For they which 
deny this truth of the creation of the World by the Son of God, 
notwithstanding all those Scriptures produced to confirm it, 
have found two ways to avoid or decline the force of them. If 
they speak so plainly and literally of the work of creation, that 
they will not endure any figurative interpretation, then they 
endeavour to shew that they are not spoken of the Son of God. 
If they speak so expressly of our Saviour Christy as that by no 
machination they can be applied to any other person, then their 
whole design is to make the creation attributed unto him appear 
to be merely metaphorical. The place before alleged is of the 
first kind, which speaketh so clearly of the creation or real pro- 
duction of the World, that they never denied it : and I have so 
manifestly shewed it spoken to the Son of God, that it is be- 
yond all possibility of gainsaying. 

Thus having asserted the creation acknowledged real unto 
Christ, we shall the easier persuade that likewise to be such, 
which is pretended to be metaphorical. In the Epistle to the 
Colossians we read of the Son of God, ** in whom we have re- 
demption through his blood (Col. i. 14.) and we are sure 
those words can be spoken of none other than Jesus Christ. 
He therefore it must be, who was thus described by the apostle; 
** who is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of every 



174 



ARTICLE II. 



creature. For by him were all things created that are in hea- 
ven and that are in earth, visible and invisible ; whether they 
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers : all 
things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all 
things, and by him all things consist." (Col. i. 15—17.) In 
which words our Saviour is expressly styled the " first-born of 
every creature,"^^ that is, begotten by God, as the Son of his 
lovCyf antecedently to all other emanations, before any thing 
proceeded from him, or was framed and created by him. And 
that precedency is presently proved by this undeniable argu- 
ment, that all other emanations or productions came from him, 
and whatsoever received its being by creation, was by him 
created. Which assertion is delivered in the most proper, full, 
and pregnant expressions imaginable. First, In the vulgar 
phrase of Moses, as most consonant to his description ; for 
by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are 
in earth signifying thereby, that he speaketh of the same 
creation. Secondly, By a division which Moses never used, 
as describing the production only of corporeal substances : lest 
therefore those immaterial beings might seem exempted from 
the Son's creation, because omitted in Moses's description, he 
addeth " visible and invisible and lest in that invisible 
World, among the many degrees of the celestial hierarchy, any 
order might seem exempted from an essential dependence upon 
him, he nameth those which are of greatest eminence, ^* whe- 
ther they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers," 
and under them comprehendeth all the rest. Nor doth it yet 
suffice, thus to extend the object of his power by asserting all 
things to be made by him, except it be so understood as to 
acknowledge the sovereignty of his person, and the authority 
of his action. For lest we should conceive the Son of God 
framing the World as a mere instrumental cause which work- 
eth by and for another, he sheweth him as well the final as the 
efficient cause ; for ''all things were created by him and for 
him." Lastly, Whereas all things first received their being by 
creation, and when they have received it, continue in the same 
by virtue of God's conservation, ** in whom we live, and move, 
and have our being ;" lest in any thing we should be thought 
not to depend immediately upon the Son of God, he is de- 
scribed as the Conserver, as well as the Creator ; for *' he is 
before all things, and by him all things consist." If then we 
consider the two last-cited verses by themselves, we cannot 



* " The first-born of every creature" 
is taken by Origen for an expression de- 
claring the Divinity of Christ, and used 
by him as a phrase in opposition to his 
humanity to express the same : 'Ekiyofiiv 

P/j Ttou Iv T0~$ avuri^a., oti al fxfiv rtvi; Ufft 
(puvai rod Iv tm 'I'/iffou 'X^uroTOJcou 'Tta.ffm 



Koi h X>^r:, KOI al Tovroii rra.^a.'prX'/iffta.i' al Ti 
Tov nar a-jTov vovfjiJivou a,v3-^uTov, &>$ h, Nvn 

a,X'/i9-eiav vf/,7v MXuXT^KOi. lib.ii. adv. Cehum, 
§. 25. 

t In relation to the precedent words, 
ver. 13. <rov vioZ tyi; ayxTTyis aurov, for that 
vtos ayxTT'/jTOi was the v'log tr^curOTOHrO;. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



175 



deny but that they are a most complete description of the 
Creator of the World ; and if they were spoken of God the 
Father, could be no way injurious to his majesty, who is no 
where more plainly or fully set forth unto us as the Maker of 
the World. 

Now although this were sufficient to persuade us to interpret 
this place of the making of the world, yet it will not be unfit to 
make use of another reason,which will compel us so to understand 
it. For undoubtedly there are but two kinds of creation in the 
language of the Scriptures, the one literal, the other metaphori- 
cal ; one old, the other new; one by way of formation, the other 
by way of reformation. *' If any man be in Christ, he is a new 
creature," saith St. Paul (2 Cor. v. 17.) : and again," in Christ 
Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircum- 
cision, but a new creature." (Gdl.vi. 15.) Instead of which words 
he had before, faith working by love." (Gal. v. 6.) " For we 
are the workmanship of God, created in Christ Jesus unto good 
works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in 
them." (Eph. ii. 10.) From whence it is evident, that a new 
creature is such a person as truly believeth in Christy and mani- 
festeth that faith, by the exercise of good works; and the new 
creation is the reforming or bringing man into this new condi- 
tion, which, by nature and his first creation, he was not in. And 
therefore he who is so created, is called a new man, in opposi- 
tion to " the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceit- 
ful lusts :" (Eph. iv. 22.) From whence the apostle chargeth 
us to be " renewed in the spirit of our mind, and to put on that 
new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true 
holiness ;" (Eph. iv. 23, 24.) and '* which is renewed in know- 
ledge, after the image of him that created him." (Col. iii. 10.) 
The new creation then is described to us as consisting wholly 
in renovation,* or a translation from a worse unto a better con- 
dition by way of reformation ; by which those who have lost the 
image of God, in which the first man was created, are restored 
to the image of the same God again, by a real change, though 
not substantial, wrought within them. Now this being the 
notion of the new creation, in all those places which undoubt- 
edly and confessedly speak of it, it will be necessary to apply it 
unto such Scriptures, as are pretended to require the same in- 
terpretation. Thus therefore I proceed. If the second or new 
creation cannot be meant by the apostle in the place produced 
out of the Epistle to the Colossians, then it must be interpreted 



* 'AvavEwiTj; or avav.a'iva)tri(;' as the new 
man, veo? av9gae7ro?, or xajvo? avQ^camq. The 
first 0 amvBovfxsvog. the last, o avajtaivoujUEVo?, 
both the same. Suidas, 'Avaxamcrt?, h uva- 
Vimartq' Xeysrat Se nau avaxaivM^-Jf which is 
the language of the New Testament. This 
renovation being thus called nam xriVic, 
the ancients framed a proper word for it, 



which is, avaKTiTJ?' Iv ^ yivzrcti iravroov rZv 
Iv avQfcii'rroiq Kara tw ■^'^X^'" ""■'^^ 
fAA KctKoov ttVttigEcTjf. Just. Qu. et Resp. ad 
Graces, p. 1\67. This new creation doth 
so necessarily infer an alteration, that it 
is called by St, Paul a metamorphosis, 
(xira.fxo^^ovcrBi t? kio.na.K'Vaio-Sl rov Mooq w^Jv. 
Bom. xii. 2. 



176 



ARTICLE II. 



of the first. For there are but two kinds of creation mentioned 
ill the Scriptures, and one of them is there expressly named. 
But the place of the apostle can no way admit an interpretation 
by the new creation, as will thus appear : the object of the 
creation, mentioned in this place, is of as great latitude and 
universality as the object of the first creation, not only ex- 
pressed, but implied, by Moses. But the object of the new 
creation is not of the same latitude with that of the old. There- 
fore that which is mentioned here, cannot be the new creation. 
For certainly if we reflect upon the true notion of the new crea- 
tion, it necessarily and essentially includes an opposition to a 
former worse condition, as the new man is always opposed to 
the old ; and if Adam had continued still in innocency, there 
could have been no such distinction between the old man and 
the new, or the old and the new creation. Being then all men 
become not new, being there is no new creature but such whose 
faith worketh by love," being so many millions of men have 
neither faith nor love, it cannot be said that by Christ all 
things were created anew that are in heaven and that are in 
earth," when the greatest part of mankind have no share in the 
new creation. Again, we cannot imagine that the apostle 
should speak of the creation in a general word, intending thereby 
only the new, and while he doth so, express particularly and 
especially those parts of the old creatioii which are incapable 
of the new, or at least have no relation to it. The angels are 
all either good or bad : but whether they be bad, they can never 
be good again, nor did Christ come to redeem the devils, or 
whether they be good, they were always such, nor were they so 
by the virtue of Christ's incarnation, for ** he took not on him 
the nature of angels." (Heb. ii. 16.) We acknowledge in man- 
kind a new creation, because an old man becomes a new; but 
there is no such notion in the celestial hierarchy, bectiude no old 
and new angels : they which fell, are fallen for eternity ; they 
which stand, always stood, and shall stand for ever. Where 
then are the regenerated thrones and dominions?" Where are 
the recreated *' principalities and powers ?" All those angels of 
whatsoever degrees were created by the Son of God, as the apO" 
stle expressly affirms. But they were never " created" by a new 
creation unto ** true holiness and righteousness," (Eph. iv. 22.) 
because they always were truly righteous and holy ever since 
their first creation. Therefore except we could yet invent an- 
other creation, which were neither the old nor the new, we must 
conclude, that all the angels were at first created by the Son of 
God ; and as they, so all things else, especially man, whose 
creation* all the first writers of the Church of God expressly 

* • Ad hoc Dominus sustinuit pati pro Epist. c. iv. And again : Aiyu ya,^ ^ y^a- 

anima nostra, cum sit orbis Terrarum -pfi^) hf^uv u; kiyu tm vim, Yioiyia-uf^iv jcur' 

Dominus, cui dixit die ante constitutio- ilKova,&cc.c.\/Y.yKa,XoviJcivoZv''lov^oe.loi5Tou- 

nem seculi, Faciarrms hominem^ ad imagi- rov f^h vofzlcraa-t @iov vto tuv Tr^oi^yiruv -roX- 

ncm ct similitudinem nostram,' Barnaba: >-o^x,ov ^iiJiagrbQ^'/i(/i-io\i uc ij^tyxX^v hra^uvc/,^ 



HIS ONLY SON. 



177 



attribute unto the Son, asserting that those words, " Let us 
make man," (Gen. i. 26.) were spoken as by the Father unto him. 

Nor need we doubt of this interpretation, or the doctrine 
arising from it, seeing it is so clearly delivered by St. John: 
" In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with 
God. All things were made by him, and without him was not 
any thing made that was made." (i. 1 — 3.) Whereas we have 
proved Christ had a being before he was conceived by the Vir- 
gin Mary, because he was at the beginning of the World ; and 
have also proved that he was at the beginning of the World, 
because he made it ; this place of St. John gives a sufficient 
testimony to the truth of both the last together. " In the be- 
ginning was the Word and that Word made flesh is Christ : 
therefore Christ was in the beginning. " All things were made 
by him :" therefore he created the World. Indeed nothing can 
be more clearly penned, to give full satisfaction in this point, 
than these words of St. John, which seem with a strange brevity 
designed to take off all objections, and remove all prejudice, 
before they teach so strange a truth. Christ was born of the 
Virgin Mary, and his age was known to them for whom this 
Gospel was penned. St. John would teach that this Christ did 
make the World, which was created at least four thousand 
years before his birth. The name of Jesus was given him since, 
at his circumcision : the title of Christ belonged unto his office, 
which he exercised not till thirty years after. Neither of these 
with any show of probability will reach to the creation of the 
World. Wherefore he produceth a name of his, as yet unknown 
to the World, or rather not taken notice of, though in frequent 
use among the Jews, which belonged unto him who was made 
man, but before he was so. Under that name he shews at first 
that he had a being in the beginning when all things were to 
be created, and consequently were not yet, then in the begin- 
ning was the Word, and so not created. This is the first step, 
the Word was not created when the World was made. The 
next is, that the same Word which then was, and was not made, 
at the same time, " was with God,"t when he made all things ; 

fxiv Kctt ©60V, Kara, rov roi'V o'Xw ©Eov koi Tla- t Hgo? tov ©eov, that is, Tra^a tw ®sa), 

re^ct. TovTOV yap <pa.fx£v h Kara, Mooa-ea that is, by God. As Nonnus : 

Koa-f^oTTOita, v^oa-rarrovTa tov Ylare^a Eipuxivat Tlctr^og hiV afxifia-To; , ari^fAovi cruvSpovo? I'J^jj. 
TO, revK^tiTCD , xai, revnBr.Toi crTS^SMfxa, aal c. i. 4. 

Ta ^oivTa, oa-a Trpos-sra^Bv 6 ®£o; ■yev£<r6ai' As Wisdom speaketh, Prov. viii. 30. f/im 

Kai TOUTS) sl^KKBvai TO, Tloir)(7CiOfjt.iv av^fo;- 1 ivas by him, ibvX HTIN") nfxnv 7ra^' avrS. 

irov nar ehova. jia,] ofxoiaxriv hfjisrs^av. Oi ig. Chald. -<r\-;i n-im et erum in latere ejus, 

adv. Cehnm,\. ii. ^. 9. Moschopulus, ir^l <3-?(;e5£v, p. 'lb. Ufoq tov 

* HX3> ^be first word of Moses ; ©£o», TovriTn, fxsra rov Qiov. As : Ai ahX- 

whence the Syr iac translation , n''U'''Ti- So <ptti avrov TrScraj nr^o^ h/xcig sid'j IVIatt. 
Sojomon ynx -onpD U'NID. '£v a^xi' '^P° 56. xaSr' hfxs^av r}fA.nv Trfog hfxag. Mark 

rov rny ynv TToir.crai. Prov. viii. "23. • In xiv. 49. wpo? L/xai; U rvxov Trapa/uievM. 1 Cor 

principio emt Sermo ; in quo principio xvi. 6. UsTrirrevfA.ivi) iiaKoviav 'Ua-ov Xf*. 
scilicet Deus fecit coelum etterram.' Ter- 

tnll.adv. Hermog. c. 20. rsKu i^avn. Ignat. ad Magnes. c. 6, 



178 



ARTICLE II. 



and therefore well may we conceive it is he to whom " God said. 
Let us make man in our image, after our likeness (Gen. i. 26.) 
and of whom those words may be understood, ^' Behold, the 
man is become as one of us." (Gen. iii. 22.) After this, lest any 
should conceive the creation of the World too great and divine 
a work to be attributed to the Word; lest any should object, 
that none can produce any thing out of nothing but God him- 
self ; he addeth. That " the Word," as he was with God," so 
was he also God." Again, lest any should divide the Deity, 
or frame a false conception of different gods, he returns unto 
the second assertion, and joins it with the first, ^' The same was 
in the beginning with God :" and then delivers that which at 
the first seemed strange, but now after those three propositions, 
may easily be accepted ; " All things were made by him, and 
without him was not any thing made that was made." For now 
this is no new doctrine, but only an interpretation of those 
Scriptures which told us, God made all things by his Word 
before. For " God said, Let there be light ; and there was 
light." (Gen. i. 3.) And so " by the Word of the Lord were 
the heavens made, and all the hosts of them by the breath of 
his mouth." (Psal. xxxiii. 6.) From whence "we understand 
that the worlds were framed by the Word of God." (Heb, xi. 3. 
2 Pet. iii. 5.) Neither was it a new interpretation, but that 
which was most familiar to the Jews, who in their synagogues, 
by the reading of the paraphrase* or the interpretation of the 



* I conceive this Ckaldee paraphrase to 
represent the sense of the Jews of that age, 
as being their public interpretation of the 
Scripture. Wherefore what we find com- 
mon and frequent in it, we cannot but think 
the vulgar and general opinion of that 
nation. Now it is certain that this para- 
phrastdoth often use ""T NlD-ra the word of 
God, for mn" God himself^and that espe- 
cially with relation to the creation of the 
world. Aslsa. x\v. 12. U1i<^)")i< -n-w "^Jn 
'TIN'in n''bi; I made the earth, and created man 
upon it,saiththe Lord, the Holy One of Is- 
rael; which the Chaldee translateth Nix 
Ky"lX mny -"lO-Dl I by my ivord made the 
earth, and created man upon it. In the same 
manner, Jer. xxvii. 5. I made the earth, and 
men and beasts on the face of the earth ; the 
Targura Ni;"ix mnr ""i^i^jn K2X Andlsa. 
xlviii. 13. yiH mD" •'l" My hand also 
founded the earth: the Chaldee "la^ttl f\t< 
Ky*1K nbbDU' Etiam in verba meofundavi ter- 
ram. And most clearly Gen. i. 27.w^e read, 
Et creavit Deus hominem: the Jerusalem 
Targum, Verbum domini creavit hominem. 
And Gen.iii.8. Audierunt vocem Domini Dei: 
the Chaldee paraphrase xiD-ri bp n- lyotin 
"n Et audierunt vocem verbi Domini Dei 
Now this which the Chaldee paraphrase 
called X10*?3 the Hellenists named Aoyov as 
appeareth by Philo the Jew,who wrote be- 



fore St. John, and reckons in his Divinity, 
first markka. t£v oXojv, then Jgurspov ©ecv, oq 
ea-ri'j huBivou \6yot;. Quasi, et Solut. Frag. 
p. 625. vol. ii. ap. Euseb. Prtrp. Evang. 
1. vii. c. 13. Whom he calls : o^^ov ©sol 
Aoyov, Tc^coToyo'vov vUv. De Agricult. p. 308, 
vol. i. He attributes the creation of th* 
World to this Aoyo;, whom he terms . 
o^yavov ©sou, ob (^6 Koa-fxoq) narBa-HBuarreti, 
De FUvnmeo gladio, ad fin. p. 162. vol. i 
iKia. Qiov 0 Aoyog avrov Io-tIv, d aa^aTTS 
o^yava) TT^oa-^^ncrafABvog lnoa-y.o'rroUi. Idem 
Alleg. lib. ii. al. iii. p. 106. vol. i. Wher. 
we must observe, though Philo makes th. 
Aoyo<;, of whom he speaks, as instrumenta 
in the creation of the World ; yet he tak 
eth it not for a bare expression of the wil 
of God, but for a God, though in the se 
cond degree, and expressly for the Son o 
God. Nor ought we to look on Philc 
Judaeus in this as a Platonist, but merel} 
as a Jew, who refers his whole doctrin* 
of this Aoyoq to the first chapter of Gene 
sis. And the rest of the Jews before him, 
who had no such knowledge out of Plato'i 
school, used the same notion. For as Isa- 
xlviii. 13. the hand of God, is by the Chal- 
dee paraphrast translated the Ward of 
God : so in the book of Wisdom, h ttmto- 
^vvufXrOg trov ko,) KTtVewa tcv nos-fxov. 

Sap. xi. 17. is changed into o TravroJyva- 



HIS ONLY SON. 



179 



Hebrew text in the Chaldee language, were constantly taught, 
that the Word of God was the same with God, and that by that 
Word all things were made. Which undoubtedly was the "cause 
why St. John delivered so great a mystery in so few words, as 
speaking unto them who at the first apprehension understood 
him. Only that which as yet they knew not was, that this Word 
was made flesh, and that this Word made flesh wa.s Jesus Christ, 
Wherefore this exposition being so literally clear in itself, so 
consonant to the notion of the Word, and the apprehension of 
the Jews ; it is infinitely to be preferred before any such inter- 
pretation as shall restrain the most universals to a few parti- 
culars, change the plainest expressions into figurative phrases, 
and make of a sublime truth, a weak, useless, false discourse. 
For who will grant that " in the beginning" must be the same 
with that in St. John's first Epistle (i. 1.) "from the beginning," 
especially when the very interpretation involves in itself a con- 
tradiction? For " the beginning" in St. John's Epistle, is that 
in which the apostles saw, and heard, and touched the Word : 
** the beginning" in his Gospel was that in which the Word 
was with God," that is, not seen nor heard by the apostles,but 
known as yet to God alone, as the new exposition will have it. 
Who will conceive it worthy of the apostle's assertion, to teach 
that the Word had a being in the beginning of the Gospel, at 
what time John the Baptist began to preach ; when we know 
the Baptist taught as much, who therefore " came baptizing 
with water, that he might be made manifest unto Israel ?" 
(John i. 31.) when we are sure that St. Matthew and St. Luke, 
who wrote before him, taught us more than this, that he had a 
being thirty years before? when we are assured, it was as true 
of any other then living as of the Word, even of Judas who 
betrayed him, even of Pilate who condemned him ? Again, 
who can imagine the apostle should assert that the Word was, 
that is, had an actual being, when as yet he was not actually 
the Word ? For if*' the beginning" be, when John the Baptist 
began to preach, and the Word, as they say, be nothing else 

fxog <rou Aoyog kii ougaviJy, xviii. 15. and Jews whicb hf had conversed with, did 

Siracides xliii. 26. 'Ev h'oyx) aurov crvyxsi- never ackno-vwedge that the Son of God 

Tai tET-avra. Nay, the Septuagint hath was the Word ; yet Celsus's Jew did 

changed Shaddai, the undoubted name of speak the language of Philo : but between 

the omnipotent God, into Aoyo?, the Word, the time of Celsus and that of Origen (I 

Ezek. i. ^^4. "lu^'blpD ' quus} vox sublimis guess about threescore years), the Jews 

Dei, quod Hebraice appellatur "Tii', et had learnt to deny that notion of A6yo<;, 

juxta LXX. <t>oovri rov \oyov, id est, vox that they might with more colour reject 

Verbi, ut universa quje prsedicantur in St. John. If then all the Jews, both 

mundo vocem Filii Dei esse dicamus.' they which understood the Chaldee ex- 

S. Hieron. ad loc. col. 679. And there- position, and those which only used the 

fore Celsus, writing in the person of a Greek translation, had such a notion of 

Jew, acknowledgeth that the Word is the Word of God ; if all things, by their 

the Son of God. Ej ys 6 \oyoq IsrTjv v^juy confession, were made by the Woird ; we 

ucf T9U ©Eoi!, VMA n|U£~c l7ra(voI;jW.Ev. Orig, have no reason to believe St. John should 

adv. Celsum, 1. ii. §. 31. And although make use of any other notion than what 

Origen objects that in this Celsus makes they before had, and that by means 

the Jew speak improoerly, because the whereof he might be so easily understood. 

N 2 



180 



ARTICLE II. 



but he who speaketh, and so revealeth the will of God ; Christ 
had not then revealed the will of God, and consequently was 
not then actually the Word, but only potentially or by designa- 
tion. Secondly, It is a strange figurative speech, the Word 
was with God/' that is, w^as known to God, especially in this 
apostle's method. " In the beginning w as the Word there 
was must signify an actual existence ; and if so, w^hy in the next 
sentence ('* the Word was with God") shall the same verb sig- 
nify an objective being only ? Certainly though to be in the be- 
ginning be one thing, and to be with God, another ; yet to be 
in either of them is the same. But if we should imagine this 
being understood of the knowledge of God, why w^e should grant 
that thereby is signified, he was knowai to God alone, I cannot 
conceive. For the proposition of itself is plainly affirmative, 
and the exclusive particle oiilj/ added to the exposition, maketh 
it clearly negative. Nay more, the affirmative sense is cer- 
tainly true, the negative as certainly false. For except Gabriel 
be God w^ho came to the Virgin ; except every one of the hea- 
venly host which appeared to the shepherds, be God ; except 
Zachary and Elizabeth, except Simeon and Anna, except Jo- 
seph and Mary, be God ; it cannot be true that he was known 
to God only, for to all these he was certainly known. Thirdly, 
To pass by the third attribute, and the Word w^as God," as 
having occasion suddenly after to handle it; seeing the apostle 
hath again repeated the circumstance of time as most material, 
**the same was in the beginning with God," and immediately 
subjoined those words, " all things were made by him, and 
without him was not any thing made that was made ;" how can 
we receive any exposition, w^hich referreth not the making of 
all these things to him in the beginning? But if w^e understand 
the latter part of the apostles, who, after the ascension of our 
Saviour, did nothing but what they were commanded and em- 
powered to do by Christ, it will bear no relation to the begin- 
ning. If we interpret the former, of all which Jesus said and 
did in the promulgation of the Gospel, we cannot yet reach to 
the beginning assigned by the new expositors : for while John 
the Baptist only preached, while in their sense the Word was 
with God, they will not affirm that Jesus did any of these things 
that are here spoken of. And consequently, according to their 
grounds, it will be true to say, * In the beginning was the Word, 
and that Word in the beginning was with God, insomuch as in 
the beginning nothing was done by him, but without him were 
all things done, which were done in the beginning.' Wherefore, 
in all reason we should stick to the known interpretation, in 
which every word receiveth its own proper signification, with- 
out any figurative distortion, and is preserved in its due latitude 
and extension, without any curtailing restriction. And there- 
fore I conclude, from the undeniable testimony of St. John, that 
in the beginning, when the heavens and the earth and all the 



HIS ONLY SON. 



181 



hosts of them were created, all things were made by the Word, 
who is Christ Jesus being made flesh ; and consequently, by the 
method of argument, as the apostle antecedently by the method 
of nature, that in the beginning Christ was. He then who was 
in heaven, and descended from thence before that which was 
begotten of the Virgin ascended thither, he who was before 
John the Baptist and before Abraham, he who was at the end 
of the first World, and at the beginning of the same; he had a 
real being and existence, before Christ was conceived by the 
Virgin Mary. But all these we have already shewed belong 
unto the Son of God. Therefore we must acknowledge, that 
Jesus Christ had a real being and existence before he was be- 
gotten by the Holy Ghost : which is our first assertion, pro- 
perly opposed to the Photinians.* 



* The Photinians were heretics, so 
called from Photinus, bishop of Sirmium, 
but bom in Gallogrsecia, and scholar to 
Marcellus, bishop of Ancyra. ' Photinus 
de Gallograecia, Marcelli discipulus, Sir- 
mii Episcopus ordinatus, Hebionis Haere- 
sin instaurare conatus est.' S. Hieron. 
Catal. Eccl. n. 117. col. 415. ' Photinus, 
Sirmiensis Episcopus, fuit a Marcello 
imbutus. Nam et Diaconus sub eo ali- 
quandiu fuit.' Hilar. Frag. ii. §. 19. 
Wherefore when Epiphanius speaketh 
thus of him, oIto? wp^uaro otto li^fxiov, it 
hath no relation to the original of his 
person, but hirs heresy ; of which St. Hi- 
lary : • Pestifere, natum Jesum Christum 
ex Maria, Pannonia defendit.' De Trin. 
1. vii. c. 3. He was a man of singular 
parts and abilities : <t>u(Tiai<; eS xkynv, 
naX itiiQuv iKawq, says Sozom. 1. iv. c. 6. 
riyove ovtoq o <i>cureivoi XaXn? tov rpoTrov, 

fxtvoq aTTarav t? rou "Koyov 7r§o<popa Kal Itoj- 
fxoXoyU. S. Epiphan. Hcer, 71. §. 1. ' Erat 
et ingenii viribus valens, et doctrinse opi- 
bus excellens, et eloquio priepotens, 
quippe qui utroque sermone copiose et 
graviter disputaret et scriberet.' Vincettt. 
Lirin. adv. Hares, c. 16. He is said by 
some to follow the heresy of Ebion. 
•Hebionis hseresin instaurare conatus 
est,' says St. Jerome ; and St. Hilary 
ordinarily understands him by the name 
of Hebion, and sometimes expounds him- 
self, * Hebion, qui est Photinus.' But 
there is no similitude in their doctrines, 
Hebion being more Jew than Christian, 
and teaching Christ as much begotten by 
Joseph, as born of Mary. Philaster will 
have him agree wholly with Paulus Sa- 
mosatenus 'in omnibus.' Epiphanius with 
an a-aro y-B^ovq, and iitimna.. Socrates 
and Sozomen, with him, and with Sa- 
bellius : whereas he differed much from 
them both, especially from Sabellius, as 
being far from a Patripassian. ' Mar- 



cellus Sabellianae haeresis assertor exsti- 
terat : Photinus vero novam haeresin jam 
ante protulerat, a Sabellio quidem in 
unione dissentiens, sed initium Christi ex 
Maria praedicabat.' Severus Hist. Sacr. 
1. ii. p. 104. ed. Elz. 1656. Wherefore it 
will not be unnecessary to collect out of 
antiquity what did properly belong unto 
Photinus, because I think it not yet done, 
and we find his heresy, in the propriety of 
it, to begin and spread again. ' Photinus, 
mentis caecitate deceptus, in Christo ve- 
rum et substantive nostras confessus est 
hominem, sed eundem Deum de Deo ante 
omnia saecula genitum esse non credidit.' 
Leo de Nativ. Christi Serw. iv. ' Ecce 
Photinus hominem tantum profitetur Dei 
Filium : dicit ilium non fuisse ante bea- 
tam Mariara.' Lucifer Caralit. de non 
pare, in Deum delinq. t. iv. p. 171. Bi- 
blioth. Pair. ' Si quis in Christo sic veri- 
tatem prasdicat animae et carnis, ut veri- 
tatem in eo nolit accipere Deitatis, id est, 
qui sic dicit Christum hominem, ut Deum 
neget, non est Christianus Catholicus, sed 
Photinianus Hjereticus.' Fulg. ad Donat. 
lib. c. 16. OiwTEtvoc -vJ-iXov av&f (WTov "kiytiTov 
yiyBVvrfXBVOV, Qsov fxrt Keyav ehai tov roKov, 
xai TOV Ix fxhrpaq TFposXQovra, av^^coTTOv vnori- 
S^HTttt Ji>)f»^evov Qbov. Theod. HomiL. de 
Nativ. Ephes. Concil. p. iii. c. 10. ' Ana- 
thematizamus Photinum, qui Hebionis 
haeresim instaurans, Dominum Jesum 
Christum tantum ex IMaria Virgine con- 
fitetur.' Damasus Profess. Fidei. ^aa-Kti 
oSrof, a7r' a^yjt(; XgtcTTOv {jih sTvat, aTTo 51 

TO TIvevfA.a, to ayiov ImrjxQsv Itc avTov xat 
lysvMri'bn SK Unufxaro^ aylov. S. Epiphan. 
Ha; res. 71. §.1. "E^sys Ss ©ao? jUe'v la-ri 
vravTOKpaToap sT(, 6 l^iM Xoycc to, varra S"?!- 
fAiov^yhca^' t^.v Je ttjo toSv uImvcdv ykvug-iv ts 
ned vTrap^iv tov vlov ol •tt^os-Uto, aXX' Ijt Ma~ 
^ia.; ysysvtja-Qai tov Xpts-rov ela-nyuTo. Sozo- 
men. 1. iv. c. 6. * Photini ergo secta haec 
est. Dicit Deum singulum esse et soli- 



182 



ARTICLE II. 



The second assertion, next to be made good, is, that the 
being which Christ had, before he was conceived by the Virgin, 



tariura, et more Judaico confitendum. 
Trinitatis plenitudineiniiegat,neque ullam 
Dei Verbi, aut ullam Spiritus Sancti pu- 
tat esse personam. Christum vero homi- 
nem tantummodo solitarium asserit, cui 
principium adscribit ex Maria ; et hoc 
omnibus modis dogmatizat, solam nos 
personam Dei Patris, et solum Christum 
hominem colere debere.' Vine. Lirinensis 
adv. Hceres. c. 17. In the disputation 
framed by Vigilius, out of the seventh 
book of St. Hilary, as I conceive, Pho- 
tinus rejecting the opinion of Sabellius 
(whom Socrates and Sozomen said he 
followed) as impious, thus declares his 
own : ' Unde magis ego dico, Deum Pa- 
trem Filium habere Dominum Jesum 
Christum, ex Maria Virgine initium su- 
mentem, qui per sanctse conversationis 
excellentissimum atque inimitabile bea- 
titudinis meritum, a Deo Patre in Filium 
adoptatus et eximio Divinitatis honore 
donatus.' Dial. 1. i. §. 4. And again : 
' Ego Domino nostro Jesu Christo initium 
tribuo, purumque hominem fuisse affirmo, 
et per beatae vitae excellentissimum meri- 
tum Divinitatis honorem fuisse adeptum.' 
Ibid. §. 10, Vide eundem 1. ii. adv. 
Eiitych. ' Ignorat etiam Photinus mag- 
num pietatis, quod Apostolus memorat, 
sacramentum, qui Christi ex Virgine fa- 
tetur exordium : Et propterea non credit 
sine initio substantialiter Deum natum 
ex Deo Patre, in quo carnis veritatem 
confitetur ex Virgine.' Fulg. ad Tlirasim. 
1. i. c 6. Gregory Nazianzen, according 
to his custom, gives a very brief, but re- 
markable expression : <I>a)T£Jvcit; rh naTu 
XfKrrov Xttt am Ma^la^ a.§)(^6fASyov . Orat. 26. 
But the opinion of Photinus cannot be 
better understood, than by the condemna- 
tion of it in the Council of Sirmium ; 
which having set out the confession of 
their faith in brief, addeth many and va- 
rious anathemas, according to the several 
heresies then apparent, without mention- 
ing their names. Of these, the fifth aims 
clearly at Photinus : ' Si quis secundum 
praescientiam vel praedestinationem ex 
Maria dicit Filium esse, et non ante sse- 
cula ex Patre natum, apud Deum esse, 
et per eum facta esse omnia. Anathema 
sit.' The thirteenth, fourteenth, and fif- 
teenth, also were particulars directed 
against him, as St. Hilary hath observed : 
but the last of all is most material : * SI 
quis Christum Deum, Filium Dei, ante 
ssecula subsistentem, et ministrantem Pa- 
tri ad omnium perfectionem, non dicat, 
sed ex quo de Maria natus est, ex eo et 
Christum et Filium nominatum esse, et 
initium accepisse ut sit Deus, dicat, Ana- 



thema sit.' Upon which, the observation 
of St. Hilary is this : * Concludi damna- 
tio ejus hseresis, propter quam conventum 
erat, (that is, the Photinian) expositions 
totius fidei cui adversabatur, oportuit, 
quas initium Dei Filii ex partu Virginia 
mentiebatur.' S. Hilar, de Synod, contra 
Arianos, c. 61 . Thus was Photinus bishop 
of Sirmium condemned by a Council held 
in the same city. They all agreed sud- 
denly in the condemnation of him; 
Arians, Semi-Arians, and Catholics : xa- 
SeTXov gu^uf, says Socrates, xat tovto /uet> 
a;? KaXZg nal Jtxawt)? ysvo/jisvov, TTaVTEf Iwu've- 
crav Koi toth xoi /JttTa Tovra. lib. ii. c. 29. 
And because his history is verj obscure 
and intricate, take this brief catalogue of 
his condemnations. We read that he 
was condemned at the Council of Nice, 
and at the same time by a Council at 
Rome under Sylvester : but this is deli- 
vered only in a forged Epilogue Concilii 
Romani. He was then first condemned 
with Marcellus his master, as Sulpitius 
Severus relates, probably by the Synod at 
Constantinople ; for in that Marcellus 
was deprived, [circ. A. D. 344.] Sozom. 
i. ii. 33. Socrat. 1. ii. 36. Secondlj, his 
heresy is renounced in the second Synod 
at Antioch. Athanas. de Syn. Socrat. 1. ii. 
19. Thirdly, he was condemned in the 
Council of Sardes. S. Epiphan. Hceres, 
71. §. 1. and Sulpitius Severus, p. 240. 
Fourthly, by a Council at Milan. [A. D. 
347.] 5. Hilar. Fragm. ii. §, 19. Fifthly, 
in a Synod at Sirmium, he was deposed 
by the western bishops ; but by reason 
of the great opinion and afi"ection of the 
people, he could not be removed. [A. D. 
349.] 5. Hilar. Fragm. ibid. §. 21. 
Sixthly, he was again condemned and de- 
posed at Sirmium by the eastern bishops, 
and being convicted by Basil, bishop of 
Ancyra, was banished from thence. [A.D. 
351.] 5. Hilar. ibid.§. 22. et de Synod, 
c. 37. S. Epiph. Socrat. Sozom. Vigil. In- 
deed, he was so generally condemned 
not only then, but afterwards under Va- 
lentinian, as St. Jerome testifies, and the 
synodic Epistle of the Aquileian Council, 
that his opinion was soon worn out of the 
world. "U^n yk^ naX ^na-mtas-'bri glf o^^'yo*' 
■X^^ovov h rovTov tov h7raTtifA,hou aise<rig, says 
Epiphanius, who lived not long after him. 
So suddenly was this opinion rejected by 
all Christians, applauded by none but 
Julian the heretic, who railed at St. John 
for making Christ God, and commended 
Photinus for denying it ; as appears by 
an Epistle written by Julian unto him, as 
it is (though in a mean translation) deli- 
vered by Facundus : ' Tu quidem, O Pho- 



HIS ONLY SON. 



183 



was not any created, but the divine essence, by which he 
always was truly, really, and properly God. This will evi- 
dently and necessarily follow from the last demonstration of 
the first assertion, the creating all things by the Son of God ; 
from whence we inferred his pre-existence, ** in the beginning" 
assuring us as much that he was God, as that he was, '* For he 
that built all things was God." (Heb. iii. 4.) And the same 
apostle which assures us, " All things were made by him," at 
the same time tells us, " In the beginning was the Word, and 
the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John i. 
3. 1.) Where ** In the beginning'' must not be denied unto 
the third proposition, because it cannot be denied unto the 
second. Therefore in the beginning, or ever the earth was, 
the Word was God," (Prov. viii. 23.) the same God with whom 
he was. For we cannot, with any show of reason, either ima- 
gine that he was with one God, and w^as another, because there 
can be no more supreme Gods than one ; or conceive that the 
apostle should speak of one kind of God in the second, and of 
another in the third proposition; in the second, of a God eter- 
nal and independent ; in the third, of a made and depending 
God.* Especially, first considering that the eternal God was 



tiae, verisimilis videris, et proximus sal- 
vare, beue facieiis nequaquam in utero 
inducere, quern credidisti Deum.' Fa- 
cun. ad Justinian. 1. iv. c. 2. p. 163. 

* And that upon so poor a ground as 
the want of an article, because in the first 
place it is, tt^o? to» ©£ov, in the second, 
©£of h 6 Aoyoi;, not 6 ©£0f from hence to 
conclude, d-0£o? is one God, that is, xar' 
B^o^hv, the supreme God, ©so? another, 
not the supreme, but one made God by 
him. Indeed, they are beholden to Epi- 
phaniusfor this observation, whose words 
are these : 'Eiv s'lTToofxev, ©eoj, avsu roZ 

« ©Eov Tcv ovra (or rather ohn ovra)* lav 
siW^Ev, 0 ©£of, IrtXov wq atio rov a^d^ov, rov 
ovra crnfAamfXiv aXJiQiJ t£ nai yivoos-x.ofj.i'iov. 
Samarit. Hares, ix. §. 4. But whosoever 
shall apply this rule to the sacred Scrip- 
tures will find it most fallacious. In the 
beginning, i'TToUa-tv o ©£05 tov ovpavov nal rhv 
yvv, undoubtedly belongs to the true and 
supreme God : but it does not thence fol- 
low, that Trvsvfxa ©eoD l7r£<pB^ero bttcivm rou 
uJttToj, should be understood of the spirit 
of another or inferior God. Certainly St. 
John (i. 6.) when he speaks of the Bap-" 
tist, iyiniTo avQ^wTtoq aTTEiTTaXjUEVo; 'ira^a, 
©Eou, meant, he had his commission from 
heaven ; and when it is spoken of Christ, 
(ver. 12.) eScdxev a,lro~q s^ovcriav reuva ©eou 
yma-Qai, and again, (ver. 13.) k ©£oy 
lyBwh^n^av, it must be understood of the 
true God the Father. In the like maimer, 
(ver. 18.) ©gov ovh)<; ewgaxE ttmtio-cb, if it 



were taken Typj^ovTiw; of any ever called 
God ; nay, even of Christ Jesus as man, 
it were certainly false. How can then 
any deny the Word to be the supreme 
God, because he is called simply ©eo;, 
when St. John in the four next places, ia 
which he speaketh of the supreme God, 
mentioneth him without an article? This 
criticism of theirs was first the observa- 
tion of Asterius the Arian : Ohn tTmv 6 
fj(,aHa^io<; TlctZ'Kog XpitrTov x,n^vaa-Biv try toD 
©soS ivvafxiv, r) thv TOV Qbou co<^iav, aWa ^'X* 
Tr^ocrdmni;, ^-jvafxiv Qbov, xal ©eou cro<piav' 
aXXnv fxBV sTvat Tr,v iSt'av avTOv rou ©EoS ^vvct- 
/uiv TYiv 'ifj,<puTov avrw na] cruvi/Trapp^ouiTttv 
ayBvvnrot)/;, xn^us-<rx<v. These are the words 
of Asterius recordedby Athanasius, Orat. 2. 
contra Arianos, §. 37. In which place, 
notwithstanding, none can deny but ©eoD 
is twice taken without an article for the 
true and supreme God. Thus Didymus 
of Alexandria de Sp. S. would distinguish 
between the person and the gift of the 
Holy Ghost, by the addition or defect of 
the article : ' Apostoli, quando intelligi 
volunt personam Spiritus Sancti, addunt 
articulum, to TrvEujua, sine quo Spiritus 
Sancti dona notantur.' Inter oper. S. Hie- 
ronyrn. And Athanasius objects against 
his adversaries denying the Holy Ghost 
to be God, that they produced places out 
of the prophets to prove him a creature, 
where Tfnvfxa had not so much as an 
article prefixed, which might give some 
colour to interpret it of the Holy Spirit : 
OuS'6 yk^ ovV av to agflgov Ip^*) to 'jru.fa rov 



184 



ARTICLE II. 



so constantly among the Jews called the Word/* the only 
reason which we can conceive, why the apostle should thus use 
this phrase : and then observing the manner of St. John's 
writing, who rises strangely by degrees, making the last word 
of the former sentence the first of that which foUoweth : as. 

In him was life, and the life was the light of men ; and the 
light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it 
not : 50, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word," 
(John i. 4, 5.) which so was in the beginning, " was with God, 
and the Word was God that is, the same God with whom the 
Word was in the beginning. But he could not be the same 
God with him any other way, than by having the same divine 
essence. Therefore the being which Christ had, before he was 
conceived by the Virgin, was the divine nature by which he was 
properly and really God. 

Secondly, He who was subsisting in the form of God, and 
thought himself to be equal with God (in which thought he 
could not be deceived, nor be injurious to God), must of ne- 
cessity be truly and essentially God; because there can be no 
equality between the divine essence, which is infinite, and any 
other whatsoever, which must be finite. But this is true of 
Christ, and that antecedently to his conception in the Virgin's 
womb, and existence in his human nature. For, ** being ( or 
rather subsisting)* in the form of God, he thought it not rob- 
bery to be equal with God : but emptied himself, and took upon 
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of 
men." (Phil. ii. 6, 7.) Out of which words naturally result 
three propositions fully demonstrating our assertion. First, 
That Christ was in the form of a servant, as soon as he was 
made man. Secondly, That he was in the form of God, before 
he was in the form of a servant. Thirdly, That he was in the 



<rr^o<^rirov Xeyofxivov vvv xvsvf/,a, iva. nav irpo- 
Kpxcriv £;!(;«T£. Epist. ad Serapionem, i. §. 7. 
Whereas we find in the same place of St. 
John, the same Spirit in the same sense 
mentioned with and without an article. 
'Eav (xn TJg yiv^-n^n l| uSaro? nai mivfxaTOi;, 
John iii. 6. and, to ysyBwrjfxivov in tou 
>m\ivixaTo<;, ver. 6. So 1 John iv. 1. Mtj 
iravTi wvBvfxari TTtirTEijeTg, aWa. ^onifxal^ers 
TO. TmvfjLaTa. And again, (ver. 2.) 'Ev 
nrovro) ytvdtrKere to msZfxa rou @eov' urav 
•mvsvfj.a, &c. And beside, according to 
that distinction, roumZ/j.a. certainly stands 
fox the gift of the Spirit, 1 Thess. v. 19. 
TO 'arnv/ut.a, fxh a^ivvvTS. In the like manner, 
it is so far from truth, that the Scriptures 
observe so much the articles, as to use o 
Giog always for the true and supreme God, 
and S-Eo? for the false or inferior; that 
where the true is professedly opposed to 
the false, even there he is styled simply 
©eo'f. As : 'AXXi tots fxh ovn iliorsq ©eov. 



yvovrSi Oecv, ^uaXXov yvaxrSsvTE? Ino ©eo~. 
Gal. iv. 8, 9. And where the supreme is 
distinguished from him whom they make 
the inferior God, he is called likewise 
©£0f without an article, as : AoDao; 'ln<rou 
X^is-Tou, cLi^m^ia-fxivoq £if evayyiXiov ®eoZ, 
and Toy o^terBevTog vlou Qeov h ^uvifAH, 
Rom. i. 1. 4. 'Attoo-toXo? 'inerou X^itrrou 
ha, ^shv/xarog Oeov, 1 Cor. i. 1. 2 Cor. i. 1. 
Eph. i. 1. Col. i. 1. And if this distinc- 
tion were good, our Saviour's argument 
to the Pharisees were not so : El lyii 
Iv 9nsvf/,aTi ©sou Ix^aXXa; Ta ^aifxovia, apa 
£<pQaff-£v l4>' vfxag h ^acriXeia, tov ©eou, Matt, 
xii. 28. For it doth not follow, that if 
by the power of an inferior or false god 
he cast out devils, that therefore the king- 
dom of the true and supreme God is come 
upon them. 

* ' In effigie Dei constitutus.' Terhill. 
adv. Marcion. l.v. 20. et adv. Prax. c 7. 'In 
figura Dei constitutus.' S. Cyprian. Testim. 
adv. Jud. §. la.etl. iii.oi Quiriyi. §.39. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



185 



form of God, that is, did as truly and really subsist in the 
divine nature, as in the form of a servant, or in the nature of 
man. It is a vain imagination, that our Saviour then first ap- 
peared a servant, w^hen he w^as apprehended, bound, scourged, 
crucified. For they were not all slaves which ever suffered 
such indignities, or died that death ; and when they did, their 
death did not make, but find them, or suppose them servants. 
Beside, our Saviour in all the degrees of his humiliation never 
lived as a servant unto any master on earth. It is true, at first 
he was subject, but as a son, to his reputed father and un- 
doubted mother. When he appeared in public, he lived after 
the manner of a prophet, and a doctor sent from God, accom- 
panied with a family as it were of his apostles, whose master 
he professed himself, subject to the commands of no man in 
that office, and obedient only unto God. " The form" then 
"of a servant'^ which he *' took upon him," must consist in 
something distinct from his sufferings, or submission unto 
men ; as the condition in which he was, when he so submitted, 
and so suffered. In that he was made flesh," (John i. 14.) 
sent "in the likeness of sinful flesh," (Rom. viii. 3.) subject 
unto all infirmities and miseries of this life, attending on the 
sons of men fallen by the sin of Adam : in that he was " made 
of a woman, made under the Law," (Gal. iv. 4.) and so obliged 
to perform thr. same ; which Law did so handle the children 
of God, as that they diffeied nothing from servants: in that 
he was born, bred, and liveu in a mean, low, and abject condi- 
tion ; "as a root out of a dry ground, he had no form nor 
comeliness, and when they saw him, there was no beauty that 
they should desire him ; hut was despised and rejected of men, 
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief :" (Isa. liii. 2, 3.) 
In that he was thus made man, he " took upon him the form 
of a servant." Which is not mine, but the apostle's explica- 
tion ; as adding it not by way of conjunction, in which there 
might be some diversity, but by way of apposition, which sig- 
nifieth a clear identity. And therefore it is necessary to ob- 
serve, that our translation of that verse is not only not exact, 
but very disadvantageous to that truth, which is contained in 
it. For we read it thus : " He made himself of no reputation, 
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the 
likeness of men." Where we have two copulative conjunc- 
tions, neither of which is in the original text,* and three dis- 
tinct propositions, without any dependence of one upon the 
other; whereas all the words together are but an expression of 
Christ's exinanition, with an explication shewing in what it con- 

* 'aXX' havrov exivaxre, fxo^<priv ^ov\ov Xa- f actus, where ysvofxevo? is added by appo- 
0(wv, Iv o^oKwjuttTt av9-g»7r(wv yevo/uevo?, which sition to Xa^wv, and have both equal re- 
is also exactly observed by the Vulgar latioa to Ixev<w<r6 : or, which is all one, 
Latin, Sed semetipsum exinanivit, formam eKivasiTi "Ka^oov, IXa^g ysvo/xEvo; . Phil. ii. 7, 
iervi accipienSf in similitibdme hombium 



186 



ARTICLE II. 



sisteth ; which will clearly appear by this literal translation, 
' But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being 
made in the likeness of men/ Where if any man doubt how 
Christ ' emptied himself,' the text will satisfy him, " by taking 
the form of a servant;" if any still question how he took the 
form of a servant, he hath the apostle's resolution, by being 
made in the likeness of men." Indeed, after the expression of 
this exinanition, he goes on with a conjunction, to add an- 
other act ofChrisfs humiliation ; And being found in fashion 
as a man," being already by his exinanition in the form of a 
servant, or the likeness of men, *' he humbled himself, and be- 
came ( or rather becoming)* obedient unto death, even the 
death of the cross." (Phil. ii. 8.) As therefore his humiliation 
consisted in his obedience unto death, so his exinanition con- 
sisted in the assumption of the form of a servant, and that in 
the nature of man. All which is very fitly expressed by a 
strange interpretation in the Epistle to the Hebrews. For 
whereas these words are clearly in the Psalmist, " Sacrifice 
and offering thou didst not desire, mine ears hast thou opened;" 
(Psal. xl. 6.) the apostle appropriateth the sentence to Christ; 

When he cometfi into the world, he saith. Sacrifice and of- 
fering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me." 
(Heb. X. 5.) Now being the boring of the ear under the Law, 
(Exod. xxi. 6. Deut. xv. 17.) was a note of perpetual servi- 
tude, being this was expressed in the words of the Psalmist, 
and changed by the apostle into the preparing of a body ; it 
followeth that when Christ's body first was framed, even then 
did he assume the form of a servant. 

Again, it appeareth out of the same text, that Christ was in 
the form of God before he was in the form of a servant, and 
consequently, before he was made man. For he which is pre- 
supposed to be, and to think of that being which he hath, and 
upon that thought to assume, must have that being before that 
assumption ; but Christ is first expressly said to be in the form 
of God, and, being so, to think it no robbery to be equal with 
God, and notwithstanding that equality, to take upon him the 
form of a servant : therefore it cannot be denied but he was 
before in the form of God. Beside, he was not i-n the form of 
a servant, but by the emptying himself, and all exinanition 
necessarily presupposeth a precedent plenitude ; it being as 
impossible to empty any thing which hath no fulness, as to fill 
any thing which hath no emptiness. But the fulness which 
Christ had, in respect whereof assuming the form of a servant, 
he is said to empty himself, could be in nothing else but in 
the form of God, in which he was before. Wherefore, if the 



For in both these verses there is but one 
conjunction, joining together two acts of 
our Saviour, his first exinanition, or hi- 



sma-z, and his farther humiliation, or Irct- 
'crg;v(yff-£ : the rest are all particles added 
for«explication to the verbs. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



187 



assumption of the form of a servant be contemporary v^ith his 
exinanition ; if that exinanition necessarily presupposeth a 
plenitude as indispensably antecedent to it ; if the form of God 
be also coeval with that precedent plenitude ; then must we 
confess, Christ was in the form of God before he was in the 
form of a servant : which is the second proposition. 

Again, it is as evident from the same Scripture, (Phil. ii. 6.) 
that Christ was as much in the form of God," as " the form 
of a servant," and did as really subsist in the divine nature, as 
in the nature of man. For he was so **in the form of God," 
as thereby to be equal with God."* But no other form beside 



* To ilvdi la-a &sS. ' Pariari Deo.' 
Tertidl. adv. Marcion. 1. v. c. 20. ' Esse 
se aequalem Deo.' S. Cyprian. Tesiim. 1. ii. 
adv. Jud. §. 13. et 1. iii. ad Quirin. §. 39. 
' Esse eequalis Deo.' Leporins, Lib. Emen- 
dat, p. 15. opusc. Dogrn. Vet. V. Script. 
Par. 1630. Thus all express the notion 
of equality, not of similitude : nor can we 
understand any less by to iTvai la-a., than 
Ttiv Wornra, Tcrov and l<ra being indiffe- 
rently used by the Greeks, as Pindar, 
Olymp. Od. ii. 109. 

"la-ov Se vvKrea-criv alei, 

"icra 5' Iv af^i^aig aXt- 

TOV. 

So whom the Greeks call la-o^eov, Homer 
7e-a Odyss. O. 519. 

Tov vvv Tcra &£a; 'iQanrxrtOL sls'o^ooos-i. 
Where Ta-a has not the nature of an ad- 
verb, as belonging to ilcro^ocaa-i, but of a 
noun referred to the antecedent tov, or 
including an adverb added to a noun, tov 
vZv ooq la-o^SQv. The collection of Grotius 
from this verse is very strange ; tlvai Ira 
€>iaj, ' est spectari tanquam Deum.' As if 
he should have said &\TOfouia-i signifies 
spectant, therefore eJvai signifies spectari. 
This he was forced to put off thus, be- 
cause the strength of our interpretation, 
rendering an equality, lies in the verb 
substantive to sTmi. As Dionysius of 
Alexandria very anciently : xEv^j-a? saurov, 
Kctt Ta7rEiv<icra,g I'a;? ^avarov, Bavarov Ss 
a-ravfou, Tra Qbm vifa^xj^i. Epist. ad Pallium 
Samosat. For we acknowledge that To-a 
by itself oft-times signifieth no more than 
iiistar, and so inferreth nothing but a si- 
militude : as we find it frequently in the 
Book of Job. Where it sometimes an- 
swereth to the inseparable particle 3 ; as, 
nb^ba quasi in node, T<ra vvktI, v. 14. nD'-n^D 
sicut caseum, Itra Ti/fw, x. 10. npn3 quasi 
putredo, Sym. ofxoioog anm^evi, LXX. T<ra 
ao-kS, xiii. 28. D-QD sicut aquam, la-a. ttotS, 
XV. 16. yya tanquam lignum, la-a ^v'Km, 
xxiv. 20. -)?3nD sicut lutum, la-a •nrix'S, 
xxvii. 16. b-ya^ sicut veslimento, la-a h- 
^'Kotli, xxix. 14. Ipn3 quasi bos, laa ^ovtIv, 



xl. 15. Where we see the Vulgar Latin 
useth for the Hebrew, 3 quasi, sicut, tan- 
quam, the LXX. la-a. Sometimes it au- 
swereth to no word in the original, but 
supplieth a similitude understood, not 
expressed, in the Hebrew : as, Tyi tan- 
quam puUum, la-a ovu, xi. 12. pxT et lapis, 
la-a Xt'&w, xxviii. 2. "lanb Into, la-a irn'KS), 
XXX. 19. Once it rendereth an Hebrew 
word rather according to the intention, 
than the signification ; "i3K"'"'7U'D compara- 
hitiir cineri, ad verbum proverhia cineris, 
laa aTto^S, xiii. 12. So that in all these 
places it is used adverbially for instar, 
and in none hath the addition of to flrat 
to it. As for that answer of Socinus, that 
Christ cannot be God, because he is said 
to be equal with God : ' Tantum abest 
ut, ab eo quod Christus sit a;qualis Deo, 
sequatur ipsum esse aeternum et summum 
Deum, ut potius ex hoc ipso necessario 
consequatur non esse aeternum et sum- 
mum Deum. Nemo enim sibi ipsi aequa- 
lis esse potest.' Socin. ad 8. c. Weik. as if 
there could be no predication of equality, 
where we find a substantial identity : it 
is most certainly false, because the most 
exact speakers use such language as this 
is. There can be no expressions more 
exact and pertinent than those which are 
used by geometricians, neither can there 
be any better judges of equality than they 
are ; but they most frequently use that 
expression in this notion, proving an 
equality, and inferring it from identity. 
As in the fifth proposition of the first 
Element of Euclid, two lines are said to 
contain an angle equal to the angle con- 
tained by two other lines, because they 
contained the same angle, or yooviav Komv 
and the basis of one triangle is supposed 
equal to the basis of another triangle, be- 
cause the same line was basis to both, or 
^aa-ig Koim. In the same manner cer- 
tainly may the Son be said to be equal 
to the Father in essence or power, be- 
cause they both have the same essence or 
power, that is, ova-iav y-oi ^ijvafA,iv Koivnv, 
Ocell. de Universe. 'aXX* asi Kara ravTO Kai 
aa-avTMg JiaTeXsT xai la-ov nal ofJtoiov avro 
savrov, c. 1. §. 6. 



188 



ARTICLE II. 



the essential, which is the divine nature itself, could infer an 
equality with God. "To whom will ye liken me, and make 
me equal, saith the Holy One?" (Isa. xl. 25. xlvi. 5.) There 
can be but one infinite, eternal, and independent Being; and 
tliere can be no comparison between that and whatsoever is 
finite, temporal, and depending. He therefore who did truly 
think himself equal with God, as being in the form of God, 
must be conceived to subsist in that one infinite, eternal, and 
independent nature of God. Again, the phrase, ** in the form 
of God/' not elsewhere mentioned, is used by the apostle with 
respect unto that other, of the form of a servant," exegeti- 
cally continued *' in the likeness of man;" and the respect of 
one unto the other is so necessary, that if the form of God be 
not as real and essential as the form of a servant, or the like- 
ness of man, there is no force in the apostle's words, nor will 
his argument be fit to work any great degree of humiliation 
upon the consideration of Christ's exinanition. But by the form 
is certainly understood the true condition of a servant, and by 
the likeness infallibly meant the real nature of man : nor doth 
the fashioiij in which he was found, destroy, but rather assert 
the truth of his humanity. And therefore, as sure as Christ 
was really and essentially man, of the same nature with us, in 
whose similitude he w^as made ; so certainly was he also really 
and essentially God, of the same nature and being with him, 
in whose form he did subsist. Seeing then we have clearly 
evinced from the express words of St. Paul, that Christ was in 
the form of a servant as soon as he was made man ; that he 
was in the form of God before he was in the form of a servant; 
that the form of God in which he subsisted, doth as truly sig- 
nify the divine, as the likeness of man the human nature : it ne- 
cessarily followeth, that Christ had a real existence before he was 
begotten of the Virgin, and that the being which he had, was the 
divine essence, by which he was truly, really, and properly God, 
Thirdly, He which is expressly styled Alpha and Omega, the 
Jirst and the last, without any restriction or limitation, as he is 
after, so was before any time assignable, truly and essentially 
God. For by this title God describeth his own being, and dis- 
tinguisheth it from all other. I the Lord, the first, and with 
the last, 1 am he." " I am he, I am the first, I also am the 
last." I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there 
is no God." (Isa. xli. 4. xlviii. 12. xliv. 6.) But Christ is ex- 
pressly called Alpha and Omegas the first and the last. He sf 
proclaimed himself by " a great voice, as of a trumpet, saying 
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last." (Rev. i, II. 
Which answereth to that solemn call and proclamation in thj 
prophet, " Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called. 
(Isa. xlviii. 12.) He comforteth St. John with the majesty o 
this title, *' Fear not, I am the first and the last." (Rev. i. 17.) 
Which words were spoken by ** one like unto the Son of man," 



HIS ONLY SON. 



189 



(Ibid. 13.) by him " that liveth, and was dead, and is alive for 
evermore;" (Ibid. 18.) that is undoubtedly, by Christ, He 
upholdeth the Church of Smyrna in her tribulation by virtue 
of the same description. " These things saith the first and the 
last, which was dead and is alive." (Rev. ii. 8.) He ascertain- 
eth his coming unto judgment with the same assertion, ** I am 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the 
last." (Rev. xxii. 13.)* And in all these places this title is 
attributed unto Christ absolutely and universally, without any 
kind of restriction or limitation, without any assignation of 
any particular in respect of which he is the first or last ; in the 
same latitude and eminence of expression, in which it is or can 
be attributed to the supreme God. There is yet another Scrip- 
ture, in which the same description may seem of a more du- 
bious interpretation : " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning 
and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and 
which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. i. 8.) For being it is 
the Lord" who so calls himself, which title belongeth to the 
Father and the Son, it may be doubted whether it be spoken 
by the Father or the Son ; but whether it be understood of the 
one or of the other, it will sufficiently make good what we 
intend to prove. For if they be understood of Christ, as the 
precedent and the following words imply, then is he certainly 
that Lord, *^ which is, and which was, and which is to come, 
the Almighty that is, the supreme eternal God, of the same 
divine essence with the Father, who was before described by 
'* him which is, and which was, and which is to come," (Rev. 
i. 4.) to whom the six-winged beasts continually cry, ** Holy, 
holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to 
come :" (Rev. iv. 8.) as the familiar explication of that name 
which God revealed to Moses. (Exod. iii. 14.) If they belong 
unto the supreme God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; 
then did he so describe himself unto St. John, and express his 
supreme Deity, that by those words, I am Alpha and Omega, 
the beginning and the ending," he might be known to be the 
one almighty and eternal God ; and, consequently, whosoever 
should assume that title, must attribute as much unto himself. 
Wherefore being Christ hath so immediately, and with so great 
solemnity and frequency, taken the same style upon him by 
which the Father did express his Godhead; it followeth, that 
he hath declared himself to be the supreme, almighty, and 
eternal God. And being thus the Alpha and the first, he was 



* With the article so much elsewhere 
stood upon, TO A xttt TO SI, 0 ir^MTOQ, xat o 
E<r%aTof, The Alpha and the. Omega, t}t£ 
first and the last. For we must not take 
TO A as the grammarians do, by which 
they signify only the letter written in that 
figure, and called by that name. As up- 
peareth by Eratosthenes, who was called 



BriTa, not Ta $r]fxara, as Suidas corruptly. 
Hesychius Illustrius, from whom Suidas 
had that passage : 'EpaTos-Sevn? Ssi to hv- 

^a)v, B^iTa lx.\ri'bn. And Martianus Hera- 
cleota in Periplo : Kcu (ast subivov 'Epa- 
Too-Slvnf, ov Brira £nxXiaxv ol rou MovasUu 

TTfOJ-TaVTS;. 



190 



ARTICLE II. 



before any time assignable, and consequently before he was 
conceived of the Virgin; and the being which then he had was 
the divine essence, by which he was truly and properly the 
almighty and eternal God. 

Fourthly, He whose glory Isaiah saw in the year that king 
Uzziah died, had a being, before Christ was begotten of the 
Virgin, and that being was the divine essence, by which he 
was naturally and essentially God ; for he is expressly called 
" the Lord, Holy, holy, holy, the Lord of hosts, whose glory 
filleth the whole earth (Isa. vi. 1. 3.) which titles can be- 
long to none beside the one and only God. But Christ was 
he whose glory Isaiah saw, as St. John doth testify, saying, 
These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake 
of him:" (John xii. 41.) and he whose glory he saw, and of 
whom he spake, was certainly Christ: for of him the apostle 
treateth in that place, and of none but him. "These things 
spake Jesus and departed. But though he (that is, Jesus) had 
done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on 
him,'' (Ibid. 36, 37.) that is, Christ who wrought those miracles. 
The reason why they believed not on him was, That the 
s.aying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake. 
Lord, who hath believed our report?" (Ibid. 38.) and as they 
did not, so they could not believe in Christ, because that 
Esaias said again. He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened 
their hearts; that they should not see with their eyes, nor un- 
derstand with their hearts, and be converted, and I should 
heal them." (Ibid. 39, 40.) For those who God foresaw, 
and the prophet foretold, should not believe, could not do it 
without contradicting the prescience of the one, and the pre- 
dictions of the other. But the Jews refusing to assent unto 
the doctrine of our Saviour, were those of whom the prophet 
spake : for " these things said Esaias when he saw his glory, 
and spake of him." (Ibid. 41.) Now if the glory which Isaiah 
saw, were the glory of Christ, and he of whom Isaiah in that 
chapter spake, were Christ himself; then must those blinded 
eyes and hardened hearts belong unto these Jews, and then 
their infidelity was so long since foretold. Thus doth the 
fixing of that prophecy upon that people, which saw our Sa- 
viour's miracles, depend upon Isaiah's vision, and the appro- 
priation of it unto Christ. Wherefore St. John infallibly hath 
taught us, that the prophet saw the glory of Christ, and the 
prophet hath as undoubtedly assured us, that he whose glory 
then he saw, was the one omnipotent and eternal God ; and con- 
sequently both together have sealed this truth, that Christ did 
then subsist in that glorious majesty of the eternal Godhead. 

Lastly, He who, being man, is frequently in the Scriptures 
called God, and that in such a manner, as by that name no 
other can be understood but the one only and eternal God, 
he had an existence before he was made man, and the being 



HIS ONLY SON. 



191 



which then he had was no other than the divine essence ; be- 
cause all novelty is repugnant to the Deity, nor can any be 
that one God, who was not so from all eternity. But Jesus 
Christ being in the nature of man, is frequently in the sacred 
Scriptures called God ; and that name is attributed unto him 
in such a manner, as by it no other can be understood but the 
one almighty and eternal God. 

Which may be thus demonstrated. It hath been already 
proved, and we all agree in this, that there can be but one di- 
vine essence, and so but one supreme God. Wherefore were 
it not said in the Scriptures, there are ri:iany gods (1 Cor. 
viii. 4.) did not he himself who is supreme call others so ; w^e 
durst not give that name to any but to him alone, nor could 
we think any called God to be any other but that one. It had 
been then enough to have alleged that Christ is God, to prove 
his supreme and eternal Deity : whereas now we are answered, 
that there are **gods many,'' and therefore it foiloweth not 
from that name, that he is the one eternal God. But if 
Christ be none of those many gods, and yet be God ; then can 
he be no other but that one. And that he is not to be num- 
bered with them, is certain, because he is clearly distinguished 
from them, and opposed to them. We read in the Psalmist, 
*' I have said. Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the 
Most High." (Psal. Ixxxii. 6.) But we must not reckon Christ 
among those gods, we must not number the only-begotten Son 
among those children. For "they knew not, neither would 
they understand, they walked on in darkness :" (Ibid. 5.) and 
whosoever were gods only as they were, either did, or might do 
so. Whereas Christ, in whom alone dwelt ** all the fulness of 
the Godhead bodily," (Col, ii. 9.) is not only distinguished from, 
but opposed to, such gods as those, by his disciples saying, 
" Now we are sure that thou knowest all thino;s (John xvi. 
30.) by himself proclaiming, ** I am the light of the world : he 
that foiloweth me, shall not walk in darkness." (John viii. 12.) 
St. Paul hath told us, " there be gods many, and lords many ;" 
but withal hath taught us, that to us there is but one God, 
the Father, and one Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. viii. 5, 6.) In 
which words, as the Father is opposed as much unto the mani/ 
lords, 2iS many gods ; so is the Son as much unto the many gods 
as many lords; the Father being as much Lord as God, and 
the Son as much God as Lord. Wherefore being we find in 
Scripture frequent mention of one God, and beside that one 
an intimation of many gods, and whosoever is called God, must 
either b'e that one, or one of those many ; being we find our 
blessed Saviour to be wholly opposed to the many gods, and 
consequently to be none of them, and yet we read him often 
styled God : it foiloweth, that that name is attributed unto him 
in such a manner, as by it no other can be understood but the 
one almighty and eternal God. 



192 



ARTICLE II. 



Again, those who deny our Saviour to be the same God 
with the Father, have invented rules to be the touchstone of the 
eternal power and Godhead. First, Where the name of God 
is taken absolutely, as the subject of any proposition, it always 
signifies the supreme power and majesty, excluding all others 
from that Deity. Secondly, Where the same name is any way 
used with an article, by way of excellency, it likewise signifieth 
the same supreme Godhead as admitting others to a communion 
of Deity, but excluding them from the supremacy. Upon these 
two rules they have raised unto themselves this observation, That 
whensoever the name of God absolutely taken is placed as the 
subject of any proposition, it is not to be understood of Christ : 
and wheresoever the same name is spoken of our Saviour by 
way of predicate, it never hath an article denoting excellency an- 
nexed to it ; and consequently leaves him in the number of those 
gods, who are excluded from the majesty of the eternal Deity. 

Now though there can be no kind of certainty in any such 
observations of the articles, because the Greeks promiscuously 
often use them or omit them, without any reason of their usur- 
pation or omission (whereof examples are innumerable); though 
if those rules were granted, yet would not their conclusion fol- 
low, because the supreme God is often named (as they con- 
fess) without an article, and therefore the same name may sig- 
nify the same God when spoken of Christ, as w^ell as when of 
the Father, so far as can concern the omission of the article : 
yet to complete my demonstration, I shall shew, first. That the 
name of God taken subjectively is to be understood of Christ, 
Secondly, That the same name with the article affixed is attri- 
buted unto him. Thirdly,That if it werenot so, yet where the arti- 
cle is wanting, there is that added to the predicate, which hath as 
great a virtue to signify that excellency as the article could have. 

St. Paul, unfolding the mystery of godliness, hath delivered 
six propositions together, and the subject of all and each of 
them is God. Without controversy great is the mystery of 
godliness : God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the 
spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on 
in the world, received up into glory." (1 Tim. iii. 16.) And 
this God which is the subject of all these propositions must 
be understood of Christ, because of him each one is true, and 
all are so of none but him ; he was the Word which was God, 
and was made flesh, and consequently " God manifested in the 
flesh." Upon him the Spirit descended at his baptism, and 
after his ascension was poured upon his apostles, ratifying his 
commission, and confirming the doctrine which they received 
from him : wherefore he was God justified in the Spirit." 
His nativity the angels celebrated, in the discharge of his office 
they ministered unto him, at his resurrection and ascension 
they were present, always ready to confess and adore him : he 
he was therefore " God seen of angels." The apostles preached 



fllS ONLY SON. 



193 



wiito all nations, and he whom they preached was Jesus Christ. 
(Acts viii. 5. 35. ix. 20. xi. 20. xvii. 3. 18. xix. 13. Rom. xvi. 
25. 2 Cor. i. 19. Phil. i. 1 8.) The Father " separated St. Paul 
from his mother's womb, and called him by his grace to reveal 
his Sou unto him, that he might preach him among the 
heathen (Gal. i. 15, 16.) therefore he was *^ God preached 
unto the Gentiles." John the Baptist spake unto the people, 
that they should believe on him which should come after him, 
that is, on Christ Jesus." (Acts xix. 4.) "We have believed in 
Jesus Christ," (Gal. ii. 16.) saith St. Paul, who so taught the 
gaoler trembling at his feet, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and thou shaltbe saved :" (Acts xvi. 31.) he therefore was **God 
believed on in the World." When he had been forty days on 
earth after his resurrection, he was taken visibly up into heaven, 
and sat down at the right hand of the Father : wherefore he was 
" God received up into glory." And thus all these six propo- 
sitions, according to the plain and familiar language of the 
Scriptures, are infallibly true of Christ, and so of God, as he 
is taken by St. John, (i. 1.) when he speaks those words, the 
Word was God." But all these cannot be understood of any 
other, which either is, oris called, God. For though we grant 
the divine perfections and attributes to be the same with the 
divine essence, yet are they never in the Scriptures called 
God ; nor can any of them with the least show of probability be 
pretended as the subject of these propositions, or afford any 
tolerable interpretation. When they tell us that God," 
that is, the will of God,^ *' was manifested in the flesh," that 
is, was revealed hy frail atid mortal men, and received up into 
glory," that is, was received gloriously on earth,\ they teach us 
a language which the ScripturesJ know not, and the Holy 
Ghost never used, and as no attributes, so no person but the 
Son can be here understood under the name of God : not the 

• ' Deus, i. e. voluntas ipsius de ser- did they use it of Elias only, but of Enoch 

vandis hominibus, per homines infirmos also : Ov^l sf; IxTtVSn ofoj 'Evi;^, xa; yip 

et mortales perfecte patefacta est, &c.' «uto? avi'Kn<^Qn arco rnq ynq. Sirac. xlix. 

Cate.ch.Racov. ad Quccst. 59. 14. The same language is continued in 

t * Insignem in modum et summa cum the New Testament of our Saviour's as- 

gloria recepta fuit.' Ibid. 16. cension : avsXf><pQv tov ol^avov, M-drk xvi. 

t For ©£of is not SlXHjua &eov, much 19. o avaXn^^slg a^' IfxZv elg rov ou^aviv^ 

less is avsXr,^&»j received or emhruccd. Elias Acts i. 11. and singly, a.nXh'pQr), Acts i. 

speaketh not of liis reception, but his as- 2. and, an\h<pQ>i a<p' hfxuiv, Acts i. '22. As 

cension, when he saitlx to Elisha : T» therefore ayaX»v}/j; rou Mms-boo^, in the lan- 

voino-ca j-Qi TTftv n avaXn;()5rivai am (rov ; 2 g«age of the Jews, was not the reception 

Kings ii. 9. and ver. 10. 'Eav rJ»f [xs am- of Moses by the Israelites, but the as- 

"KuixBd-vofxim ttTTo <rov, nai ia-rai <roi olItod?. sumption of his body ; so tou 

AVhen he actually ascended, as the ori- X^io-rov is the ascension of Christ, Luke 

ginal bjn, it is no otherwise translated by ix. 51. Wherefore this being the con- 

the Septuagint, than an\h<^Bn 'HXjou |y slant notion of the word, it must so be 

c-vcriTiKTfj.^ i'? eI? tov ov^avov. vex. 11. here likewise understood, avHXn^Sj) Iv So^u' 

Which language was preserved by the as the Vulgar Latin (whose authority is 

Hellenizing Jews : 'o avaX>5<|)9£t?lv XatXawi pretended against us), assumytum est in 

wugof , Sirac.^ xlviii. 9. and again : avsKrKpBn gloria ; rendering it here b^ the same word 

6ff il{ TOV oLf avov, 1 Mac. ii. 58. Neither by which he always translated avex^f ^u. 



194 



ARTICLE II. 



Holy Ghost, for he is distinguished from him, as being justified 
by the Spirit; not the Father, who was not manifested in the 
flesh, nor received up into glory. It remaineth therefore, that, 
whereas the Son is the only person to whom all these clearly 
and undoubtedly belong, which are here jointly attributed 
unto God, as sure as the name of God is expressed universally 
in the copies* of the original language, so thus absolutely 
and subjectively taken must it be understood of Christ. 



* For being the Epistle was written 
in the Greek language, it is enough if 
all those copies do agree. Nor need we 
be troubled with the observation of Gro- 
tius on the place : ' Suspectam nobis 
hanc lectionem faciunt interpretes ve- 
teres, Latinus, Syrus, Arabs, et Am- 
brosius, qui omnes legerunt o l<pav;§ol)Qri.' 
I confess the Vulgar Latin reads it other- 
wise than the Greek, Quod manifesiatum 
est in came; and it cannot be denied but 
the Syriac, however translated by Tre- 
mellius, agreeth with the Latin ; and 
both seem to have read o instead of ©so?. 
But the joint consent of the Greek copies 
and interpreters are above the authority 
of these two translators ; and the Arabic 
set forth in the Biblia Polyglotta agreeth 
expressly with them. But that which 
Grotius hath farther observed is of far 
greater consideration : ' Addit Hinc- 
niarus opusculo 55. illud ©ao; hie positum 
a Nestorianis.' For if at first the Greeks 
read o l^pavs^do^n, and that S were altered 
into ©eof by the Nestorians, then ought 
we to correct the Greek copy by the Latin, 
and confess there is not only no force, 
but not so much as any ground or colour 
for our arguments. But first, it is no way 
probable that the Nestorians should find 
it in the original o, and make it ©£o?, be- 
cause that by so doing they had over- 
thrown their own assertion, which was, 
that God was not incarnate, nor born of 
the Virgin Mary ; that God did not as- 
cend unto heaven, but Christ by the 
Holy Ghost remaining upon him, Kal rh 
ftvaXjj^iv avTM ya-i^ia k^iyoy . Concil. Ephes. 
par. i. cap. 17. Secondly, it is certain 
that they did not make this alteration, 
because the Catholic Greeks read it ©eo? 
before there were such heretics, so called. 
* Nestoriaui a Nestorio Episcopo, Patri- 
archa Constantinopolitano.' S. August. 
Hares. Nestorius, from whom that heresy 
began, was Patriarch of Constantinople 
after Sisinnius, Sisinnius after Atticus, 
Atticus after Nectarius, who succeeded 
Joannes, vulgarly called Chrjsostomus. 
But St. Chrysostom read not o, but Qsk, 
as appears by his Commentaries upon 
the place : ©so? l<f>avs^i^S>i Iv a-apyu, tov 
TBs-riv, 6 hifAiov^yoiri Orat. 11. And St. 



Cyril, who by all means opposed Nesto- 
rius upon the first appearance of his 
heresy, wrote two large epistles to the 
Queens Pulcheria and Eudocia, in both 
which be maketh great use of this text. 
In the first, after the repetition of the 
words as they are now in the Greek co- 
pies, he proceeded thus : Tig o Iv a-apni 
<pa,ve§ooBsi<; ; k ^nXov, on TTavrri ts xa] Travrw? 
0 ex. BioZ TTar^og Aoyog' ovrm ya.^ ea-rai fxiya 
TO T>5? tvcr^Beiai; (xvcrrh^ior, ©so; l<^avi>'j}'bn 
h a-a^ni. de Red. Fid. t. v. par. ii. p. 124. 
Wherefore in St. Paul he read &sg God, 
and took that God to be the Word. In the 
second, repeating the same text verbatim, 
he manageth it thus against Nestorius : 
El ©so; a)V o "Koyog IvaM^^xTrrla-ai "kiyoiro, Jtat 
oh triiTov (UsQsi? TO sTvcti ©so?, aXX' Iv oT? hv 
all tictfxivcDV, fxiya. J?3 totb koX ofxoXoyovfxivcDg 
fxiya. Is-tI to t?? eva-B^ilag fxvs-rh^iov si SI 
av9^ci}7Tog voiirai ;iojvo; o XpKrrog, TCoog Iv (rapxt 
7re<f)av£p£UTrt{ ; nal roi irxg olx^ a-iraa-iv Iva^ysg, 
on 7ra.g av&^WTro? Iv (ra^xi Tf Is-n, Kai ov^ av 
STspcog oj»to na-i. Ibid. §. 33. p. 153. 
And in the explanation of the second 
anatheraatism, he maketh use of no other 
text but this to prove the hypostatical 
union, giving it this gloss or exposition: 
Tt Icrn TO, l<pa.vB^u}6n h erapKl ; Tovrscn, 
yiyon a-k^^ o \k S-eou TraT^oj \oyog, &c. The 
same he urgeth in hisScholion de Unigeniti 
IiLcarnatione. So also Theodoret contem- 
porary with St. Cvril : ©so; yap obv xal 
Ssoy vlog, xal ao^arov t?;v <})!;£riv, S?Xo? 

ctTra^iv Ivftv&pajTrJitra? lyivsTO, a-aipoog 5"! r,fA.ag 
tuo (pvssig ISiSa.|sv, Iv traex] yap rhv 6eixv E<}>rj 
<pa\£-^u}9tivai <pva-iv. Ad Timoth. Ep. I. c. iii. 
16. tom. iii. p. 478. Thirdly, Hincma- 
rus does not say that the Nestorians put 
©£o? into the Greek text, but that he 
which put it in was cast out of his bi- 
shoprick for a Nestorian. His words are 
these : ' Quidam nimirum ipsas Scrip- 
turas verbis inlicitis iinposturaverunt : 
sicut Macedonius Constantinopolitanus 
Episcopus, qui ab Anastasio Imperatore 
ideo a Civitate expulsus legitur, quouiam 
falsavit Evangelia, et ilium Apostoli lo- 
cum ubi dicit, quod apparuit in came, jus- 
tijicatum est in Spiritu, per cognationem 
Grsecarum literarum, O in © hoc modo 
mutantlo falsavit. Ubi enim habuit Qui, 
hoc est 02 mouosyllabum Graecum, litera 



HIS ONLY SON. 



195 



Again, St. Paul speaketh thus to the elders of the chur<ih of 
Ephesus ; '* Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock 
over the wViich the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to 
feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own 
blood." (Acts XX. 28.) In these words this doctrinal propo- 
sition is clearly contained, God hath purchased the Church 
with his own blood. For there is no other word either in or 
near the text which can by any grammatical construction be 
joined with the verb, except the Holy Ghost, to vv^hom the pre- 
dicate is repugnant, both in respect of the act, or our redemp- 
tion, and of the means, the blood. If then the Holy Ghost 
hath not purchased the Church ; if he hath not blood to shed 
for our redemption, and '^without shedding of blood there is 
no remission;" (Heb. ix. 22.) if there be no other word to 
which, according to the literal construction, the act of purchas- 
ing can be apphed ; if the name of God, most frequently joined 
to his Church,^ be immediately and properly applicable by all 
rules of syntax to the verb which followeth it ; then is it of 
necessity to be received as the subject of this proposition, then 
is this to be embraced as infallible Scripture-truth, God hath 



mutata O in © vertit ; et fecit 02, id est 
ut esset, Deiis apparuit per carnem, Qua- 
propter tanquam Nestorianus fuit expul- 
sus.' Hincm. Opus. Iv. c. 18. Now 
whereas Hiiicmarus says expulsiis legitiir, 
we read not in Evagrius, or the Sxcerpta 
of Theodotus, or in Joannes Malala, that 
Macedonius was cast out of his bishop - 
rick for any such falsation. It is there- 
fore probable that he had it from Libe- 
ratus, a deacon of the Church of Car- 
thage, who wrote a Breviary, collected 
partly out of the ecclesiastical histories 
and the acts of the Councils, partly out 
of the relations of such men as he 
thought fit to believe, extant in the fourth 
Tome of the Councils. In which, chap, 
xxix. we have the same relation, only 
with this difference, that O is not turned 
into ©, but into il, and so 02 becomes 
not ©2, but i22. So that the firSt Greek 
copies are not said to have read it o, but 
0?, and so not to have relation to the mys- 
tery, but to the person of Christ ; and there • 
fore this makes nothing for the Vulgar 
Latin. Secondly, whereas Hincmarus says 
there was but one letter changed, no such 
mutation can of 02 make ©E02, it may 
i22, as we read in Liberatus ; and then 
this is nothing to the Greek text. Thirdly, 
Macedonius was no Nestorian, but Ana- 
stasius an Eutychian, and he ejected him, 
not [some i>f the earlier eilitions omit not] 
as he did other Catholic bishops under 
the pretence of Nestorianism, but for 
other reasons. However, Macedonius 
could not falsify all the Greek copies, 
when as well those which were before 



his time, as those which were written 
since, all acknowledge @e6g. And if he 
had been ejected for substituting ©eoj, 
without question Anastasius would have 
taken care for the restoring oj, which we 
find not in any copy. It remaineth 
therefore that the Nestorians did not 
falsify the text by reading ©so? l^avsp^iQn, 
but that the ancient Greek fathers read it 
so ; and, consequently, being the Greek 
is the original, this Lection must be ac- 
knowledged authentical. 

* Tr,v lxx.X)3irj'av rou @£ou. For though the 
Church be properly the Church of Christ, 
Matt. xvi. 18. Col. i. 24. and in the plural 
we read once at lnnXKa-iairovXfiic-Tou, Rom. 
xvi. 1 6. as we do of the churches of God, 
1 Cor. xi. 16. 2 Thess. i. 4. 1 Thess. ii. 14. 
yet h EKuXna-ta, rov ©sou, is frequently used ; 
as, 1 Cor. i. 2. x. 32. xv. 9. xi. 22. 2 Cor. 
i. 1. 1 Tim. iii. 5. 15. but h lnnXna-ia, roij 
X§ia-rou not once named. And therefore 
we have no reason to alter it in this text, 
or to fancy it first written ;tou, and then 
made Qov, when it is so often written Osou, 
not X^i^rov. Some MSS. as the Alexan- 
drian, Cantabrigian, and New Coll. MSS. 
read it rou Kv^iov, and the interpreter of 
Irenaeus, regere Ecclesiam Domini, I. iii. c. 
14. Others represent Kv^iov nai ©soy, fol- 
lowed by the Arabic interpreter; which 
makes not at all against our argument; 
but, because in this particular unusual, 
not like to be true. The Syriac translat'- 
ing it Christi, (XJT'U'QI not Domino, as it 
is in the Latin translation) gives rather 
an exposition than a versioa. 

2 



196 



ARTICLE II. 



purchased the Church with his own blood. But this God may 
and must be understood of Christ: it may, because he hath ; it 
must, because no other person which is called God hath so 
purchased the Church. We " were not redeemed with cor- 
ruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood 
of Christ." (1 Pet. i. 18, 19.) With this price were we bought; 
and therefore it may well be said, that Christ our God " hath 
purchased us with his own blood." But no other person which 
is, or is called, God, can be said so to have purchased us, be- 
cause it is an act belonging properly to the mediatorship ; and 
** there is but one Mediator between God and men:" (1 Tim. 
ii. 5.) and the Church is ''sanctified, through the offering of 
the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Heb. x. 10.) Nor 
can the expression of this act, peculiar to the Son, be attri- 
buted to the Father, because this blood signifieth death : and 
though the Father be omnipotent, and can do all things, yet 
he cannot die. And though it might be said that he purchased 
us, because he gave his Son to be a ransom for us, yet it can- 
not be said that he did it by " his own blood ;" for then it would 
follow, that he gave not his Son, or that the Son and the Father 
were the same person. Beside, it is very observable, that this 
particular phrase of** his own blood," is in the Scripture put 
by way of opposition to the blood of another and howsoever 
we may attribute the acts of the Son unto the Father, because 
sent by him ; yet we cannot but acknowledge that the blood 
and death was of another than the Father. ** Not by the blood 
of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered in once 
into the holy place;" (Heb. ix. 12.) and whereas ** the high- 
priest entered every year with the blood of others, Christ ap- 
peared once to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." (Ibid. 
25, 26.) He then which purchased us wrought it by his ow^i 
blood, as a high-priest opposed to the Aaronical, who made 
atonement by the blood of others. But the Father taketh no 
priestly office, neither could he be opposed to the legal priest, 
as not dying himself, but giving another. Wherefore where- 
soever the Father and the Son are described together as work- 
ing the salvation of man, the blood by which it is wrought is 
attributed to the Son, not to the Father : as when St. Paul 
speaketh of the " redemption that is in Jesus Christ, whom 
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his 
blood, to declare his righteousness ;" (Rom. iii. 24, 25.)t his 



* "iJkjv af^tt is opposed toaT^tt aXXoTjisv. 
And therefore it is observable, that the 
author of the Racovian Catechism, in his 
Answer to this place of Scripture, doth 
never make the least mention of i'^iov or 
proprium, but only affirms that the blood 
of Christ may be called the blood of God 
the Father ; and totidem verbis did Socinus 
answer to Wiekua before, but in his whole 



Answer concealed the force of I'Stov : where- 
as the strength of our argument lies in 
those words, Sia tov ISlcv ai'ixa.rog, or, as 
the Alexandrian MSS. and one mentioned 
by Beza, ^la roZ aifxaroi; tov ISiov, 

t "Ov TTpoiQiTo 0 ©bo; IXaa-rh^tcv 5ia rS^f 



HIS ONLY SON. 



197 



that is, Ms own righteousness, hath reference to God the Father; 
but his, that is, his own blood, must be referred to Christ the 
Son. When he glorifieth the God and Father of our Lord Jesus 
Chiist, attributing unto him, that he hath blessed, elected, pre- 
destinated, adopted, accepted us, made known unto us the mys- 
tery of his will, and gathered us together in one ; in the midst 
of this acknowledgment be brings in " the Beloved in whom 
we have redemption through his blood," (Eph. i. 6, 7.) as that 
which cannot be attributed to the Father. Christ hath blessed 
us ; and the apostle saith the Father hath blessed us : which is 
true, '* because he sent his Son to bless us.'* (Acts iii. 26.) 
Christ hath made known unto us the will of his Father: and 
the apostle saith, the Father " hath made known unto us the 
mystery of his will (Eph. i. 9.) because he sent his Son to 
reveal it. Christ hath delivered us ; and the Father is said to 
deliver us from the power of darkness :" (Col. i. 13.) not that 
we are twice delivered, but because the Father delivereth us 
by his Son. And thus these general acts are familiarly attri- 
buted to them both; but still a difference must be observed 
and acknowledged in the means and manner of the perform- 
ance of these acts. For though it is true, that the Father and 
the Son revealed to us the will of God ; yet it is not true that 
the Father revealed it by himself to us ; but that the Son did 
so, it is. They both deliver us from sin and death ; but the 
Son " gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us ;" 
(Gal. i. 4.) the Father is not, cannot be said to have given 
himself, but his Son; and therefore the apostle giveth thanks 
unto the Father, who hath delivered us from the power of 
darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear 
Son, in whom we have redemption through his blood." (Col. 
i. 13, 14.) Now this blood is not only the blood of the new 
Covenant, and consequently of the Mediator; but the nature 
of this Covenant is such, that it is also a Testament, and there- 
fore the blood must be the blood of the testator; " for where 
a testament is there must also of necessity be the death of the 
testator." (Heb. ix. 16.) But the testator which died is not, 
cannot be, the Father, but the Son ; and consequently the blood 
is the blood of the Son, not of the Father. It remaineth there- 
fore that God, who purchased the Church with his own blood, 
is not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, or any other which 
is called God, but only Jesus Christ the Son of God, and God. 
And thus have I proved the first of the three assertions, that 
the name of God absolutely taken and placed subjectively, is 
sometimes to be understood of Christ. 

The second. That the name of God invested by way of ex- 
cellency with an article, is attributed in the Scriptures unto 
Christ, may be thus made good. He which is called Emmanuel 
is named Godhy way of excellency; for that name, saith St. 
Matthew, " being interpreted, is God with us :" (Matt, i, 23.) 



198 



ARTICLE IL 



and ill that interpretation the Greek* article is prefixed. But 
Christ is called Emmanuel ; " that it might be fulfilled which 
was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying. Behold, a virgin 
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they 
shall call his name Emmanuel." (Ibid. 22, 23.) Therefore he 
is that " God with us," which is expressed by way of excellency, 
and distinguished from all other who are any ways honoured 
with that name : for it is a vain imagination to think that Christ 
is called Emmanuel, but that he is not what he is called : as 
"Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah Nissi,'^ 
(Exod. xvii. 15.) and "Gideon" another called "Jehovah 
Shalom;" (Judg.vi. 24.) and yet neither altar was Jehovah; 
as Jerusalem was called " the Lord our righteousness ;" (Jer. 
xxxiii. 16.) and yet that city was not the Lord, Because 
these two notions, which are conjoined in the name Emmanuel, 
are severally true of Christ. First, he is Emmanu, that is, with 
us, for he hath " dwelt among us :" (John i. 14.) and when he 
parted from the earth, he said to his disciples, " I am with you 
alway, even to the end of the world." (Matt, xxviii. 20.)t 
Secondly, he is El, and that name was given him, as the pro- 
phet testifieth, " For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is 
given : and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the 
mighty God." (Isa. ix. 6.)J He then who is both properly called 
El, that is, GoJ, and is also really Emmanu, that is, with us, he 
must infallibly be that Emmanuel who is " God with us." In- 
deed, if the name Emmanuel were to be Interpreted by way of 
a proposition, *^ God is with us/ as "the Lord our righteous- 
ness," and " the Lord is there," (Ezek. xlviii. 35.) must be 
understood where they are the names of Jerusalem; then should 
it have been the name not of Christ but of his Church: and if 
we under the Gospel had been called so, it could have received 
no other interpretation in reference to us. But being it is not 
ours, but our Saviour's name, it bears no kind of similitude 
with those objected appellations, and is as properly and di- 
rectly to be attributed to the Messias as the name of Jesus. 
Wherefore it remaineth that Christ be acknowledged God 
with us, according to the evangelical interpretation, with an 
expression of that excellency which belongeth to the supreme 
Deity. 

Again, he to whom St. Thomas said, My Lord and my 
God," (John xx. 28.) or rather, * The Lord of me, and the God 
of me he is that God before whose name the Greek article is 
prefixed, which they require, by way of excellency. But St. 
Thomas spake these words to Christ.^ For Jesus spake unto 



* Kat sia\£iTOva-i to ovofxa avrov 'EfXfxavovhX, 
t i<Tri /ne&e^iJLnvsv6fji,evov, Me6' hfjtoiv 6 ©so;, 
t 'Eyo) /ueS' vfxSiiv slfxl. 

§ Indeed it hath been answered, that 
these words are not to be referred to 



Christ, but to God the Father. So Theo- 
dorus Mopsuestenus in his Commentary 
on St. John : * Thomas quidem, cum sic 
credidisset, Dominus mens et Dens mens 
dicit, non ipsum Dominum et Deum diceiis 
(non enini resurrectionis scientia docebat 



HIS ONLY SON. 



199 



Thomas, " and Thomas answered and said unto him. My Lord 
and my God." And in these words * he made confession of 



et Deum esse eum qui resurrexit), sed 
quasi pro miraculoso facto Deum collau- 
dat.' Syn. V. CoUat. 4. As if Thomas had 
intended only to have praised God for 
raising Christ. But first, it is plain that 
Thomas answered Christ ; secondly, that 
be spake unto him, that is to Christ, and 
consequently, that the words which he 
spake belong to Christ ; thirdly, that the 
words are a confession of his faith in 
Christ, as our Saviour doth acknowledge. 
And whereas Franciscus Davidis did ob- 
ject, that iu a Latin Testament he found 
not et dixit ei, but et dixit without ci, it is 
sufficiently discountenanced by Socinus 
in his epistle, affirming that all the Greek 
and Latin copies had it, except that one 
which he had found : and therefore the 
omission must be imputed to the negli- 
gence of the printer. 

* 'o xypid'f fjLov xttj 0 ©£of fji.Qv. Either in 
these words there is an ellipsis of eT a-v. 
Thou art my Lord, thou art my God: or 
an antiptosis, the nominative case used for 
the vocative, as 'EXii;t , 'eXw, o Geo; (xov, o ©eo'f 
juoy, Mark xv. 34, 'A^$a. 6 Trctrh^, Mark xiv. 
36. and XaT^s o 0a,a-i\Ev(; rSiv 'lov^ctioov, John 
xix. 3. If it be an ellipsis of the verb sT, 
so frequent in the Scriptures, and of the 
person sufficiently understood in the pre- 
ceding pronoun, then is it evident that 
0 ©sof is attributed unto Christ ; for then 
St. Thomas said unto him, Tliou art 
6 @B0( fxou. If it be an antiptosis, though 
the construction require not a verb, yet 
the signification virtually requireth as 
much, which is equivalent ; for he ac- 
knowledgeth him as much God while he 
calleth him so, as if he did affirm him to 
be so. Neither can it be objected that 
the article o serveth only in the place of 
eT, as signifying that the nominative is to 
be taken for the vocative case ; because 
the nominative may as well stand voca- 
tively without an article, as 'lous-^cf) ylo? 
AagiJ, Matt. i. 20. and 'EXe'jjo-ov ^|U.2f , Kv^ie, 
vVoiAaBl^, Matt. XX. 30, 31. and therefore 
when the vocative is invested with an 
article, it is as considerable as in a nomi- 
native. And being these words were an 
expression of the apostle's faith, as Christ 
understood and approved them, they must 
contain in them, virtually at least, a pro- 
position ; because no act of our faith can 
be expressed, where the object is not at 
least a virtual proposition. And in that 
proposition, o Qsog must be the predicate, 
and Christ, to whom these words are 
spoken, must also be the subject. It can- 
not therefore be avoided, but tliat St. 



Thomas did attribute the name of God to 
our Saviour with an article. Indeed to 
me there is no doubt but St. Thomas in 
these words did make as true and real a 
confession of his faith concerning the per- 
son of Christ, as St. Peter did, when he 
"answered and said, Thou art Christ, the 
Son of the living God," I\Iatt. xvi. 16. 
and, consequently, that o K-j^jo; and o ©eo? 
do as properly belong unto him, as St. 
Peter's o X^icrrot; and o viog. As therefore 
Christ said to his disciples, Vos vocatis me 
0 ^i^ka-nakoq xat o fCy^fof , et bene dicitis, sum 
etenim, John xiii. 13. so he might have 
replied to Thomas, You call me o YLvfioq, 
and Q ©EOf, and you say well, for I am so. As 
for the objection of Socinus, that though 
0£of be here spoken of Christ, and that 
with an article o, yet that article is of no 
force because of the followingpronoun fxou, 
it is most groundless : for the article o 
cannot have relation to the following pro- 
noun fA.ou' ETTEj TToS; h aTFapahKTOi; aiTouvvfxia 
tZv a^Q^m EV yEVJXjj tttmo-bi BLQeia.g apd^ov 
7ra^ctUx,ira.i, as that great critic Apollonius 
Alexandrinus observes, 1. i. de Syntax, c. 
30. And if for f^ov, it were o BfA,ot;, yet 
even that article would belong to 6el(, 
for in these words, o 9eo? 6 Ijao?, neither 
article belongs to l/xo?, but both to Sreo; : 
for, as the same critic observes in the same 

case, TO, Suo ap9pa Eif /u(,iav rhv EvQt'iav a.va<pg' 
psrar ovy. ai^a, Iv tS, 6 •jra.rh^ 6 E/cao?, xarnva- 
yuaa-rai to ete^ov tmv ag&jajv IttI rhv avTaivu- 
iu;av <pe^ecrBai. So that if o ©e5? be the 
supreme God, then o ©so? fxou must be my 
supreme God : as when David speaks to 
God o©Eoj, 6 ®£o? y,ov, TTfoi; <re o^Qpi^ai, Psal. 
Ixii. 1. the latter is of as great importance 
as the former. So again, Psal. xlii. .5. 
l^O{xo\oyh(rofA,ai Iv KiQapts., 6 Seo?, o Seo; juou, 
and xlix. 3. 6 Sej? BfA,<pctvS!qri^si, 6 Qeog hfxxv, 
and Ixxi. 12. o 0eoj fxh fj-aKevvn? air' Bfxov, o 
OsQi fxov. I dare not therefore say to any 
person that he is o Seo? /hov, except that I 
do believe that he is 6 Sec?. Wherefore I 
conclude that the words of St. Thomas, 
0 x-upio; fxov nal o Bsog [xov, are as fully and 
highly significative as those of David : 
Tl^6ir)(Bq rn <pai\iyi -rJ?? ^Bfiasu!? /jlov, 6 0aa-i\£vg 
fxov Httt 0 Qeoj (a,ov, Psal. V. 2. or those, o 
Qeo; (aov Xtt( 0 nv^iog /xou, Et? rhv ^innv fxov, Psal. 
XXXV. 23. or those. To, ^vrtaa-Tr^^ia s-ov, 
Kv^ic TMV ^uvafxem, 6 0aa-t\Svg fxou, nai 6 ^eoj 
fxou, Psal. Ixxxiv. 3. or those of St. John 
in the Revelation, iv. 11. as they lie in the 
Alexandrian and Complutensian copies : 
"A^iog eT, 0 Kv^ici; ha] o &£o? hfj(.a)vo aytog, Xa^sTv, 
&c. or that lastly in the most ancient 
hymn, Kvpa 6 ©Eof, o a/xvog rou Qbw 



200 



ARTICLE IL 



his faith ; for our Saviour replied, Thomas, because thou 
hast seen me, thou hast believed." (Ibid. 29.) And let him be 
the Lord of me, and the God of me, who was the Lord and the 
God of an apostle. 

Nor have we only their required testimony of Christ's su- 
preme Divinity, but also an addition of verity asserting that 
supremacy. For he is not only termed the God, but, for a 
farther certainty, the true God; and the same apostle, who 
said "the Word was God/' lest any cavil should arise by any 
omission of an article, though so frequently neglected by all, 
even the most accurate authors, hath also assured us that he 
is the true God. For, " we know (saith he) that the Son of 
God is come, and hath given us an understanding that we may 
know him that is true : and we are in him that is true, even in 
his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.''* 
(1 John v. 20.) As therefore we read in the Acts, of the *' word 
which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace 
by Jesus Christ ; he is Lord of all (x. 36.) where it is ac- 
knowledged that the Lord of all is by the pronoun he^ joined 
unto Jesus Christ, the immediate, not unto God,, the remote 
antecedent; so likewise here the true God is to be referred unto 
Christ, who stands next unto it, not unto the Father, spoken 
of indeed in the text, but at a distance. There is no reason 
alleged why these last words should not be referred to the 
Son of God, but only this, that in grammatical construction 
they may be ascribed to the Father. As when "another king 
arose which knew not Joseph, the same dealt subtilly with our 
kindred ;" (Acts vii. 18, 19.) the 5crme referreth us not to Joseph, 
but to the king of Egypt. Whereas, if nothing else can be 
objected but a possibility in respect of the grammatical con- 
struction, we may as well say that Joseph dealt subtilly with 
his kindred as the king of Egypt ; for whatsoever the incon- 
gruity be in history, it makes no solecism in the syntax. Where- 
fore being Jesus Christ is the immediate antecedent to which 
the relative may properly be referred ; being the Son of God 
is he of whom the apostle chiefly speaketh ; being this is ren- 
dered as a reason why " we are in him that is true," by being 
** in his Son," to wit, because that Son is the true God 
being in the language of St. John the constant title of our 
Saviour is " eternal life being all these reasons may be drawn 
out of the text itself, why the title of the true God should be 
attributed to the Son, and no one reason can be raised from 
thence, why it should be referred to the Father : I can conclude 
no less, than that our Saviour is the true God, so styled in the 
Scriptures by way of eminence, with an article prefixed, as the 



• Oyrof la-Tiv o aX«9(Voj ©£oj, not h 
aldvio^. 'Hie agitur non solum de vero 
Deo, sed de illo uno vero Deo, ut articu- 
lus in Graeco additus indicat.' Catech. 



Racov. sect. iv. c. 1. 

t OuTo? for 0?, as Acts viii. 26. aira 

est deserla. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



201 



first Christian writers which immediately followed the apostles 
did both speak and write.* 

But, thirdly. Were there no such particular place in which 
the article were expressed, yet shall we find such adjuncts 
fixed to the name of God when attributed unto Christ, as will 
prove equivalent to an article, or whatsoever may express the 
supreme Majesty. As when St. Paul doth magnify the Jews, 
** out of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is 
over all, God blessed for ever, Amen." (Rom. ix. 5.) First, 
it is evident that Christ is called God,-\ even he who came of 



• Ao^A^Q} 'lt]a-ovv ^fis-Tcv rov SgoV. Igiiat. 
Epist. ad Smyrn. c. 1. 'Ev BBXrifxari rou 
narpof , xai ^In^ov X^icttou tou (2)301! hy.Zv. Id. 
Ep, ad Eph. init. 'O ya^ Seoj hfxZv 'lK<rovi; 0 
XgjcTTO? iKvotpOfhBr) vTTo Mftpt'a?. lb. C. 18. 
'O -yap ^log h(Xclcv \r\iTOvq XpiiTTOj Iv ITaT^t a;V 
fxaWov (paivsrai. Ep. ad Rom. c. 3. Tou ©eou 
Aoyov TO. Xoyina. 'sr'Kka-fJianra. hf^iTg. Clem. 
Alex. adv. Gentes, c. i. p. 3. And it was 
well observed by the author of the Mwpa 
Aa0v§ivQoi, written about the beginning of 
the third century, that not only the an- 
cienter fathers before him, as Justin, 
Miltiades, Tatianus, Clemens, Irenseus, 
Melito, &c. did speak of Christ as God ; 
but that the hymns also penned by Chris- 
tians from the beginning did express 
Christ's Divinity ; VctT^fxai H oa-oi Koi aiSai 
a^e\<pxv a7T cL^)(K<; tiTTc ttkttZv y(ia<pe.~(rai tov 
XoyoMrov ®sov rov X^ia-rov IfXvdviTi BioKoyovvriq, 
And the epistle of Pliny to Trajan testifies 
the same, 1. x. ep. 97. ' Quod essent soliti 
stato die ante lucem convenire, carmen- 
que Christo quasi Deo dicere.' 

t Though some would leave God out of 
the text, upon this pretence, because St. 
Cyprian, in lib. ii. adv.Jud(eos,§.6. citing 
this place, leaves it out. But that must 
needs be by the negligence of some of the 
scribes, as is evident. First, because 
Manutius and Morellius found the word 
Deus in their copies, and both the MSS. 
which Pamelius used acknowledge it. 
Secondly, because St. Cyprian produceth 
the text to prove quod Deus CJuistus; and 
reckoneth it among the rest in which he 
is called expressly God. Thirdly, because 
Tertullian, whose disciple St. Cyprian pro- 
fessed himself, did both so read it, and 
so use it : ' Solum autem Christum potero 
Deum dicere, sicut idem Apostolus, Ex 
quibus Christus, qui est (inquit) Deus super 
omnia benedictus in (Evnm omne.' Adv. 
Prax. c. 13. And again in the same book : 
'Hunc et Paulus conspexit, nec tamen 
Patrem vidit. Nonne, inquit, vidi Jesuin ? 
Christum autem et ipsum Deum cogno- 
minavit : Quorum Patreset ex quibus Chris- 
tus secundum farnemyqui est per (vel s?tper) 
omnia Deus benedictus in (cvuni.' c. 15. 
Novatian de Trinitate, c. 13. useth the 



same argument. And another ancient 
author very expressly : ' Rogo te, Deum 
credis esse Filium, an non ? Sine dubio, 
responsurus es, Deum ; quia etsi negare 
volueris, Sanctis Scripturis convinceris, 
dicente Apostolo, Ex quibus Christus sa- 
cundum carnem, qui est super omnia Dens 
benedictus i?i secula.' So also St. Augustin : 
' Non solum Pater Deus est, sicut etiam 
omnes Hseretici concedunt, sed etiam 
Filius ; quod, velint nolint, coguntur 
fateri, dicente Apostolo, Qui est super 
omnia Deus benedictus i)i secula.' De Trin. 
1. ii. c. 13. et contra Fausium, 1. xvi. c. 15. 
As for the objection, that St. Chrysostom 
doth not signify in his commentaries that 
he read 0£o? in the text : I answer, that 
neither does he signify that he read 0 kTrl 
lOTMraiv, for in his exposition he passeth 
over wholly 0 Im 7ravT<»v 6sof, but it doth 
not follow that he read noto liii Travroovin 
the text. But when he repeats the words 
of the apostle, he agrees wholly with the 
Greek text, 6 onv IttI Travroov Qiog slXoyr^ro; : 
and Theodoret, who lived not long after 
him, doth notoaly acknowledge the words, 
but give a full exposition of them : "upnEt 
fASv h TOV xttTa <ragJttt Tr^oa-QriHr) ijiTct^a^riXZa-ai 
TOV ho-TTorov Xpia-Tov Th QBOTrjra' aXX' oo^TTif 

Iv T03 TT^OOlfXlM sIpHKOlf, TOV yiVOfXiVOV ln fl-TTEp- 

fxaroi Aa€tS nark cra^xa, iTrhyctys, tov ofiT- 
0EVTO? vtou QioZ Iv SuvajOtSf ouTwj iVTavSfa sIttx-v, 
TO KUTo. capua, Tr^ocrTiQetus to, aiv lirl navrcny 
Qsog evXoyr)Tog bU rovg alSivag. t. iii. p. 74. 
As for the omission of Deus in St. Hilary 
on the Psalms, it must of necessity be at- 
tributed to the negligence of the scribe, 
not to the reading of the father. For how- 
he read it, he hath clearly expressed in 
his books de Trinitate: ' Nos ignorat Pau- 
lus Christum Deum, dicens, Quorutn sunt 
Patres, et ex quibus Christus qui est super 
omnia Deus. Non hie creatura in Deum de- 
putatur, sed creaturarum Deus est, qui su- 
per omnia Deus est.' 1. viii. c. 37. The pre- 
tence therefore of Erasmus from the fathers 
is vain ; and as vain is that of Grotius from 
the Syriac translation, which hath in it 
the name of God expressly, as well as all 
the copies of the original, andr.ll the rest 
of the translations, bD VyT xnbx 'n-^n-KT. 



202 



ARTICLE II. 



the Jews, though not as he came of them, that is, according 
to the flesh, which is here distinguished from his Godhead.* 
Secondly, he is so called God as not to be any of the many 
gods, but the one supreme or most high God ;+ for he **is God 
over all." Thirdly, he hath also added the title of blessed, which 
of itself elsewhere signifieth the supreme God, J and was al- 
ways used by the Jews to express that one God of Israel. 
Wherefore it cannot be conceived St, Paul should write unto 
the Christians, most of which then were converted Jews or 
proselytes, and give unto our Saviour not only the name of 
God, but also add that title which they always gave unto the 
one God of Israel, and to none but him ; except he did intend 
they should believe him to be the same God whom they always 
in that manner, and under that notion, had adored. As there- 
fore the apostle speaketh of** the God and Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore (2 Cor. xi. 31.) 
of*' the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen;" (Rom. i. 25.) 
and thereby doth signify the supreme Deity, which was so 
glorified by the Israelites ; and doth also testify that we worship 
the same God under the Gospel, which they did under the Law: 
so doth he speak of Christ in as sublime a style, ** who is over 
all, God blessed for ever, Amen;" (Rom. ix. 5.) and thereby 
doth testify the equality, or rather identity, of his Deity. If we 
consider the scope of the apostle, which is to magnify the 
Israelites by the enumeration of such privileges as belonged 
peculiarly to that chosen nation (the most eminent of which 
was contained in the genealogy of our Saviour), we shall find 
their glory did not consist in this, that Christ at first was born 
of them a man, and afterwards made a God, for what great 
honour could accrue to them by the nativity of a man, whose 



* To nark a-k^)ia opposed unto to xara 
wveS^ua. As Rom. i. 3. where xari a-a^na, 
is used without an article, because nara. 
n\ivfjf.a,io which it is opposed, follovveth, 
and so the opposition is of itself apparent. 
33ut here being Kara Trvsvfxa is not to be 
expressed in the following words, the 
article to, signifyingof itself a distinction 
or exception, sheweth that it is to be 
understood. 

t 'O ajv ETTi Travrm. Not in omnibus, as 
Erasmus, nor supei' omnes, as Beza, with 
reference to the fathers, which should 
have been Iwl Travrxv avrZv : but, as the 
Vulgar translation, and the ancient fathers 
before that, super omu'm, Itti for iTravo), as 
John iii. 31. o aviwSev Ipp^^o'wEvoj Iwavw Ttavrasv 
la-r), which signifieth no less than p^by the 
ordinary name of God, o v-^ia-roq, the most 
higJf, as it is taken for the supreme God 
by itself, Acts vii. 48. and is described, 
Psal. xcvii. 9. "On erv e? Ku^io?, o t-^io-roi; 
liu iras-av rh ynv, £r<f)oJga Irri^v-^'M^ri; vTlSf 



J As Mark x'lv. 61. lli sloX^ia-roi; o ulog 
rov EuXoywTou ; " Art thou the Christ the 
Son of the blessed V where the vulgar 
attribute is taken for God himself, which 
is usually added to the name of God, as 
2 Cor. xi. 31. 'O &eo?, o wv BvXeynro^ iiq 
rov; alZvag' or to any description of him, 
as : l'Kar^eu(7-av rri Kriirli Tta^a tov XTiVavra, 
oV IcTTiv iliKoynro; t\<; rovq aiaivaq, 'AfA.r)V. Rora. 
i. 25. And these expressions of St. Paul 
are consonant to the ancient custom of 
the Jews, who, when the priests in the 
sanctuary rehearsed the name of God, 
were wont to answer. Blessed he his name 
for ever. Insomuch as the Blessed One did 
signify in their language as much as the 
Holii One, and both, or either of them, 
the God of Israel. Hence are so frequent 
in the Rabbins, Kin Tiin uiTpn the Holy 
Blessed One, and the Blessed One, 

that they are written by abbreviation 
n"npn or n'nn and the infinite Blessed One, 
n"n d"x, Blessed be God forever, Amen and 
Amen, ikV'^O: and in'?"»\ 



HIS ONLY SON. 



203 



Godhead is referred not to his birth, but to his death ? whereas 
this is truly honourable, and the peculiar glory of that nation, 
that the most high God blessed for ever should " take on him 
the seed of Abraham," and come out of the Israelites " as con- 
cerning the flesh." Thus every way it doth appear, the apostle 
spake of Christ as of the one eternal God. 

He then who was the Word which in the beginning was with 
God, and was God ; he whose glory Esaias saw as the glory 
of the God of Israel ; he who is styled Alpha and Omega, with- 
out any restriction or limitation; he who was truly subsisting 
in the form of God, and equal with him before he was in the 
nature of man ; he who being man is frequently called God, 
and that in all those ways by which the supreme Deity is ex- 
pressed : he had a being before Christ was conceived by the 
Virgin Mary, and the being which he had was the one eternal 
and indivisible divine essence, by which he always was truly, 
really, and properly God. But all these are certainly true of 
him in whom we believe, Jesus Christ, as hath been proved by 
clear testimonies of the sacred Scriptures. Therefore the being 
which Christ had before he was conceived of the Virgin, was 
not any created, but the divine essence ; nor was he any crea- 
ture, but the true eternal God : which was our second asser- 
tion, particularly opposed to the Arian heresy.*' 

The third assertion, next to be demonstrated, is. That the 
divine essence which Christ had as the Word, before he was 
conceived by the Virgin Mary, he had not of himself, but by 
communication from God the Father. For this is not to be 
denied, that there can be but one essence properly divine, and 
so but one God of infinite wisdom, power, and majesty ; that 
there can be but one person originally of himself subsisting in 
that infinite Being, + because a plurality of more persons so 
subsisting would necessarily infer a multiplicity of gods; that 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is originally God, as not 



* This heresy was so called from two 
who bare the same name, and fell at the 
same time into the same opinion ; one of 
them being a presbyter, and rector of a 
«?hurch in Alexandria, the other a deacon: 
as Alexander the bishop of Alexandria, 
in his epistle extant in Theodoret : EiVi 
Se ol ava.9Bfxaricr6ivreg alfg^iuirai, a.'rro v^B<r- 
Pvrspxv ixBV,"ApeiO(;, aTTo ^lanovm Je, 'A^iX' 
XSf, Eu^wio;, "A^ew? ETSpo?, &c. Eccl. Hist. 
1. i. C.3. fin. lu the epistle of the Arians 
to Alexander, he is reckoned amongst 
the Presbyters : "AfEio? , 'A£i9aX^?, 'A;)^iX- 

TEfoi, Of these two Phoebadius contra 
Arian. c. 25. ' Patrem et filium esse non 
unara personam, ut Sabellius, aut duas 
substantias, ut Arii.' The heresy is so 
well known, that it needs no explication: 
and indeed it cannot be better described 



than in the anathematism of tlie Nicene 
Council : Tovq Se y^syo\raq, r,v tto-tI ote ovx. 
hv, net] "TT^tv yswri^nmi ovti riV, xai on 
ovK ovrMV lysviTo, h ETEfaj vTroa-rao-BM^ ^ 
Oixriaj (pacrnovrai; Stvai, n XTt(7-T0v, r> aXXoKu- 

TOV, ri TfETTTOV TOV uloV TOU Seo3, TOVTOv; CLVO,' 

^e/uari^Si h Ka^oXnth xat 'ATrocToXfXn 'Ex- 
nXna-ia. Thus translated by St. Hilary : 
' Eos autem qui dicunt, erat quando non 
erat, et antequam uasceretur non erat, 
et quod de non exstantibus factus est, vel 
ex alia substantia aut essentia, dicentes 
esse convertibilem et immutabilem Deum, 
hos anathematizat Catholica Ecclesia. 
de Sijnod. c. 84. 

+ "Evtt yap oi^a.fA,£v ayivvr^rov, kolI fxiav riv 
TTavrxv a.^'X/jV tov TTctTSfa tov Kvfiov rifxm 
^Ir.crou X^icrrov. S: Basil. Ep. 78. "Ev aysv- 
vnrov, 6 JJarh^. Alex, Ep. ajnul TheodO' 
rettun. 



204 



ARTICLE 11. 



receiving his eternal being from any other. Wherefore it ne- 
cessarily followeth that Jesus Christy who is certainly not the 
Father, cannot be a person subsisting in the divine nature ori- 
ginally of himself; and consequently, being we have already 
proved that he is truly and properly the eternal God, he must 
be understood to have the Godhead communicated to him by 
the Father, who is not only eternally, but originally God. 
*'i\.ll things whatsoever the Father hath are mme,"* (John 
xvi. 15.) saith Christ; because in him is the same fulness of 
the Godhead, and more than that the Father cannot have : but 
yet in that perfect and absolute equality there is notwith- 
standing this disparity, that the Father hath the Godhead not 
from the Son, or any other, whereas the Son hath it from the 
Father : Christ is the true God and eternal life ; but that he is 
so, is from the Father : '* for as the Father hath life in himself, 
so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself," (John 
V. 26.)t not by participation, but by communication. It is 
true, our Saviour was so in the form of God, that he thought it 
no robbery to be equal with God : but when the Jews sought 
to kill him because he made himself equal with God," he 
answered them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The Son can 
do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do:" (John 
V. 18, 19. )J by that connexion of his operations, shewing the 
reception of his essence; and by the acknowledgment of his 
power, professing his substance from the Father, From whence 
he which was equal, even in that equality confesseth a priority, 
saying, "The Father is greater than I." (John xiv. 28. The 
Son equal in respect of his nature, the Father greater in refe- 
rence to the communication of the Godhead. " I know him 



* Tlavra. oira. o TtaTrio, 'rcZ viov la-'ny, 
CDq sfxnra.'Kiv ra, tov vlou tov TTttT^o?' ov^h ovv 

rS'jOV, OTt KOlVa,, iTTEt Kol avTO TO eTviXJ KOIVOV 

Hal Qfxorifxov, St KcLi tS vim Tfapa tou ircn^oq. 
S. Grefi. Naz. Orat. 2. de Filio. 

t ' Hoc dixit, Vitam dedit Filio ut ha- 
beret earn in seinetipso, tanquam diceret 
Pater, qui est vita in semetipso, genuit 
Filium qui esset vita in semetipso. Pro 
eo enim quod est genuit, voluit intelligi 
dedit, tanquam si cuiquam diceremus, 
dedit tibi Deus esse.' S. August. Tract. 
19. in Joan. §. IS. Et paulo pnst : ' Quid 
ergo Filio dedit 1 dedit ei ut Filius esset ; 
genuit ut vita esset ; hoc est, dedit ha- 
bere ei vitam in semetipso, ut esset vita 
non egens vita, ne participando intelli- 
gatur habere vitam. Si enim participando 
haberet vitam non in semetipso, posset 
et amittendo esse sine vita : hoc in Filio 
ne accipias, ne cogites, ne credas. Manet 
ergo Pater vita, manet et Filius vita. 
Pater vita in semetipso, non a Filio ; 
Filius vita in semetipso, sed a Patre.' 
Ibid. So again, de Trinit. 1. i. c. 12. ' Ple- 



rumque dicit, dedit mihi Pater, in quo vult 
intelligi quod cum genuerit Pater ; non 
ut tanquam jam exsistenti et non habenti 
dederit aliquid, sed ipsum dedisse ut ha- 
beret, genuisse ut esset.' 

I ' Tanquam diceret, Quid scandalizati 
estis quia Patrem meum dixi Deum, quia 
aequalem me facio Deo 1 Ita sum aequa- 
lis, ut non ille a me, sed ego ab illo sim. 
Hoc enim intelligitur in his verbis, Non 
potest Filius a sefacere qiiicquam, &c. hoc 
est quicquid Filius habet ut faciat, a Pa- 
tre liabet ut faciat. Quare habet a Patre 
ut faciat 1 quia a Patre habet ut possit, 
quia a Patre habet ut sit. Filio enim hoc 
est esse quod posse.' S. August. Tract. 20. 
in Joan. §. 4. Paulo post: ' Hoc est, Non 
potest Filiiis a se quicquum facere, quod 
esset, si diceret, non est Filius a se. Ete- 
nim si Filius est, natus est ; si natus est, 
ab illo est de quo natus est.' Ibid. §. 8. 

§ A«Xov on TO fxsX^ov yAv sg-ri rng alria;, 
TO liTov Trig (pvo'sMq. S. Greg. Naz. Orat. 
2. de Filio, object. 3. & 4. p. 582. ed. 
Par. 1630. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



205 



(saitli Christ), for I am from hini." (John vii. 29.) And be- 
cause he is from the Father,* therefore he is called by those of 
the Nicene Council, in their Creed, God of God, Light of Light j 
very God of very God. The Father is God, but not of God, 
light, but not of light : Christ is God, but of God, light, but ot 
lificht. There is no difference or inequality in the nature or 
essence, because the same in both ; but the Father of our Lord 
Jesus Christ hath that essence of himself, from none ; Christ 
hath the same not of himself, but from him« 

And being the divine nature, as it is absolutely immaterial 
and incorporeal, is also indivisible, Christ cannot have any part 
of it only communicated unto him, but the whole, by which 
he must be acknowledged coessential^f of the same substance 



* So St. Augustin hath observed: * Ah 
ipso, inquit, sum, quia Filius de Patre ; 
et quicquid est filius, de illo est cujus est 
filius. Ideo Dominum Jesum dicimus 
Deum de Deo; Patrem non dicimus Deum 
de Deo, sed tantuni Deum. Et dicimus 
Dominum Jesum lumen de lumine ; Pa- 
trem non dicimus lumen de lumiue, sed 
tantum lumen. Ad hoc ergo pertitiet quod 
dixit. Ah ipso sunt.' Tract. 31. in loan. 
§. 4. From hence then did the Nicene 
Council gather those words of their Creed: 
Gsov Ik ®bou, xa; <^af <{>&;tc?, Seov aX»6(Vov 
EK bsou a\fiQivov. But not immediately, 
for they were partly in some of the Ori- 
ental Creeds before ; as appeareth by 
that confession which Eusebius presented 
to the Council, as containing what he had 
believed and taught ever since his bap 
tism, in which he had these words : yal 
E;f aVtt Kv^tov 'IjistoUv XpKTTOv, tov tov Bsov 
Xoyov, Seov Ix ^sov, <poog In <poi>rog, l^oohv Ik 
^aitig. And as Eusebius calls him Life of 
Life, so others, Power of Power, and 
Wisdom of Wisdom. ' Ideo Christus vir- 
tus et sapientia Dei, quia de Patre vir- 
tute et sapientia etiam ipse virtus et sa- 
pientia est, sicut lumen de Patre lumine, 
et fons vitfB apud Deum Patrem utique 
foutem vitae.' S. August, de Trin. 1. vii. 
c. S. And not only so, but Essence of 
Essence. ' Pater et filius simul una sapi- 
entia, quia una essentia ; et singillatim 
sapientia de sapientia, sicut essentia de 
essentia.' Ibid. c. "2. 

t 'Ofxoovaioi;, which is coessential or con- 
suhtantial, is not to be taken of a part of 
the divine essence, as if the Son were a 
part of the essence of the Father, and so 
of the same nature with him ; which was 
the opinion of the Manichees. Oi;;^ iwj 
OyaXevrrvoj Tf^oBoXhv to j/lvvr^Aa *rou Trarpo; 
lioyfA,a,Tia-ev' ol^' a)f Mavjp^a~o? /(/.ego? oy.oov- 
a-iov rou TJarfot; to yivnfJi.a eWriyr,<raTO' as 
Arius in his epistle to Alexander ; by the 
interpretation of St. Hilary : ' Nec ut 
Valentiuus, prolationem natum Patris 



coramentatus est ; itec, sicut Manichseus, 
partem unius substantia? Patris natum 
exposuit.' De Trin. 1. vi. c. 9. ' Quod 
Hilarius ita Latine reddidit, tanquaiu 
6fA.oova-iov id significaret, quod partem snb- 
stantice habet ex toto resectam,' says Dio- 
nysius Petavius, without any reason ; for 
St. Hilary clearly translates ofxoov^iov 
barely unius substantice, and it was in the 
original julfo? ofji.oov(T{,ov, which he express- 
ed by partem unius substantias. Under 
this notion first the Arians pretended to 
refuse the name ofAoovtriov, as Arius in the 
same epistle signifieth, lest thereby they 
should admit a real composition and divi- 
sion in the Deity : El to Ik yaa-r^og, xat to 
Ik ITaTfOf l^^xQov, wf y-ifo^ tov ofxoovaLou Kat 
SoQ n^oBo'Kh Itto tivudv vostrai, «ruv6iTo? ea-rai 
0 narhs, na) SietigSTO?, xat t^ettto'?. And 
St. Jerome testifies thus much not only of 
Arius and Eunomius, but also of Origen 
before them : ' Habetur Dialogus apud 
Graicos Origenis, et Candidi Valenti- 
nianae H?ereseos defensoris. Quos duos 
Andabatas digladiantes spectasse me 
fateor. Dicit Candidus, Filium de Patris 
esse substantia, errans in eo quod tt^o- 
^oX>5v asserit : E regione Origenes, juxta 
Arium et Eunomium, repugnat eum vel 
prolatum esse vel natum, ne Deus Pater 
dividatur in partes,' Apol. 2. in Puffin. 
col. 757. And therefore Eusebius, bishop 
of Cajsarea, refused not to subscribe to 
the Nicene Creed, being so interpreted 
as that objection might be taken away : 
TO SK T^f ovTia.;, oi!fxo'Koyr)ro TTpli; avrcuv S>j- 
"kooriKov sTvat TOiI, Ik [Jih tov ITaTpof, sTvaj, 
Oil fjih ooQ [xi^oq v'iTk^-)(jnv tov Uar^oq. Inter 
Op. Athanas. die Deci'et. Nic. Syn. §. 5. 
Upon this confession he subscribed to 
that clause begotten of the snbitance of the 
Father, which was not in his own Creed. 
And again : Ovrci) Ss xat to 6y.oovs-iov bIvo,. 
TOV TraTfoj TOV vUv, l^aTfl^o'jWSvof o Xa'j/o? «ru- 
viVths-jv ov KdTA Tuiv (T 00 [xaT ccv Tgo-sroy, cii^e 
ToTf .3"V}7TO~j ^eioj? 7rafa'!t\Da-i'jiq, ovtZ yae nctTO, 
ha.[fi!Tiv T^if oiis-iai;, ovts kato, a.'STOTOfA.hv, &c. 



206 



ARTICLE II. 



with the Father; as the Council of Nice determined, and the 
ancient fathers before them taught. Hence appeareth tlie 
truth of those words of our Saviour, which raised a second 
motion in the Jews to stone him ; '* I and the Father are one:" 
(John X. 30.) where the plurality of the verb, and the neutra- 
lity of the noun, with the distinction of their persons, speak a 
perfect identity of their essence. And though Christ say, 

the Father is in me, and I in him (Ibid. 38.) yet withal 
he saith, I came out from the Father :" (John xvi. 28. xvii. 8.) 
by the former shewing the Divinity of his essence, by the lat- 
ter the origination of himself. We must not look upon the 
divine nature as sterile,* but rather acknowledge and admire 
the fecundity and communicability of itself, upon which the 
creationt of the World dependeth : God making all things by 
his Word, to whom he first communicated that omnipotency 
which is the cause of all things. And this may suffice for the 
illustration of our third assertion, that the Father hath com- 
municated the divine essence to the Word, who is that Jesus 
who is the Christ. 

The fourth assertion followeth, That the communication of 
the divine essence by the Father, is the generation of the Son; 
and Christ, who was eternally God, not from himself, but from 
the Father, is the eternal Son of God. That God always had 
a Son, appeareth by Agur's question in the Proverbs of Solo- 
mon ; Who hath established all the ends of the earth ; what 
is his name ? and what is his Son's name ? if thou canst tell.'* 
(xxx. 4.) And it was the chief design of Mahomet to deny 
this truth, because he knew it was not otherwise possible to 
prefer himself before our Saviour. One prophet may be 



Ibid. §. 7. Upon this acknowledgment 
he was persuaded to subscribe to the other 
clause also, (added to that Creed which 
he himself gave in to the Council) being 
of one substance with the Father : which 
clause was inserted by the Council, at the 
instance of Constantine the emperor. 
Now as the Manichees made use of the 
word ofjLoovtrioi; to express their errors con- 
cerning the nature of God and the person 
of Christ ; so the ancient fathers, before 
the Nicene Council, had used the same 
in a true catholic sense, to express the 
unity in essence of the Father and the 
Son ; as appeareth by the confession of 
the same Eusebius : 'Ettei xa] roi-v TO-aXativ 
Xoj'iou? Tivag, ncd l7n<f>av£K iTritry.oTrov^, Kctl 
evyy^a<pBa(; lyvoo/jLiv, sttI tJJ; rov 'srar^oq na-i 
vlov ^BoXoy'iag tS rov Ofxoovcriov (ryj'P^f«cra^£- 
vovg ovofxari. Ibid. §. 7. Wherefore the 
other Eusebius of Nicomedia, understand- 
ing the ancient catholic sense, confessed, 
that if they believed Christ to be the true 
begotten, and not created, Son of God, 
they must acknowledge him ofxoovtnov, 
which the Arians endeavoured to make 



so odious ; and therefore the Council in 
opposition to them determined it : ♦ Quid 
est aliud cur Horaolision Patri nolint 
Filium dici, nisi quia nolunt verum Dei 
Filiuml sicut Auctor ipsorum Eusebius 
Nicomediensis Epistola sua prodidit, di- 
cens. Si verum, inquit, Dei Filium, et in- 
creatum dicimus, Homolision cum Patre 
incipimus confiteri. Hs^c cum lecta esset 
Epistola in Concilio Niceno, hoc verbum 
in Tractatu fidei posuerunt Patres, quod 
id viderunt adversariis esse formidini, ut 
tanquam evaginato ab ipsis gladio ipsorum 
nefanda3 caput hseresis amputarent.' 5.. 
Ambros. 1. iii. de Fide, c. 15. De voce 
'Ofxoov<riog, vide Dionys. Petav. de Trinit. 
I. iv. c. 6. 

* 'ASuvaTov yap rov S^eov elTtsTv spKfXov t5c 
(pva-iyrii; yovifjiOTmog Dninasc. de Fid. Or- 
thod. 1. i. c. 8. 

t EI S's fxh KctpTioyovoi; ha-rh alrv h ^da 

cf)Ci)Ti'^ov, Kcti nxYtyri ^n^a' ituit Stifxiavpyinfiv 
IvspySiav av-rov I%£4V xIj'OVTS? ovk a.Xa-'/wai- 
Tcti; 5. Athana&. Orat. ii. contra Avian, 
$.2. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



207 



greater than another, and Mahomet might persuade his credu- 
lous disciples that he was greater than any of the sons of 
men; but while any one was believed to be the eternal Son of 
God, he knew it wholly impossible to prefer himself before 
him. Wherefore he frequently inculcates that blasphemy in 
his Alcoran,^ that God hath no such Son, nor any equal with 
him : and his disciples have corrupted+ the Psalm of David, 
(ii. 7.) reading (instead of *' Thou art my Son, this day have I 
begotten thee/') * Thou art my prophet, I have educated thee.' 
The later Jews,J acknowledging the words, and the proper 
literal reading of them, apply them so unto David, as that they 
deny them to belong to Christ; and that upon no other 
ground, than that by such an exposition they may avoid the 
Christian's confession. But by the consent of the ancient 
Jews, by the interpretation of the blessed apostles, we know 
these words belong to Christy and in the most proper sense to 
him alone. For, unto which of the angels said he at any 
time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?" (Heb. 



* This is often repeated there, and 
particularly in the last chapter but one, 
called Alechlas: 'Est ipse Deus unus, 
Deus seternus, qui nec genuit, nec genitus 
est, et cui nullus est aequalis.' And the 
Suracenicu set forth by Sylburgius, men- 
tion this as the first principle of Maho- 
metanism : "Otj eXg Seoj Icrri, Tcomrnq raSv 
o\m, fxfiTB ymriBii^, fxnrs y&Mvh<raq. And 
Joannes Siculus and Georgius Cedrenus 
relate how Mahomet gave command : 
"Eva (uo'vov ft^oa-KWiiv -^eov, Kai tov X^ig-rov, 
rifxa-j coq T^oyov rev Qsov fxh oh'Xi vMv 5e. 
Hi$t. Compend. p. 422. ed. Par. 1647. 
And we read of his ridiculous history, 
that Christ, after his ascension into hea- 
ven, was accused by God for calling 
himself his Son ; and that he denied it, 
as being so named only by men without 
any authority from him : "Ot; aveXdovra 
rov Xg(5-Tov £!f TOV oi^o.vcv hpxTnciv 6 Bbo;, Xe- 
ycrv, "^Sl 'l-ntrov, <ru sTirsi; rov Koyov rovrov, "Ori 
vloi; ilfxi rov Qsov ncu Seo?. Kai airzu^'ibn 
'Iii<7oS?, "Oti ovh, EiTTov iyoj, ov^s al(r-xpvofxcti 
eTvaj SoDXo? cov aXX' ol m^^mttoi Ksyov^iv cri 
eJmv rov \6yov rovrov. 

t Alfirozabadius in his Kamuz : ' Dic- 
tum Dei omnipotentis ad Jesum (cui 
propitius sit et pacem concedat Deus), 
Tu es Nabiya, Propheta mens, ego wal- 
ladtoca, fovi te ; at dixerunt Christiani, 
Tu es Bonaya, Filius mens, ego waladtoca, 
te geuui. Longe est supra hsec Deus,' 
And to the same purpose Ebnol Athir : 
' In Evangelio dixit Isae, ego walladtoca, 
i.e. educavi te ; at Christiani, dempta 
litera Lam altera, ipsum ei filium statue- 
runt. Qui longe elatus est super ea qufe 
dicunt.' Whereas then the apostles at- 
tributed those words of the psalm to 



Christ, the Mahometans, who could not 
deny but they were spoken of the Messias, 
were forced to corrupt the text : and for 
that they pretend the eminency and ex- 
cellency of the Godhead, as if it were be- 
neath the majesty of God to beget a son, 
or be a Father : and indeed whosoever 
would bring in another prophet greater 
than Christ, as he was than Moses, must 
do so. 

t I say, the later Jews so attribute 
those words to David, as if they belonged 
not to the Messias ; but the ancient Jews 
understood them of the Christ : as ap- 
peareth not only out of those places in the 
evangelists, where the Christ and the Son 
of God are synonymous ; but also by the 
testimony of the later Jews themselves, 
who have confessed no less. So Rabbi 
David Kimchi in the end of his commen- 
taries on the second psalm, riT D^triSO V/^t 

: b"T l^-mm W'\''B pi Some interpret this 
psalm of Gog and Magog, and the anointed 
is Messias the king ; and so our doctors of 
hajjpy memory have expounded it. And 
Rabbi Solomon Jarchi not only confes- 
seth that the ancient Rabbins did inter- 
pret it of the Messias, but shews the rea- 
son why the later Jews understood it 
rather of David, that thereby they might 
the better answer the argument of the 
Christians deduced from thence, iD-mm 

: inyy Tn by -nrwb ^22 n-ran nmu'Dbi 

Our doctors have expounded it of the Mes- 
sias : but as to the literal sense, and for the 
answering heretics (that is, in their lan- 
guage. Christians), it is rather to be inter- 
preted of David, in his own person. 



208 



ARTICLE II. 



i. 5.) as the apostle argues. And if he had spoken them unto 
any other man, as they were spoken unto him, the apostle's 
argument had been none at all. 

Now that the communication of the divine essence by the 
Father (which we have already proved) was the true and pro- 
per generation by which he hath begotten the Son, will thus 
appear : because the most proper generation which we know, 
is nothing else but a vital production of another in the same 
nature, with a full representation of him from whom he is 
produced. Thus man begetteth a son, that is, produceth an- 
other man of the same human nature with himself; and this 
production, as a perfect generation, becomes the foundation 
of the relation of paternity in him that produceth, and of filia- 
tion in him that is produced. Thus after the prolifical bene- 
diction, *' Be fruitful and multiply ; Adam begat in his own 
likeness, after his image :" (Gen. i. 28. v. 3.) and by the con- 
tinuation of the same blessing, the succession of human gene- 
rations hath been continued. This then is the known* con- 
fession of all men, that a son is nothing but another produced 
by his father in the same nature with him. But God the Fa- 
ther hath communicated to the Word the same divine essence 
by which he is God ; and consequently he is of the same na- 
ture with him, and thereby the perfect image and similitude of 
him, and therefore his proper Son. In human generations we 
may conceive two kinds of similitude; one in respect of the 
internal nature, the other in reference to the external form or 
figure. The former similitude is essential and necessary; it 
being impossible a man should beget a son, and that son not 
be by nature a man: the latter accidental; not only some- 
times the child representing this, sometimes the other parent, 
but also oftentimes neither. The similitude then,+ in which 
the propriety of generation is preserved, is that which con- 
sisteth in the identity r)f nature: and this communication of 
the divine essence by the Father to the Word is evidently a 
sufficient foundation of such a similitude; from whence Christ 
is called **the image of God," " the brightness of his glory, 
and the express image of his person/' (2 Cor. iv. 4. Heb. i. 3.) 

Nor is this communication of the divine essence only the 
proper generation of the Son, but we must acknowledge it far 
more proper than any natural generation of the creature, not 
only because it is in a more perfect manner, but also because 
the identity of nature is most perfect. As in the divine 



* KoiVOV vxa^^fii TtaTi nai auroSi'SaxTov 

ysyBvmKori ova-iag Koi (pvs-iax;. Phot. Epist. 1. 
This is in the language of Aristotle : To 

7T0iri(rcU ETfJOV 018V AVTO' l^ZoV fj.h ^fiSdV, (^VTOV 

Sa <^vToy. And St. Basfl, lib. ii. contra 
Eutiom. §. 2<2. fin. Ylarvf fxlv ya^ liniv, 6 
irko'j} Tsy eTva< xara nrhv ofxoiav kavrS <^vs-i\ 



\ ' Etiamsi filius hominis, homo, in 
quibusdam similis, in quibusdam sit dis- 
similis patri ; tamen quia ejusdem sub- 
stantias est, negari verus filius non potest, 
et quia verus est filius, negari ejusdem 
substantia? non potest.' S. Augubt. coiilra 
Muximbi. Arian. 1. ii. c. 15. '<^. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



209 



essence we acknowledge all the perfections of the creatures, 
subtracting all the imperfections which adhere unto them here 
in things below : so in the communication we must look upon 
the reality without any kind of defect, blemish, or impurity. 
In human generation the son is begotten in the same nature 
with the father, which is performed by derivation, or decision 
of part of the substance of the parent : but this decision in- 
cludeth imperfection, because it supposeth a substance divi- 
sible, and consequently corporeal : whereas the essence of 
God is incorporeal, spiritual, and indivisible ; and therefore 
his nature is really communicated, not by derivation or deci- 
sion, but by a total and plenary communication. In natural 
conceptions the father necessarily precedeth the son, and be- 
getteth one younger than himself; for being generation is for 
the perpetuity of the species, where the individuals succes- 
sively fail, it is sufficient if the parent can produce another to 
live after him, and continue the existence of his nature, when 
his person is dissolved. But this presupposeth the imperfec- 
tion of mortality wholly to be removed, when we speak of 
him who inhabiteth eternity : the essence which God alv^ays 
had without beginning, without beginning he did communi- 
cate ; being always Father, as always God. Animals when 
they come to the perfection of nature, then become prolifical 
in God eternal perfection sheweth his eternal fecundity. And 
that which is most remarkable, in human generations the sou 
is of the same nature with the father, and yet is not the same 
man ; because though he hath an essence of the same kind, 
yet he hath not the same essence ; the power of generation 
depending on the first prolifical benediction, increase and 
multiply, it must be made by way of multiplication, and thus 
every son becomes another man. But the divine essence, 
being by reason of its simplicity not subject to division, and 
in respect of its infinity incapable of multiplication, is so com- 
municated as not to be multiplied ; insomuch that he which 
proceedeth by that communication, hath not only the same 
nature, but is also the same God. The Father God, and the 
Word God ; Abraham man, and Isaac man : but Abraham 
one man, Isaac another man ; not so the Father one God, 
and the Word another, but the Father and the Word both the 
same God. Being then the propriety of generation is founded 
in the essential similitude of the Son unto the Father, by 
reason of the same which he receiveth from him ; being the 
full perfect nature of God is communicated unto the Word, 
and that more intimately and with a greater unity or identity 

* nAvra, U ocrct ))5>3 rsXeta yivw to az\ aii teXeiov rnQ <^La-too<;. S. Athnn. Oral. i. 
teXejov, asi Kcti atS'iov yma.. Euseb. de Preep, contra Arian. §. l i This was it which 
Evang. ex Piotiito, I. xi. 17. 'avQ^^ttcwv so much troubled the Arians, when thej 
^£v j/ap iSjov TO Iv Xfo'vft) yevvoiv, ^ta. to aTgXg? heard the Catholics constantly asserting 
Tr,c <})ucr5<w;' ^esv Se ai'Jiov to ysmfAU J»a to a£( &so?, «£« vi6<;' a/xa Trarhf, afyta wtoc. 

P 



210 



ARTICLE II. 



than can be found in human generations : it followeth tliat 
this commuiiication of the divine nature is the proper genera- 
tion by which Christ is, and is called the true and proper Son 
of God. This was the foundation of St. Peter's confession, 
''thou art the Son of the living God;" (Matt. xvi. 16. John 
vi. 69.) this the ground of our Saviour's distinction,''^ " I 
ascend unto my Father, and your Father." (John xx. 17.) 
Hence did St. John raise a verity, more than only a negation 
of falsity, when he said, we " are in the true Son :" (1 John 
V. 20.) for we which are in him are true, not false sons, but 
such sons we are not as the " true Son." Hence did St. Paul 
draw an argument of the infinite love of God towards man, in 
that "he spared not his own proper Son." (Rom. viii. 32.) Thus 
have we sufficiently shewed, that the eternal communication of 
the divine essence by the Father to the Word was a proper ge- 
neration by which Christ Jesus always was the true and proper 
Son of God: which was our fourth assertion. 

The fifth and last assertion followeth, that the divine essence 
was so peculiarly communicated to the Word, that there was 
never any other naturally begotten by the Father ; and in that 
respect Christ is the o)ily-hegotten Son of God. For the clear- 
ing of which truth, it will first be necessary to inquire into the 
true notion of the only -begotten ; and then shew how it belongs 
particularly to Christ, by reason of the divine nature commu- 
nicated by way of generation to him alone. First, therefore, 
We must avoid the vain interpretation of the ancient heretics, t 
who would have the restraining term onlij to belong, not to the 
Son, but to the Father ; as if the only-begotten were no more 
than begotten of the Father only. Which is both contrary to 



* * Multum distat inter dominationem 
et conditionem, inter generation em et 
adoptionem, inter substantiam et gratiam. 
Ideoque hie non permixte nec passim 
dicitur, Ascendo ad Patrem nostrum aut 
Deiim nostrum ; sed ad Patrem meum et 
Patrem vestrum, ad Deum meum e,t ad 
Deum vestrum. Aliter enim illi Deus 
Pater est, aliter nobis. Ilium siquidem 
natura coaequat, misericordia humiliat : 
DOS vero natura prosternit, misericordia 
*rigit.' Capreolus Carthag. Epist. p. 70. 
Opusc. Dogm. Vet. V. Script. Par. 1630. 

t This was the fallacy which Eunomius 
endeavoured to put upon the Church, as 
appears by those words of his delivered 
and answered by St. Basil : Aia. rovro 
yap, (prurl, fxavoysviig, STrsi^h TFapa. fxovov tk tou 
aysmrav ^vvAfxBi ysvv»)&EJ? xcti utict^bIi; reXsi- 
oraroi ytyovev lirov^yot' adv. F:unom, !. ii. 
20. as if fxmysvhg were only wa^a fxovov, 
and unigenitus were nothing else but geni- 
tus ah uno. This St. Basjl refuteth copi- 
ously ; first, from the language of the 
Scriptures and tne usage of mankind : 



Ata rhv Travov^ytav vv VBpl to ovo/xa rov fjtcvoye- 
vovi; luanovpyna-By itaia. rs rhv tZv avd^oonaov 
crwriBeittv, )ta\ TTapa Tr,v sv(rs0ri rZv y^a<pZv 
vapa^oa-iv "Kafx^avoov avTOv rhv ^lavotav. Mo- 
voyivh^ yap ov^ 6 TCctpa. fxovov ysvofxsvog, aXX' 
0 /xQVOi; ysvnB'.lg Iv xoivjj p^p^trSt 7rpo(j-ayop£v£- 
rai. Ibid. Secondly, by a retort peculiar 
to that heresy, which held the Son of God 
might be called xtjo-Qs!? as well as yev- 
vriQslg, created as well as begotten, and con- 
sequently might be as properly named 
jUovoKTicTTo? as fAOVoyBvht; : Et fxh ira^a. to 
juovoj ysyiVvriiT^ai, aXKa, ^la. to TTaja juovoy 
fjLO'iioyBvriq s'l^nrcLi, tclvto Bern nara CB to 
lxTi<rSa< tS ysyswrjcr^ai, ti ov^i x.cti Movoxrt- 
crrov avrov ovofxa^eii; ; Ibid. §. 21. Thirdly, 
by a particular instance, shewing the 
absurdity of such an interpretation, for 
that thereby no man could properly be 
called fjLovoysvh?, because not begotten of 
one, but two parts : MovoyBvh? ^b, oog loiXEV, 
a,]iQ^M7foov ouSgi? Kara, yB tov VfjLBrB^ov Xoyov, 
Sia TO l» <rvv^vaiTfA,ov TraTiv VTrapx^eiv rhv 
yimjcriv ov^s h 'Ea.ppet fjtfirr)^ fxovoyBvou? hv 
TTaiSo?, Sto'rt ovx} f*ovn ahth, aXKa fxBTo. tov 
'h^^aifA,, irsKVuia-ciTO. Ibid. 



HIS ONLY SON. 211 

the language of ihe Scriptures, and the common custom of men, 
who use it not for him who is begotten of one, but for him 
who alone is begotten of any. 

Secondly, We must by no means admit the exposition of the 
later heretics,^ who take the only -begotten to be nothing else 
but the most beloved of all the sons ; because Isaac was called 
the only sou of Abraham, (Gen. xxii. 2. 12. 16.) when we know 
that he had Ishmael beside ; and Solomon said to be the only- 
begotten before his mother, i when David had other children even 
by the mother of Solomon. For the only begotten and the 
most-beloved are not the same ; the one having the nature of a 
cause in respect of the other^ and the same cannot be cause and 
effect to itself. For though it be true, that the only son is the 
beloved son^ yet with this order, that he is therefore beloved^ 
because the only, not therefore the only because beloved. 
Although therefore Christ be the only-begotten and the beloved 
Son of God, yet we must not look upon these two attributes 
as synonymous, or equally significant of the same thing, but as 
one depending on the other; unigeniture being the foundation 
of his singular love. Beside, Isaac was called the only son of 
Abraham for some other reason than because he was singularly 
beloved of Abraham, for he was the only son of the free-woman, 
the only son of the promise made to Abraham, which was first 
this, " Sarah shall have a son," and then, " in Isaac shall thy 
seed be called." (Gen. xviii. 14. xxi. 12.) So that Isaac may 
well be called the only son of Abraham in reference to the 
promise, as the apostle speaks expressly; " By faith Abraham 
when he was tried, offered up Isaac, and he that had received 
the promises offered up his only-begotten son." (Heb. xi. 17.) 
Avoiding therefore these two expositions, as far short of the 
true notion of the only-begotten ; we must look upon it in the 
most proper, full, and significant sense, as signifying a son so 



* The Socinians make very much of 
this notion, and apply it so unto Christ, 
as that thereby they might avoid all ne- 
cessity of an eternal generation. So the 
Racovian Catechism : * Causa cur Christo 
ista attributa (sc. proprium et uiiigenitum 
Dei Fiiium esse) competant, hsec est ; quod 
inter omnes Dei filios et prsecipuus sit, et 
Deo carissimus ; quemadmodum Isaac, 
quia Abrahamo carissimus et ha?res ex- 
stitit, unigenitns vocatus est, Heb. xi. 17. 
licet fratrem Ismaelem habuerit ; et So- 
lomon unigenitus coram matre sua, licet 
plurea ex eadem matre fratres fuerint, 
1 Paral. iii. 1, 2, 3, &c.' Sect. iv. c. 1. p. 
113. And that this might be applied to 
the interpretation of the Creed, Schlictin- 
gius hath inserted it as a material obser- 
vation : * Nam hie tinicus seu unigena 
filius nominatur, qui c?Bteris longe carior 
est Patri, longeque preestantior :' and 



confirms the interpretation with those 
two testimonies concerning Isaac and 
Solomon. But certainly this observation 
of theirs is vain, or what else they say is 
false. For if Christ be called the Son of 
God, because conceived by the Holy Ghost, 
and none else was ever so conceived, then 
is he the only-begotten by virtue of his 
generation. And if so, then is he not the 
only-begotten, as Isaac and Solomon were, 
that is, by the affection and prelation of 
their parents. Or if Christ were the only- 
begotten, as Isaac and Solomon were, then 
was he not conceived after a singular 
manner, for the brethren of Solomon no 
way differed from him in their generation. 
It is plain therefore that this interpreta- 
tion was invented, that when all the rest 
should fail, they might stick to this, 
t [See Prov. iv. 3.] 

2 



212 



ARTICLE II. 



begotten as none other is, was, or can be : so as the term re- 
strictive only shall have relation not only to the Father gene- 
rating,* but also to the Son begotten, and to the manner of the 
generation. It is true, the Father spake from heaven, saying, 
** Ti)ou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," 
(Mark i. 11.) and thereby we are to understand, that whosoever 
of us are beloved by the Father, are so beloved in and through 
the Son. In the same manner Christ is the only-begotten Son 
of God ; and as many of us as God hath bestowed his love 
upon, that we should be called the sons of God, are all brought 
into that near relation by our fellowship with him, who is by a 
far more near relation the natural and eternal Son. 

Having thus declared the interpretation of the word, that, 
properly, as primogeniture consisteth in prelation, so unige- 
niture in exclusion ; and that none can be strictly called the 
only-begotten, but he who alone was so begotten : we shall 
proceed to niake good our assertion, shewing that the divine 
essence was peculiarly communicated to the Word, by which 
he was begotten the Son of God, and never any was so begotten 
beside that Son. 

And here we meet with two difficulties : one shewing that 
there were other sons of God said to be begotten of him; to 
whom either the divine essence was communicated, and then 
the communication of that to the W ord made him not the only- 
begotten; or it was not communicated, and then there is no 
such communication necessary to found such filiation : the 
other, alleging that the same divine essence may be commu- 
nicated to another beside the Word, and not only that it may, 
but that it is so, to the person of the Holy Ghost; whence 
either the Holy Ghost must be the Son of God, and then the 
Word is not the only-begotten ; or if he be not the Son, then 
is not the communication of the divine essence a sufficient 
foundation of the relation of sonship. These two objections 
being answered, nothing will remain farther to demonstrate 
this last assertion. 

For the first, we acknowledge that others are frequently 
called the sons of God, and that we call the same God our 
Father which Christ called his; ^*both he that sanctifieth, and 



* Eunomius would have it only nret^a 
/movov, in relation to the Father only. St. 
Basil shews that no way proper, and shews 
that jUovoj/Evn? is not he which fra^a (xoyov 
but jwovo? yiymmai. adv. Eiinom.. 1. ii. §. 
21. St. Cyril adds these two Trap* fxovov 
and JU.OVO? together, in relation to the 
Father and the Son ; Movoyev^? Kara <|>iV{v 
0 ix 6sov TraTpoi; hvofxaa-rai \6yoi;, on /xovog 
EH fJLOvou yeyivvmai rov Trar^oq. Epist. 1. ad 
Regin. as Ruffinus doth in unicus : ' Ideo 
subjungit unicum bunc esse Filium Dei, 
unus enim de uno nascitur.' Expos. Symb. 



§. 9. St. Gregory Nazianzen adds to these 
two a third, in respect of the manner ; 
Movoysvhi 51 ovx, on fxovog Ik y,oyov Kal fxo\ov, 
ftXX' ot; Ka\ y-ovor^oTTooq, ov^ ra aoofAant. 
Orat. 2. de Filio, p. 590. So he something 
obscurely and corruptly ; but plainly 
enough in Damascene, who aims often to 
deliver himself in the words of Nazianzen : 
Asysrai fxovoysvri^, cn fxovog Ik /xovov rev nta- 
rpo; juovoa; lymn^v ov^b yaf of^oioZrai ers^a 
j'lvvflo'tc rr! rov vlov rov Qsov yBwhcii, oh^l ya^ 
IcTtv aXXcf vlog rov Qsov. De Orthod. Fid, 
1. i. c. 9. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



213 



they who are sanctified, are all of one : for which cause he is 
not ashamed to call us brethren:" (Heb. ii. 11.) we confess 
that those whom St. Paul ** hath begotten through the Gos- 
pel/'* may well be termed the ** begotten of God, whose seed 
remaineth in them:" but withal, we affirm that this our rege- 
neration is of a nature wholly different from the generation of 
the Son. We are first generated,t and have our natural being ; 
after that regenerated, and so receive a spiritual renovation, 
and by virtue thereof an inheritance incorruptible : whereas 
the generation of Christ admits no regeneration, he becoming 
at once thereby God and Son and heir of all. The state of son- 
ship which we come into is but of adoption, shewing the gene- 
ration by which we are begotten to be but metaphorical; 
whereas Christ is so truly begotten, so properly the natural 
Son of God, that his generation} clearly excludeth the name of 



* 1 Cor. iv. 1.5. 'Ev ykf X^kttm 'Ijjo-ou 
^ik TOV iva.yyi'k'i.ov Syoj vfj(.ag syBVvri^ct. 1 John 
iii. 9. nSc o yBymKfxsvoq In tov ®iov kfxa^' 
Tiav oi iroiiX, oTi crTrs^fxa avTov Iv etiiTM 
fxBvu. And more expressly, 1 John v. 1. 
nSf 0 Tria-TBvoov, oti 'l>5iroD? ej-tIv 6 X^icttcx;, 
ex, TOV @BQv ysyBwrnai- nal ttS? o ayaTrSiv rov 
yBvvfia-avra,, ayctira nai tov yeyBvvnfA,Bvov 1^ 
avTov. Quisquis credit Jesum esse Christum 
ilium, ex Deo genihis est ; et quisquis dili- 
git eum qui genuit, diligit etiam eum qui ex 
€0 genitus est. 

t ' Nos genuit Deus, ut filii ejus simus, 
quos fecerat ut homines essemus. Uni- 
cum autem genuit, non solum ut Filius 
esset, quod Pater non est, sed etiam ut 
Deus esset, quod et Pater est.' S. August, 
de Cons. Evang. 1. ii. c. 3. In the book 
of Celsus, there was a Jew introduced 
speaking thus to Christ : El toSto XBysn;, 
OTt TrSf av&poJTro? kclto. ^siav ir^ovoictv yByovxq 
viot BTTi ©EotJ, Tt av (TV ttXXou S^ja<f)Ef ; who 
is thus answered by Origen : n^o? ov IpoD- 
^£V, OTJ TrSf f^iv, aig 6 riaSXo? lo\6(x<taB, [xin- 
KBTi vTto <p60ou Ttat'^ctyajytvfji.Bvoi;, <aXXa Si' 
aiiTo TO xaXov aigou/uEvo?, uio'f E<rTi ^bov' oSto? 
Se ttoXXm x.au (xan^Si Sia;f,4g£i TravTO? toZ Jia 
TKV agETjjv xprifA.a.Ti^o~'TO<; vlov tov SeoS, cWif 
ooj-'/TB^Bi nnyh tiq koX a.^)(h t5)v ToitvToov Tvy- 
Xi^vBi. Orig. adv. Celsum, 1. i. §. 57, 

t First, it is most certain that the 
Word of God, as the Word, is not the 
adopted, but the natural Son of God. 
' Non est Dei Filius Deus falsus, nec 
Deus adoptivus, nec Deus nuncupativus, 
sed Deus verus.' S. Hilar, de Trin. ]. v. 
0, 5. ' Hie etiam Filius Dei natura est 
Filius, non adoptione.' Concil. Tolet. 11. 
Tiof TOV ©sou liTTi <})u<r6t, Koi ov ^Baii, yBW*i' 
Sei? BK iToLT^oq. S. Cyril. Hierosol. Catech. 
11. §■ 2. and again: OLk I» tov [xh o'vto? 
£'f TO tivat TOV vlov TreifitjyayBv , ov^B tov fxh 
ovTft bU wo0E<ri'ttv Jjyaysv aXX' aiSioj oov o ita- 
T«f , a'tJ»a»5 lyvrnvi Koi aviU'^^kg-rtoq vVov ha. 



fAovov, aS£X<J)oy ovx ep^ovTa. Ibid. §. 5. This 
hath been so generally confessed, that 
Felix and Elipaudus, who were con- 
demned for maintaining Christ as a man 
to be the adopted Son of God, did ac- 
knowledge it, as appeareth by the begin- 
ning of their book : ' Confitemur et credi- 
mus Deum Dei Filium, ante omnia tem- 
pora sine initio ex Patre genitum, co- 
ccternum et consubstantialem non adop- 
tione, sed genere.' Secondly, it is also 
certain, that the man Christ Jesus, taken 
personally, is the natural not the adopted 
Son of God : because the man Christ 
Jesus is no other person than the Word, 
who is the eternal and natural Son, and 
by subsisting in the human nature could 
not leave oft" to be the natural Son. The 
denial of this by Felix and Elipandus was 
condemned as heretical in the Council of 
Francford ; and their opinion was thus 
expressed, partly in the words of St. 
Augustin, partly in their own additions : 

* Confitemur et credimus eum factum ex 
muliere, factum sub lege ; non genere 
esse Filium Dei, sed adoptione, non na- 
tura, sed gratia.' This they maintained 
by forged testimonies of some fathers, and 
by the Liturgy of the Church of Toledo, 
composed by Hildephonsus, as the Ro- 
man by Gregory. In the Mass de Ccena 
Domini : ' Qui per adoptivi hominis pas- 
sionem, dum suo non indulsit corpori;' 
and in the Mass de Ascensione Doinini: 

* Hodie Salvator noster per adoptionem 
carnis, sedem repetivit Deitatis.' To this 
the Synod opposed their determination 
in Sacrosyllabo : ' Quod ex te nascetur san- 
ctum vocabittir Jilius Dei, non adoptivus sed 
verus, non alienus sed proprius.' And 
again : ' Porro adoptivus dici non potest 
qui alienus est ab eo a quo dicitur adop- 
tatus ; et gratis ei adoptio tribuitur, quo- 
niam non ex debito, sed ex indulgentia 



214 



ARTICLE II. 



adoption ; and not only so, but when he becometh the Son of 
man, even in his humanity refuseth the name of an adopted 
Son, For ** when the fulness of time was come, God sent forth 
his Son made of a woman, made under the Law, to redeem 
them that were under the Law, (not that he, but) that we might 
receive the adoption of sons.'' (Gal. iv. 4, 5.) He then whose 
generation is totally different from ours whom he calleth bre- 
thren ; he whom in the sacred Scriptures the Spirit nameth the 
true Son, the Father sometimes his own, sometimes his be- 
loved, but never his adopted Son he who by those proper and 
peculiar appellations is distinguished from us,t who can claim 
no higher filiation than that which we receive by the privilege 
of adoption : he is truly the only -begotten Son of God, notwith- 
standing the same God hath begotten us by his Word ; and 
the reason why he is so, is, because the divine essence was 
communicated unto him in his natural and eternal generation, 
whereas only the grace of God is conveyed unto us in our 
adoption. Indeed if we were begotten of the essence of God 
as Christ was, or he were only by the grace of God adopted,J 
as we are, then could he by no propriety of speech be called 
the onlj/ $0)1, by reason of so many brethren : but being we 
cannot aspire unto the first, nor he descend unto the latter, it 
remaineth we acknowledge him, notwithstanding the first diffi- 
culty, by virtue of his natural and peculiar generation, to be 
the only-hegotten Son, 



tantummodo adoptio praestatur : sic at nos 
aliquando, cum essemus peccando filii 
irae, alieni eramus a Deo, per proprium 
et verum Filium, qui non eguit adoptione, 
adoptio nobis filiorum donata est.' And 
of this they give us the true ground in the 
Synodic Epistle : ' Unitas personfe quae 
est in Dei filio et filio Virginis, adoptionis 
tollit injuriam.' 

* * Legi et relegi Scripturas, Jesum 
Filium Dei nusquam adoptione inveni.' 
Arnbrosiaster Cum. in Ep. ad Rom. ' Dices 
mihi. Cur times adoptivum Christum Do- 
minum nominare 1 Dico tibi, quia nec 
Apostoli eum sic nominarunt, nec sancta 
Dei et Catholica Ecclesia consuetudinem 
habuit sic eum appellare.' Synod. Epist. 
Concil. Francoford. From whence they 
charge all those to whom they write that 
Synodic Epistle, that they should be sa- 
tisfied with such expressions as they 
found in the Scriptures : ' Intelligite, fra- 
tres, quas legitis, et nolite nova et incog- 
nita nomina fingere, sed quae in S. Scrip- 
tura inveniuntur, tenete,' &c. 

f St. Augustin hath observed, that St. 
Paul made use of vlo^ss-ia, that he might 
distinguish the filiation of Christ from 
ours : ' At vero etiam nos, quibus dedit 
Deus potestatem filios ejus fieri, denatura 
atque substantia sua non nos genuit, sicut 



unicum Filium, sed utique dilectione 
adoptavit. Quo verbo Apostolus saepe uti 
non ob aliud intelligitur, nisi ad discer- 
nendum Unigenitum.' De consens, Evavg. 
1. ii. c. 3. And St. Ambrose takes notice, 
that the name of true destroveth that of 
adopted : ' Adoptivum filium non dicimus 
filium esse natura ; sed eum dicimus na- 
tura esse filium, qui verus est filius.' De 
Incur n. Sacr. c. 8. 

I ' Si unicus, quomodo adoptivus, dum 
multi sunt adoptivi filii? Unicus itaque 
de multisnon potest dici.' Concil. Franco/ . 
' Quod si etiam Unigenitus Filius factus 
dicitur ex gratia, non vere genitus ex 
natura, proculdubio nomen et veritatem 
Unigeniti perdidit, postquam fratres ha- 
bere jam ccepit : privatur enim hujus ve- 
ritate nominis, si in Unigenito non est de 
Patre Veritas naturalis.' Fulgentius ad 
Thrasim. 1. iii. c. 3. ' Si divina ilia Filii 
sempiternaque nativitas non de natura 
Dei Patris, sed ex gratia creditur substi- 
tisse, non debet Unigenitus vocari, sed 
tantummodo genitus. Quoniam sicut ei 
nomen geniti largitas adoptionis patemae 
contribuit, sic eum ab Unigeniti nomine 
nobis quoque tributa communio paternje 
adoptionis exclusit. Unigenitus enim non 
vocatur, quamvis genitus possit vocari, 
cum genitis.' Jbid. c. 4. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



215 



But though neither men nor angels be begotten of the sub- 
stance of God, or by virtue of any such natural generation be 
called sons ; yet one person we know, to whom the divine es- 
sence is as truly and really communicated by the Father as to 
the Son, which is the third person in the blessed Trinity, the 
Holy Ghost. Why then should the Word by that communi- 
cation of the divine essence become the Son, and not the Holy 
Ghost by the same? or if, by receiving the same nature, he 
also be the Son of God, how is the Word the only Son? To 
this I answer, that the Holy Ghost receiveth the same essence 
from the Father which the Word receiveth, and thereby be- 
cometh the same God with the Father and the Word : but 
though the essence be the same which is communicated, yet 
there is a difference in the communication ; the Word being 
God by generation, the Holy Ghost by procession : and though 
every thing which is begotten proceedeth,* yet every thing 
which proceedeth is not begotten. Wherefore in the language 
of the sacred Scriptures and the Church,t the Holy Ghost is 
never said to be begotten, but to proceed from the Father; nor 
is he ever called the Son, but the Gift of God. Eve was pro- 
duced out of Adam, and in the same nature with him, and yet 
was not born of him, nor was she truly the daughter of Adam; 
whereas Seth proceeding from the same person in the simili- 
tude of the same nature, was truly and properly the son of 
Adam. And this difference was not in the nature produced, 
but in the manner of production ; Eve descending not from 
Adam as Seth did, by way of generation, that is, by natural 
fecundity. The Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father in the 
same nature with him, the Word proceedeth from the same 
person in the same similitude of nature also ; but the Word 
proceeding is the Son, the Holy Ghost is not, because the first 
procession is by way of generation, the other is not. As there- 
fore the regeneration and adoption of man, so the procession 
of the Holy Ghost doth no way prejudice the eternal genera- 
tion, as pertaining solely to the Son of God. 

Seeing then our Saviour Jesus Christ had a real being and 
existence before he was conceived by the Virgin Mary ; seeing 



* ' Non omne quod procedit, nascitur ; 
sicut omne quod nascitur, procedit.' S. 
August, contra Max. 1. ii. c. 14. §. 1. Who 
gives the same solution to the same argu- 
ment : * Quaeris a me : Si de substantia 
Patris est Filius, de substantia Patris est 
etiam Spiritus Sanctus, cur unus Filius 
sit, et alius non sit Filius 1 Ego respon- 
deo, sive capias, sive non capias : De 
Patre est Filius, de Patre est Spiritus S. ; 
sed ille genitus est, iste procedens.' Ibid. 
IToXXa) Tovrov TtiBavwrsfov, to <pa,mi exEtvow 
ye rov ayzvvhrov <^vvai tov Aoyov Kot ro^Ayiov 
Tlvivfxa' TOV jM,£V, ax; Aoyov, kn tov vou yzvvcc- 
fxsvor TO aiq IlveCjOta, bnro^euofABVov, ^v[a,- 



TTjiosicri yap tm Aoyw to Tlviv(jut, ou ^vyymui- 
fxsvov, aWa ^vvov nal TTapo/ma^rovv nai ekito- 
^evofxsvov. Theodoret. Serm. 2. p. 504. 

t ' Nunquam fuit non Pater, a quo Fi- 
lius natus, a quo Spiritus Sanctus non 
natus, quia non est Filius.' Geunad. de 
Eccles. Dog. c. 1. ' Deus Pater innasci- 
bilis non ex aliquo, Deus Filius unigeni- 
tus ex aliquo, hoc est, ex Patre, Spiritus 
S. innascibilis ex aliquo, hoc est, ex Pa- 
tre.' Isaac, lib. Fidei, p. 138. Opusc. Dogm. 
Vet. V. Script. Par. 1630. * Quod neque 
natum neque factum est, Spiritus S. est, 
qui a Patre et Filio procedit.' S. Ambros. 
in Symb. Apost. al. de Trinit. c. 3. 



216 



ARTICLE II. 



the being which he had antecedently to that conception was 
not any created, but the one and indivisible divine essence ; 
seeing he had not that Divinity of himself originally, as the 
Father, but by communication from him; seeing the commu- 
nication of the same essence unto him was a proper genera- 
tion ; we cannot but believe that the same Jesus Christ is the 
begotten Son of God : and seeing the same essence was never 
so by way of generation communicated unto any,* we must 
also acknowledge him the onlj/-begotteHj distinguished from 
the Holy Ghost, as Son ; from the adopted children, as the 
natural Son. 

The necessity of the belief of this part of the Article, that 
Jesus Christ is the proper and natural Son of God, begotten of 
the substance of the Father, and by that singular way of gene- 
ration the onli/ Son, appeareth first in the confirmation of our 
faith concerning the redemption of mankind. For this doth 
shew such an excellency and dignity in the person of the Me- 
diator as will assure us of an infinite efficacy in his actions, and 
value in his sufferings. We know it is not possible that the 
blood of bulls and goats should take away sins (Heb. x. 4.) 
and we may very well doubt, how the blood of him, who hath 
no other nature than that of man, can take away the sins of 
other men ; there appearing no such difference as will shew a 
certainty in the one, and an impossibility in the other. But 
since we may be bought with a price," (1 Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23.) 
well may we believe the blood of Christ sufficiently ** precious,'' 
(1 Pet. i. 19.) when we are assured that it is the blood of 
God (Acts xx. 28.) nor can we question the efficacy of it in 
** purging our conscience from dead works," if we believe 
** Christ offered up himself through the eternal Spirit." (Heb. 
ix. 14.) If we be truly sensible of our sins, we must acknow- 
ledge that in every one we have offended God ; and the gravity 
of every offence must needs increase proportionably to the dig- 
nity of the party offended in respect of the offender : because 
the more worthy any person is, the more reverence is due unto 
him, and every injury tendeth to his dishonour; but between 
God and man there is an infinite disproportion ; and therefore 
every offence committed against him, must be esteemed as in 
the highest degree of injury. Again, as the gravity of the of- 
fence beareth proportion to the person offended ; so the value 
of reparation ariseth from the dignity of the person satisfying ; 
because the satisfaction consisteth in a reparation of that ho- 
nour which by the injury was eclipsed; and all honour doth 
increase proportionably as the person yielding it is honour- 
able. If then by every sin we have offended God, who is of 
infinite eminency, according unto which the injury is aggra- 
vated ; how shall we ever be secure of our reconciliation unto 

* 'i2c /WEV ov'j ylof, (pva-mSi; niarnrat ra, roZ "wargoj' oag 5e /uovoyev^?, o\a Ep^ej Iv iavrS 
erv\hct$aiv, ol^evoi; Kctrafxi^il^ofAmv TTpof ETEfov. S. Baiil. Homil. de Fide, 2. 



HIS ONLY SON. 



217 



God, except the person who hath undertaken to make the re- 
paration be of the same infinite dignity; so as the honour 
rendered by his obedience may prove proportionable to the 
offence and that dishonour which arose from our disobedience? 
This scruple is no otherwise to be satisfied than by a belief in 
such a Mediator as is the onlj/-begotten Son of God, of the 
same substance with the Father, and consequently of the same 
power and dignity with the God whom by our sins we have 
offended. 

Secondly, The belief of the eternal generation of the Son, by 
which he is the same God with the Father, is necessary for 
the confirming and encouraging a Christian in ascribing that 
honour and glory unto Christ which is due unto him. For we 
are commanded to give that worship unto the Son which is 
truly and properly divine ; the same which we give unto God 
the Father, who hath committed all judgment unto the Son, 
that all men should honour the Son even as they honour the 
Father." (John v. 22, 23.) As it was represented to St. Jolin 
in a vision, when he heard every creature which is in heaven, 
and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the 
sea, and all that are in them, saying, Blessing, honour, glory, 
and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto 
the Lamb, for ever and ever.*' (Rev. v. 13.) Again we are 
commanded ^' to fear the Lord our God, and to serve him 
(Deut. vi. 13.) and that with such an emphasis, as by him we 
are to understand him alone, because ** the Lord our God is 
one Lord." (Ibid. 4.) From whence if any one arose among 
the Jews, teaching under the title of a prophet to worship any 
other beside him for God, the judgment of the Rabbins was,i- 
that notwithstanding all the miracles which he could work, 
though they were as great as Moses wrought, he ought imme- 
diately to l3e strangled, because the evidence of this truth, 
that one God only must be worshipped, is above all evidence 
of sense. Nor must we look upon this precept as valid only 
under the Law, as if then there were only one God to be wor- 
shipped, but since the Gospel we had another ; for our Saviour 
hath commended it to our observation, by making use of it 
against the devil in his temptation, saying, Get thee hence 
Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, 
and him only shalt thou serve." (Matt. iv. 10.) If then we be 
obliged to worship the God of Israel only ; if we be also com- 
manded to give the same worship to the Son, which we give 
to him ; it is necessary that we should believe that the Son is 
the God of Israel. '* When the Scripture bringeth in the first- 



* The emphasis appears in this, that 
it is not barely innym et servies ei, but 
l^VF) TTIKT et ipsi seroies, with such a pe- 
culiar restriction, as is expressed by the 
Chaldee paraphrase, n'^DH "niDTpT ft in 



conspectii ejus servies ; by the LXX. xai 
avTw [xovcf XaTpeuo-Et?, and that restriction 
approved by our Saviour, Matt. iv. 10. 

t Moses Maim. Praefat. in Seder 
Zeraim. 



220 



ARTICLE II. 



our Lord, because the only Son must of necessity be heir and 
Lord of all in his Father's house, and all others which bear 
the name of sons, whether they be men or angels, if compared 
to him, must not be looked upon £is sons of God, but as ser- 
vants of Christ. 

Three things are necessary, and more cannot be, for a ple- 
nary explication of this part of the Article ; first, the proper no- 
tation of the word Lord in the Scripture phrase, or language of 
the Holy Ghost ; secondly, The full signification of the same in 
the adequate latitude of sense, as it belongs to Christ ; thirdly. 
The application of it to the person making confession of his 
faith, and all others whom he involves in the same condition 
with himself, as saying not mT/, nor their, but our Lord. 

First then we must observe, that not only Christ is the Lord, 
but that this title doth so properly belong unto him, that the 
Lord alone absolutely taken is frequently used by the evange- 
lists and apostles determinately for Christ,'^' insomuch that 
the angels observe that dialect, ** Come see the place where 
the Lord lay." (Matt, xxviii. 6. ) Now for the true notation of 
the word,+ it will not be so necessary to inquire into the use 
or origination of the Greek, much less into the etymology of 
the correspondent Latin, as to search into the notion of the 
Jews, and the language of the Scriptures, according unto which 
the evangelists and apostles spake and wrote. 

And first, it cannot be denied, but that the word which we 
translate the Lord was used by the interpreters of the Old 



* Mar. xvi. 19, 20. Luke xii. 42. 
xxiv. 34. John iv. 1. vi. 23. xi. 2. xx. 2. 
18. 20. 25. xxi. 7. Acts ix. 1. 6. 10, 1 1. 
15. 17. 27. 31. 42. xi. 16. 24. xiii. 47, 
&C. Ktjpiof. 

t For whosoever shall consider the 
signification of Kupio? in the Scriptures, 
I think he will scarce find any footsteps 
of the same in the ancient Greeks. In 
our sacred Writ it is the frequent name 
of God, whereas I imagine it is not to be 
found so used by any of the old Greek 
authors. Julius Pollux, whose business 
is to observe what words and phrases 
may be properly made use of in that lan- 
guage, tells us the gods may be called 
@Eol or AatjwovEf, but mentions not Kupjoj, 
as neither proper, nor any name of God 
with them at all. Nor did they anciently 
use it in their economics ; where their 
constant terms were not Ku^iof, but S'e- 
e-irornq and ^ovXoq : and they had then an- 
other kind of notion of it, as appears by the 
complaint of the servant in Aristophanes. 
Plut. 6. 

Tou a-M^cLToq ya,^ ovk la rov avpiov 
Kpareiv 6 ^aifxtDV, aWa tov eaivn(Xivov. 

In which words, if they were interpreted 



by the Scripture usage, Kvpiog would sig- 
nify the master, and lmn[/.'iw; the person 
bought, that is, the servant ; whereas the 
place requires an interpretation wholly 
contrary ; for liwv>j|UEvo; is not here 
hyopaa-fxivoi;, but ayo^aa-aq, or hvns-afxiWQ, 
as the scholiast, Suidas, and Moschopulus 
have observed, that is, not the servant, but 
the master who bought him. And though 
those grammarians bring no other place 
to prove this active signification beside 
this of Aristophanes, by which means 
it might be still questionable whether 
they had rightly interpreted him without 
any authority, yet Phrynichus will suffi- 
ciently secure us of this sense : "Ervyjv 
lft;v«jWfvof olnictv ri aypov.lvravQci ov^ev iy')(^M^tX 
tZv ano rov Trpiaa-Qctr fxhsi to |£wv»|U£Vo? Soki- 
fxov. 'EoomfxkvoQ then here is he which 
buyeth, that is, the master ; and conse- 
quently xi^ptoc not the master, but the ser- 
vant bought, whom he supposeth origi- 
nally to have power over his own body. 
Indeed it was not only distinguished, but 
in a manner opposed to ^e^Ttornq : as ap- 
pears by that observation of Ammonius, 
thus delivered by Eustathius in Odyss. 
E. Kv^iOQ yvvctiyioi; xat vloov avh^ Hal ntarh^^ 



OUR LORD. 



221 



Testament sometimes for men, with no relation unto another 
than human dominion.* And as it was by the translators of 
the Old, so is it also by the penmen of the New.f But it is 
most certain that Christ is called Lord in another notion than 
that which signifies any kind of human dominion, because as 
so, there are many Lords," (1 Cor. viii. 5.) but he is in 
that notion Lord, (1 Cor. viii. 6. Eph. iv. 5.) which admits of 
no more than one. They are only " masters according to the 
flesh (Coloss. iii. 22.) he the Lord of glory, the Lord from 
heaven/' (1 Cor. ii. 8. xv. 47.) " King of kings, and Lord of all 
other lords." (Rev. xix. 16.) 

Nor is it difficult to find that name amongst the books of 
the Law in the most high and full signification ; for it is most 
frequently used as the name of the supreme God, sometimes 
for El or Eiohim, sometimes for Shaddai or the Rock, often 
for Adotiai, and most universally for Jehovah, the undoubted 
proper name of God, and that to which the Greek translators 
long before our Saviour's birth, had most appropriated the 
name of Lord, not only by way of explication, but distinction 
and particular expression. As when we read, " thou whose 
name alone is Jehovah, eirt the most high in all the earth." 
(Psal. Ixxxiii. 18.) and when God so expresseth himself, I 
appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the 



* As pnK is generally translated Jtugto?, 
when it signifieth lord or master in respect 
of a servant or inferior. So Sarah called 
her husband, Geu. xviii. 12. 1 Pet. iii. 6. 
so Eleazer his master Abraham, Gen. 
xxiv. frequently. Thus Rachel saluteth 
her father Laban, Gen. xxxi. 35. and 
Jacob his brother Esau, Gen. xxxiii. 8. 
Potiphar is the xufjo; of Joseph whom he 
bought, Gen. xxxix. 2, &c. and Joseph in 
power is so saluted by his brethren, Gen. 
xlii. 10. and acknowledged by his servant, 
Gen. xliv. 5. The general name in the 
law of Moses for servant and master is 
7r«r? and Kvpioi;, Exod. xxi. 2. 4. It is in- 
deed so plain that the ancient Jews used 
this word to signify no more than human 
power, that we find DlK the name of man 
so translated, as 1 Sam. xvii. 32. bS" 
Vby DTX y.ri c-vfj-ina-irai xafSi'a Toy 

HV^ioV fMOV £7r' *L<TOV. 

t For xuf to? is used with relation and in 
opposition to trailia-yiri, Acts xvi. 16. in the 
sense which ihe latter, not the ancient 
Greeks used it : iTajStVx*), toZto liri t^j 

vEavjS'of, as Phrynichus observes. As it is 
opposed to o;KeTt!;, Luke xvi. 13. (accord- 
ing to that of Etyrnnl. Ku^to? rZv 'TT^cq ti 

lo-TiV, Ep^E{ Si TT^OJ TOV OlXETflV.) tO SoSXOC, 

Matt. X. 24. xviii. 25, &c. And in the 
apostolical rules pertaining to Christian 
economics, the master and servant are 
Jo3\oc and nv^ioq. As also by way of ad- 



dition xu'fio? TOV Qi^ia-fxov, Matt. ix. 38. 
Jtvf 10? Tou a^7reX(Zvo?, Matt. xx. 8. nv^iot; Tnt; 
olxiaj, Mark xiii. 35. Insomuch as xu^ig is 
sometimes used by way of address or 
salutation of one man to another, (as it is 
now generally among the later Greeks, 
and as Dominus was anciently among the 
Latins. ' Quomodo obvios, sinomen non 
occurrat, Dominos salutamus.' Sen. epist. 
3.) not only of servants to masters, as 
Matt. xiii. 27. or sons to parents, as 
Matt. xxi. 30. or inferiors to men in au- 
thority, as Matt, xxvii. 63. but of stran- 
gers ; as when the Greeks spake to Philip, 
and desired him, saying, Kv^ie, biXo/xsv rov 
'lyxroZv iSstv, John xii. 21. and Mary Mag- 
dalene speaking unto Christ, but taking 
him for a gardener, Ku^ig, ai' a-v IZaa-raa-cK; 
auTov, John xx. 15. And it cannot be 
denied but this title was sometimes given 
to our Saviour himself, in no higher or 
other sense than this ; as when the Sa- 
maritan woman saw him alone at the well, 
and knew no more of him than that he 
appeared to be one of the Jews, she said, 
Kupie, avrXrifxa, ovK ip^E'f, ta' to <fip£<*p larl 
£aBv, John iv. 11. And the infirm man 
at the pool of Bethesda, when he wist 
not who it was, said unto him, Kvpie, av- 
Q^ftjTTov oux e;;^iw, John v. 7. The blind man, 
to whom he had restored his sight, with 
the same salutation maketh confession of 
hisignorance, and his faith, Tt? Ictti, Kupig ; 
and 'nria-TeCct), KypiE, John ix. 36. 38. 



222 



ARTICLE II. 



name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah, was I not 
known unto them.'' (Exod. vi. 3.) In both these places, for the 
name Jehovah the Greek translation, which the apostles fol- 
lowed, hath no other name but Lord; and therefore undoubtedly 
by that word which we translate the Lord* did they understand 



* I know it 19 the vulgar opinion, that 
Kvfioq properly answereth unto "nx, and 
the reason why it was also used for mn* 
is no other than because the Jews were 
wont to read Adonai in the place oi Je- 
hovah. Of which observation they make 
great use who deny the Divinity of Christ. 
* Quia enim Adonai -pro Jehovah in lectione 
Hebraeorum verborum substitui consuevit, 
ideo illiusetiam iaterpretatio huic accom- 
modatur,' says Crellius de Deo et Attrib. c. 
14. But first it is not probable that the 
LXX. should think xupio? to be the proper 
interpretation of "HN, and give it to Je- 
hovah only in the place of Adonai; for if 
they had, it would have followed, that 
where Adonai and Jehuvah had met to-- 
gether in one sentence, they would not 
have put another word for Adonai, to which 
Kv^ioi; was proper, and place xvpiog for 
Jehovah, to whom of itself (according to 
their observation) it did not belong. 
Whereas we read not only mn" "HN trans- 
lated JliTTroTtt Jtu^te, Gen. xv. 2. 8. and 

Isa. i. 24. but also i3-nx mn- y-v^tou rov Qbou 
hfJi-Zy, Nehem. x. 29. Secondly, the reason 
of this assertion is most uncertain. For 
though it be confessed that the Masoreths 
did read "Dix where they found mn", and 
Josephus before them expresses the sense 
of the Jews of his age, that the Tsxpaypaju- 
fxcLTov was not to be pronounced, and be- 
fore him Philo speaks as much ; yet it 
foUoweth not from thence, that the Jews 
were so superstitious above three hundred 
years before ; which must be proved be- 
fore we can be assured that the LXX. 
read Adonai for Jehovah, and for that rea- 
son translated it Kv^iog. Thirdly, as we 
know no reason why the Jews should so 
confound the names of God; so were it 
now very irrational in some places to read 
"^-in for mn* : As when God saith, Exod. 
vi. 3. " I appeared unto Abraham, unto 
Isaac, and unto Jacob," mn-'-au'T'Tir bxn 
anb "nyn^ nb though the Vulgar transla- 
tion renders it, In Deo omnipotente, et no~ 
men meum Adonai non indicavi eis, and 
thereby make an apparent sense no way 
congruous to the intended importance of 
the Holy Ghost (for it cannot be imagined 
either that God should not be known to 
Abraham by the name Adonai or that it 
were anv thing to the present intendment, 
which was to encourage Moses and tlie 
Israelites by the interpretation of the 



name Jehovah) ; yet we have no reason to 
believe that the LXX. made any such 
heterogeneous translation, which we read. 
xai TO ovofxa. fxov YLv^iOi ovK ilhX'jxra. avroig. 
Thus again, where God speaks unto 
Moses, OiiTceg s^sTg ro7i; vloTi; 'ic-^a^X, Kv^io?, 
6 ©so; tZv Trari^wv vfxuiv, aTrsa-raXas ^t£ ttjo; 
v^uag, TOVTO [xov etrriv ovofxa, alaivjcv, Exod. iii . 
15. whosoever thinks Kv^iog stands for 
Adonai, doth injury to the translators ; 
and whosoever readeth Adonai for Jehovah, 
puts a force upon the text. As also when 
the prophet David saith, " that men may 
know that thou whose name alone is Je- 
hovah, art the most high over all the 
earth." Ps. Ixxxiii. 18. I confess the an- 
cient fathers did, together with the Jews, 
read Adonai for Jehovah in the Hebrew 
text, as appeareth by those words of Epi- 
phaniusfie Fonderibiis,§. 6. 'AS^^vai, rjXip^^a, 
xap(S-(, \<Tfxar)\, h$0sTa., anoliX' which very 
corruptly represents part of the first verse 
of the 141st psalm, "b nunn iTixip mn- 
"bip n^ixn but plainly enough render mn" 
'A5a!va;. Notwithstanding it is very ob- 
servable, that they were wont to distin- 
guish Kv^iog, in the Greek translations 
where it stood for Jehovah, from Ku^iog 
where it stood for Adonai ; and that was 
done by adding in the margin the tetra- 
grammaton itself, mn" which by the igno- 
rance of the Greek scribes, who under- 
stood not the Hebrew characters, was con- 
verted into four Greek letters, and so made 
a word of no signification, mm. This is 
still extant in the copy of the text of 
Isaiah printed by Curterius with the Com- 
mentary of Procopius, and St. Jerome 
gives an account of it in the Greek copies 
of his age : 'Nomen rir^aypafxixeiTov , quod 
avs>i<pxvrircv, id est, ineflFabile, putaverunt, 
quod his Uteris scribitur, jnd * he n vau i 
he n, quod quidam non intelligentes, 
propter elementorum similitudinem, cum 
in Grajcis libris repererint, pipi legere 
consueverunt.' Epist. 156. Neither did 
the Greeks only place this mm in the 
margin of their translations, but when 
they described the Hebrew text in Greek 
characters they used the same mm for 
mn", and consequently did not read Ado- 
nai for Jehovah. An example of this is 
to be found in that excellent copy of the 
prophets according to the LXX. collated 
with the rest of the translators, in the 
library of the most eminent Cardinal Bar- 
berin ; where at the loth verse of the 2nd 



OUR LORD. 



223 



the proper name of God, Jehovah. And had they placed it 
there as the exposition of any other name of God, they had 
made an interpretation contrary to the manifest intention of the 
Spirit : for it cannot be denied but God was known to Abraham 
by the true importance of the title Adonai, as much as by the 
name of Shaddai ; as much by his dominion and sovereignty, 
as by his power and all-sufficiency : but by any experimental 
and personal sense of the fulfilling of his promises his name 
Jehovah was not known unto him: for though God spake ex- 
pressly unto Abraham, All the land which thou seest, to thee 
will I give it, and to thy seed for ever," (Gen. xiii. 15. xxvi. 3.) 
yet the history teacheth us, and St. Stephen confirmeth us, 
that *'he gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to 
set his foot on, though he promised that he would give it to 
him for a possession." (Acts vii. 5.) Wherefore Vv'hen God 
saith he was not known to Abraham by his name Jehovah, the 
interpretation of no other name can make good that expression : 
and therefore we have reason to believe the word which the first 
Greek translators, and after them the apostles, used, may be 
appropriated to that notion which the original requires ; as 
indeed it may, being derived from a verb of the same significa- 
tion with the Hebrew root,* and so denoting the essence or 



chapter of Malacbi these words are writ- 
ten after the translatiou of Aquila, Sym- 
machus, and Theodotion, out of the He- 
brew text, after the manner of Origen's 
Hexapla, of which there is an excellent 
example in that MS. Ov^^caQ, a-miQ, Sscroy, 

XiO'^OvQ, hfXCt, sQfXa^Q^W, (1. ^IIX) TriTFl, 

B^X^' ovetvaKd, fj^tjm, wJ, <pm(tiQ, sX, afxfxcf^J., 
ou'Ka.Ksd, ^aKctiv, ixii^mx^fx,, which are a very 
proper expression of these following He- 
brew words, according to the punctuation 
and reading of that age, w^n n-Dli' DNTT 

npDNT -an mn- nntnTix hj/dt moD 

By which it is evident that Origen in his 
Hexapla, from whence undoubtedly that 
ancient scholiast took his various trans- 
lations, did not read 'AS'cDvat in that place; 
but kept the Hebrew characters, which 
they who understood them not, formed 
into those Greek letters Trtwt. And cer- 
tainly the preserving of the name Jehovah 
in the Greek translations was very an- 
cient, for it was described in some of 
them with the ancient characters, as St. 
Jerome testifieth : ' Et nomen Domini 
Tetragrammaton in quibusdam Graecis vo- 
luminibus usque hodie antiquis expressum 
Uteris invenimus.' Ep. 106. Being then 
we cannot be assured that the LXX. read 
^aiK for mn'' being they have used Kv^iog 
fox Jehovah, when they have made use of 
the general word ©eo; for Adonai ; being 
in some places Adonai cannot be read for 
Jehovah, without manifest violence offered 



to the text : it followeth, that it is no way 
probable that Ku^toj should therefore be 
used for Jehovah, because it was taken for 
the proper signification of Adonai. 

* It is acknowledged by all that mn" is 
from mn or n-n, and God's own interpre- 
tation proves no less n-nx lU'X n-nx Exod. 
iii. 14. And though some contend that 
futurition is essential to the name, yet all 
agree the root signifieth nothing but es- 
sence or existence, that is, to eivaj, or 
Inas'^uv. Now as from n-n in the Hebrew 
mn", so in the Greek a.7ro tcZ Kupnv Kupioj. 
And what the proper signification of nv^siv 
is, no man can teach us better than Hesy- 
chius, in whom we read Kt;p£j, vTri^xsi, 
Tvyx^vBt, Kv^oo prima longa, nv^w prima 
brevi. Sophocl. (Edip. Colon, v. 1158. 

n«p' do 

@6u)v Exypov 

Schol. ©vm Bnv^ov, avrl tov, lnvfovv, rainrov 
TM zTvyxf-vov. Hence was xi;po» by the 
Attics used for eVtw sit ; so I take it from 
the words of the scholiast upon Sophocles : 
TO nv^Z HB^iairMfxi^ooq i^ncrh h crvmQiia koI 
'Attjxo;, Iv 51 ivKTiitO{(; Bapvvoucriv avTo 'At- 
Tixoi /xBra \inaaBct}q roZ v, Kvpoi Xej/ovte?, avTi 
rov. Kvpoln. Not that they used it by an 
apocope, taking n trom nu^oin, but that 
Kv^oi was taken in the sense of xvpoiri or 
xv^oTto, from Kv^ca, vira^xj^, kv^oi, s'in or 
v7ra.^X°^> scholiast upon those words 

of Sophocles, Electr. v. 849. Asi'Kaia Jsi- 
Xataiv xt;p£~j' Kv^e"?, nyouv, lira^'XZK;. Neither 
know 1 better how to render xu^eT? than 



224 



ARTICLE TI. 



existence of God, and whatsoever else may be deduced from 
thence, as revealed by him to be signified thereby. 



by vna^xj^ii; in the place of ^schylus's 
Prometheus, v. 330. 

ZnXS «r' 00' oilvsJt' Ix-Toj aWlag Kv^sXg, 
TlavTcov fJiBraa^xv xa] TBTO'KfA.wibg l[XoL 
As the Arundelian scholiast upon the 
Septem Thebanay xvpeT, vira^'xii, and in the 
same tragedy, iir aa-jriloi xw^eTv, is rendered 
by the more ancient scholiast, eTvai liii t?5? 
aa-Ttihg- as in the Persce, cscrcDC-fxBvoi; kv^bi, 
is by the same interpreter explained ku^bi 
itai vvap)(^Bi a-BTcca-fABvoq, So the same poet 
in his Agamemnc-a, v. 1371. 

Tavrnv bttaivbTv TravroSsv 7rKnBuvofA.ai, 
Tpavcu? 'ATgEi'S«v Hi Jevai y.v^ovv^' ottooi;. 
Which the scholiast renders thus : ^Emi- 
vovfxa.1 Jia<})Ofa)? ravrnv ■yVMfxvv, to fxaBsTv Iv 
ol'a ear] naTaa-TatrBi 6 SacriXiyf. And no 
other sense can be imagined of that verse 
in Sophocles, (Edip. Tyr. v. 362. 

than by rendering it, eTvai or v7ra§x,^iv : 
and (Edip. Col. v. 726. 

Kcu ya,^ il yi^oav kv^Z, 

To Trjq^B p^^^faf ov yByv^aKE o-flsvoff' 
and Philoctet. v. 899. 

'aXX' IvQaS"' Jji'jj Tov^B rov itk^ovq KvfZ' 
or of that in Euripides's Phaenissce,Y. 1067. 

'Slh, Tig Iv '7ruXtti5"t ^oufxarcav kv^bT ; 
This original interpretation appeareth 
farther in the frequent use of nu^ica for 
Tvyx^avcD, as it signifieth no more than sum : 
as in Sophocles, bvQvvoov xupE~? for svQvvsii;, 
fxia-oiv xvgj?? for iiriina^oov Kv^a> for 

eTTBDia^a}, wv KV^B^g for sT?, l^siSi? ku^Z for 
g^oiSa, KvpZ \bvc-joov for XBuJcrce, SpSv xyfEr? 
for ^jTraTJiiCcEVof xygi for riiraTnfA.ai, 

Eipjixif XL/gETfor Er^fixEV, siTriv xypsT? for B7<7rsg, 
inv^Bi ^aia-a for e(n : and in Euripides, lx(yv 
xupEr for Ip^Ei, Bla-^ci'mviTcL xuf e~ for BlcrBahsi, 
»j5iX»jMEV>j xyp!? for aSjK>5Taj, or aJtXJiSr?, as 

the scholiast. From all which it undeni- 
ably appeareth, that the ancient signifi- 
cation of Kv^co or nv^Z is the same with 
BifM, or I'rra.^x'"' ^"'"» '^"^ (which is much 
confirmed by that it was anciently ob- 
served to be a verb transitive, as it was used 
by the forementioned author : kv^Z av^v- 
y'lag Tf^'JiTng tZv TiB^ia-'TToofA.Bvuiv, to TrB^nvy- 
Xk'iCt}- avTt Se toS v'nk^'Xjti nara rovgr^aytKovg 
afxBTaBctrov. So an ancient Lexicon) ; 
and therefore xupjoj immediately derived 
from thence must be o Zv, or 6 vTri^^cov : 
and consequently the proper interpretation 
of mn'' descending from the root mn of the 
same signification. And well may we 
conceive the LXX. for this reason to have 
so translated it, because we find the ori- 
gination delivered by them in that notion , 
rendering n-nx o *X2v, Exod. iii. I t. lyZ 
slfjil Q *£lv, and again, o *£iv aitic-TaKn'i 



fxt TTgof ujuSf. From whence considering 
the name mn- proceeding from that root, 
and giving relation to that sense, they 
made use of the word xi^pioj for the stand- 
ing interpretation of that name, as being 
equivalent to o "nv. We have no reason 
then to conceive either that they so trans- 
lated it out of the superstition of the Jews 
(as some would persuade us, whom we 
have already refuted) or because they had 
no letters in the Greek language by which 
they could express the Hebrew name, 
whereas we find it often expressed even 
among the Gentile Greeks, but because 
they thought the Greek xu^io? to be a pro- 
per interpretation, as being reducible to 
the same signification. For even they 
which are pretended to have read Adonai 
for Jehovah, as Origen, &cc. do acknow- 
ledge that the heathens and the ancient 
heretics descending from the Jews had a 
name by which they did express the He- 
brew Jehovah. We know that oracle pre- 
served by Macrobius, Saturnal. lib. i. c. 18. 
<I>pa^eo Tov irkvTcny uTTttTov Qbov Bf^l/XSV 'law. 

And Diodorus hath taught us from whence 
that name first came, mentioning Moses 
in this manner, 1. i. c. 94. iTapa Se to~c 
'loyStti'oi? Moos-hv tov 'laZ BTriKa'KovfxBvoy 9eev. 
And Theodoret more expressly, Quast. 
15. in Exod. KaXcuJ-t S"£ avro la/xa^BXTcti 
fXBv 'laQs, %v^aioi S"! 'laZ. Porphyrins, 1. 
iv. cont. Christian, tells us, Sanchoniathoa 
had his relations of the Jews, ^rapa 'lEpo^u- 
QaXov TOV le^Boog Seou tov 'Ismm. Eusebius 
(as we formerly mentioned) said, 'iooc-ovb 
Eirriv, 'law e-wrn^ia. Hesychius, 'icya&a/u, 
'lai cryvTEXEja, taking \Z in composition for 
the contraction of 'law. As 'iwaj i^fxn- 
vsvBrai, v^ia-rov ttovovvto;. And the LXX. 
Jer. xxiii. 6. have rendered npi'^i mn* 
'liwc-s^Ex, id est, Dominus Justus, saith St. 
Jerome. And as the heathens and the 
first Christians, so the heretics had among 
them the pronunciation and expression 
of the name mn". As the Valentinian 
was baptized Iv tw ovofxan roZ 'laZ. Iren. 
1. i. c. 21. §. 3. and the Ophiani had their 
several gods, among the rest: 'Atto^ev 
[xayBiag tov 'laXSa^ctiS xai tov ' ACTac^aXov , 
Koi TOV 'i2ga~ov anro tS;v 'ESpoi'xiv y^a<^Zv 
TOV IctZ, la. ■nraf 'E^^aioig ovO|aa^o^EVov. Orig, 
cmt. Cels. I. vi. §. 32. So I read it, not 
as it is in the edition of Hoeschelius, 
'laocia in one word, or 'letoia, as our learned 
countryman Nicolaus FuUerus hath en- 
deavoured in vain to rectify it; but laZ la, 
that is, the Ophiani took the name 'law 
from the Jews, among whom it signifies the 
same who is called lah. For that it ought 
so to be read, appeareth by the former 



OUR LORD. 



225 



Bein^y tlien this title Lord thus signifieth the proper name 
of God Jehovah, being the same is certainly attributed unto 
Christ in a notion far surpassing all other lords, which are rather 
to be looked upon as servants unto him : it will be worthy our 
inquiry next, whether as it is the translation of the name Jehovah 
it belong to Christ ; or whether though he be Lord of all other 
lords, as subjected under his authority, yet he be so inferior 
unto him whose name alone is Jehovah, as that in that propriety 
and eminency in which it belongs unto the supreme God it may 
not be attributed unto Christ. 

This doubt will easily be satisfied, if we can shew the name 
Jehovah itself to be given unto our Saviour; it being against 
all reason to acknowledge the original name, and to deny the 
interpretation in the sense and full importance of that original. 
Wherefore if Christ be the Jehovah, as so called by the Spirit 
of God ; then is he so the Lord, in the same propriety and emi- 
nency in which Jehovah is. Now whatsoever did belong to the 
Messias, that may and must be attributed unto Jesus, as being 
the true and only Christ. But the Jews themselves acknow- 
ledge that Jehovah shall be known clearly in the days of the 
Messias, and not only so, but that it is the name which properly 
belongeth to him.* And if they cannot but confess so much 
who only read the prophecies, as the eunuch did. without an 
interpreter ; how can we be ignorant of so plain and necessary 
a truth, whose eyes have seen the full completion, and read the 
infallible interpretation of them? If they could see " Jehovah 
the Lord of hosts" to be the name of the Messias, who was to 
them for a stone of stumbling and rock of offence," (Isa. viii. 
13, 14.) how can we possibly be ignorant of it, who are taught 
by St. Paul, that in Chjist this prophecy was fulfilled, "As it 
is written. Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling-stone, and rock of 
offence, and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." 
(Rom. ix. 33.) It was no other than Jehovah who spake these 
words, *^ I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will 
save them by the Lord (Jehovah) their God, and will not save 
them by bow nor sword." (Hos. i. 7.)t Where not only he 
who is described as the original and principal cause, that is, 
the Father who gave his Son, but also he who is the immediate 
efficient of our salvation, and that in oppositian to all other 
means or instrumental causes, is called Jehovah; who can 
be no other than our Jesus, because *' there is no other name 

words of Origeni Ohvrai tov ^liXBovtu rlv did iu all ages express the Hebrew name, 

'laXSa€a(w9 nal <^Baa-avra bttI rov'la. ^iiv XsyBiv, it can be no way probable ttiat the LXX. 

Ss xguTTTOjUEvaDv fA.vcrTr]^ioov vlou Kal TrctrsoQ should avoid it as inexpressible in th-fir 

agp^oov vuxTo<f>av^? JeuTSgs 'l£t<B. Ihid- § 31. language. 

In the printed copy indeed it is laS'sTv, and * As Midrasch Tillim on Psal. xxi. 
in the Latin ladin, but without sense : Echa Rabati Lam. i. 6. 
whereas dividing the words, the sense is t Where it is farther observable that 
manifest, and the reason of the former the Chaldee paraphrase hath -n N-)D*r2^ 
emendation apparent. Being then there for mn-n by the word of Jehovah, for he- 
wers so many among the Greeks, which hovah. 



226 



ARTICLE II. 



under heaven given imto men whereby we must be saved." 
(Acts iv. 12.) As in another place he speaketh, 1 will 
strengthen them in the Lord {Jehovah), and they shall walk up 
and down in his name saith the Lord (Jehovah) ^ (Zech. x. 
12.) where he which strengtheneth is one, and he by whom he 
strengtheneth is another, clearly distinguished from him by the 
personal pronoun, and yet each of them is Jehovah, and *' Jeho- 
vah our God is one Jehovah." (Deut. vi. 4.) Whatsoever ob- 
jections'^ may be framed against us, we know Christ is the 



* Two adversaries we have to the ex- 
position of this place, the Jew and the 
Socinian ; only with this diflference, that 
we find the less opposition from the Jew, 
from whom, indeed, we have so ample a 
concession as will destroy the other's 
contradiction. First, Socinus answers, 
the name belongeth not to Christ, but 
unto Israel: and that it so appears by 
a parallel place in the same prophet, 
Jer. xxxiii. 15, 16. Socin. refut. Jac. 
Wieki, cap. 6. Catech. Racov. de Pers. 
Christi, c. 1. Crellius de Deo et Attrib. 1. i. 
c. 11. To this we first oppose the con- 
stant interpretation of the Jews, who 
attribute the name Jehovah to the Mes- 
sias from this one particular text. As in 
the Sepher Ikkarim. 1. ii. c. 8. nin3n Klp^l 
VpT:£ n''U'?3n Qiy The So-ipture call- 
eth the name of the Messias " Jehovah our 
righteousness." And in Misdrasch Tillim 
on Psal. xxi. inttT ^DU^n n'Trrin -]bi2b Niipi 
iTsu' mn- nanba h/'K mn" "^ir mn" mu' 

13pn!^ God calleth the Messias by his ouui 
name, and Jiis name is Jehovah ; as it is 
said (Exod. xv. 3-) " The Lord is a man 
of war, Jehovah is his name." And it is 
written of the Messias, (Jer. xxiii. 6.) 
'" And this is the name which they shall 
call him, Jehovah our righteousness." 
Thus Echa Rabati, Lam. i. 6. V3li' 
•ni'K nn "w idw mn' kuk "in mii-D bii; 

Vpi): mn" IX p" What is the name of the 
Messias? R. Abba said, Jehovah is his 
name ; as it is said (Jer. xxiii. 6.) " And 
this is the name which they shall call 
him, Jehovah our righteousness." The 
same he reports of Rabbi Levi. The 
Rabbins then, though enemies to the 
truth which we deduce from thence, 
constrained by the literal importance of 
the text, did acknowledge that the name 
Jehovah did belong to the Messias. And 
as for the collection of the contrary from 
the parallel place pretended, there is not 
so great a similitude as to enforce the 
same interpretation. For whereas in 
Jerem. xxiii. 6. it is expressly said, nn 
this is the name, in the xxxiii. 16. it 
is only nn without any mention of a 
name j and surely that place cannot prove 



Jehovah to be the name of Israel, which 
speaks not one word of the name of Je- 
rusalem : for where we read in Crellius, 
' hoc scilicet nomen est,' all but hoc is not 
in Scripture, but the gloss of Crellius, and 
hoc itself cannot be warranted for the in- 
terpretation of m nor quo for iTVii ; the 
simplest interpretation of those words 
nb Kip" nn being, iste qui vocahii earn, 
he which calleth Jerusalem, is the Lord 
our righteousness, that is, Christ. And 
thus the first answer of Socinus is in- 
valid : which he easily foreseeing, hath 
joined with the Jewish Rabbins in the 
second answer, admitting that " Jehovah 
our righteousness" is the name of the 
Messias, but withal denying that Christ 
is that Jehovah. To which purpose they 
assert these words, " Jehovah our righte- 
ousness," to be delivered by way of pro- 
position, not of apposition ; and this they 
endeavour to prove by such places of 
Scripture as seem to infer as much. As 
Moses built an altar, and called the name 
of it "Jehovah Nissi," Exod. xvii. 15. 
Gideon built an altar unto the Lord, and 
called it " Jehovah Shalom," Judg. vi. 
24. And the name of the city in the last 
words of Ezekiel is "Jehovah Sham- 
mah." In all which places it is most cer- 
tain, that the Jehovah is not predicated 
of that of whose name it is a part ; but is 
the subject of a proposition, given byway 
of nomination, whose verb substantive or 
copula is understood. But from thence 
to conclude, that " the Lord our righte- 
ousness" can be no otherwise understood 
of Christ than as a proposition, and that 
we by calling him so, according to the 
prophet's prediction, can understand no 
more thereby, than that God the Father 
of Christ doth justify us, is most irrational. 
For first, It is therefore necessary to in- 
terpret those names by way of a proposi- 
tion of themselves, because JeJiovah can- 
not be the predicate of that which is 
named ; it being most apparent, that an 
altar or a city built cannot be God : and 
whatsoever is not Jehovah without addi- 
tion, cannot be Jehovah with addition. 
But there is no incongruity in attributing 
of that name to Christ, to whom we have 



OUR LORD. 



227 



" righteous branch raised unto David, the King that shall reign 
and prosper, in whose days Judah shall be saved, and Israel 
shall dwell safely ;" (Jer. xxiii. 5, 6.) we are assured that " this 
is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our righte- 
ousness (Ibid.) " the Lord," that is, Jehovah, the expression 
of his supremacy ; and the addition of " our righteousness" can 
be no diminution to his majesty. If those words in the pro- 
phet, " Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Sion ; for lo, I come, 
and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord {Jehovah),"' 
(Zech. ii. 10.) did not sufficiently of themselves denote our 
Saviour who dwelt amongst us, as they certainly do ; yet the 
words which follow would evince as much ; And many na- 
tions shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my 
people; and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt 
know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee (Ibid. 1 1 .) 
for what other Lord can we conceive dwelling in the midst of 
us, and sent unto us by the Lord of hosts, but Christ ? 

And as the original Jehovah was spoken of Christ by the 
holy prophets ; so the title of Lord, as the usual interpretation 
of that name, was attributed unto him by the apostles. In that 
signal prediction of the first age of the Gospel, God promised 
by Joel, that " whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord 
(Jehovah) shall be delivered (Joel ii. 32.) and St. Paul hath 
assured us that Christ is that Lord, by proving from thence, 
that whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed and 
inferring from that, " if we confess with our mouth the Lord 
Jesus, we shall be saved (Rom. x. 9. 1 1 .) For if it be a cer- 
tain truth, that whosoever " confesseth the Lord Jesus shall be 



already proved it actually given : and our 
adversaries who teach that the name Je- 
hovah is sometimes given to the angels 
representing God, must acknowledge that 
it may be given unto Christ, whom they 
confess to be above all angels, and far 
more fully and exactly to represent the 
Father. Secondly, That which is the 
addition iu those names cannot be truly 
predicated of that thing which bears the 
uarae. Moses could not say that altar 
was his exaltation, nor Gideon that it 
was his peace. And if it could not so be 
predicated by itself, it could neither be 
by apposition, and, consequently, even in 
this respect, it was necessary to make 
the name a proposition. But our righte- 
ousness may undoubtedly be predicated 
of him, who is here called by the name of 
"the Lord our righteousness:" for the 
apostle hath expressly taught us, that he 
" is made unto us righteousness," 1 Cor. 
i. 30. And if it may be in itself, there 
can be no repugnancy in its predication 
by way of apposition. Thirdly, That ad- 
dition of our righteousness doth not only 



truly belong to Christ, but in some man- 
ner properly and peculiarly so, as in that 
notion it can belong to no other person 
called Jehovah, but to that Christ alone. 
For he alone ** is the end of the law for 
righteousness to every one that believ- 
eth," Rom. X. 4. And when he is said 
to be " made unto us righteousness," 
1 Cor. i. 30. he is thereby distinguished 
from God the Father. Being then Christ 
is thus peculiarly called our righteousness 
in the Gospel, being the place of the pro- 
phet forementioned speaketh of this as a 
name to be used under the Gospel, being 
no other person called Jehovah is ever 
expressly called our righteousness in the 
Gospel ; it followeth, not only that Christ 
may be so called, but that the prophecy 
cannot otherwise be fulfilled, than by 
acknowledging that Christ is " the Lord 
our righteousness :" and, consequently, 
that is his name, not by way of proposi- 
tion, but of apposition and appropriation ; 
so that being both Jehovah a.nd our righte- 
ousness, he is as truly Jehovah as our 
righteousness. 

2 



228 



ARTICLE II. 



saved and the certainty of this truth depend upon that 
foundation, that "whosoever believeth on him shall not be 
ashamed;" and the certainty of that in relation to CAm^ depend 
upon that other promise, " Whosoever shall call on the name 
of the Lord shall be saved (Ibid. 13.) then must the Lord in 
the thirteenth verse of the tenth chapter to the Romans be the 
same with the Lord Jesus in the ninth verse ; or else St. Paul's 
argument must be invalid and fallacious, as containing that in 
the conclusion which was not comprehended in the premises. 
But the Lord in the ninth verse is no other tlmn Jehovah, as 
appeareth by the prophet Joel from whom that scripture is 
taken. Therefore our Saviour in the New Testament is called 
Lord, as that name or title is the interpretation of Jehovah. 

If we consider the office of John the Baptist peculiar unto 
him, we know it was '* he of whom it is written (in the pro- 
phet Malachi, iii. I.) I will send my messenger, and he shall 
prepare the way before me :" (Matt. xi. 10.) we are sure he 
which spake those words was ( Jehovah J " the Lord of hosts 
and we are sure that Christ is that Lord before whose face 
John the Baptist prepared the way. " The voice of him that 
crieth in the wilderness, (saith Isaiah, xl. 3.) Prepare ye the 
way of the Lord ( Jehovah) and '* this is he that was spoken 
of by the prophet Isaiah," saith St. Matthew (iii. 3.) this is he 
of whom his father Zechariah did divinely presage, Thou, 
child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou 
shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his vvay." 
(Luke i. 76.) Where Christ is certainly the Lord, and the 
Lord undeniably Jehovah.^ 



"* I say therefore undeniabJii, because 
it is not only the undoubted translation 
of the name mn* in the prophet (which 
of itself were sufficient) ; but also is de- 
livered in that manner which is (though 
unreasonably) required to signif}'- the 
proper name of God, Tr^oTTo^sva-n ya^ Trpo 
TTfioa-cioTrov Ki/piou, not tov Ky^i'oy, that is, 
without, not with, an article. For now 
our Saviour's Deity must be tried by a 
kmd of school divinity, and the most fun- 
damental doctrine, maintained as such 
ever since the apostles' times by the 
whole Catholic Church, must be examined, 
censured, and condemned, by o, to. 
Socinus Erst makes use of this observa- 
tion against Wiekus ; and after him Crel- 
lius hath laid it as a grave and serious 
foundation, and spread it out into its se- 
veral corners, to uphold the fabric of his 
superstructions. First : ' Vox Jehovah 
magis quam caetera Dei nomina proprio- 
rum naturam sequitur; ideo etiam Greeca 
Ku^iof, cum pro ilia ponitur, propriorum 
indolem, qua licet, semulatur.' Lib. de 
Deo, c. Secondly: * Propnis numi- 

nibus articulus libentius subtrahitur, licet 



eum etiam sfepe concinnitatis potius quam 
necessitatis causa admittant. Idem fit 
in voce KiJpjo? cum pro Jehovah ponitur.' 
Ihid. Thirdly : ' Htec est causa cur in 
Novo Testamento, maxime apud Lucam 
et Paulum, vox Kyctoj, cum Deum sum- 
mum designat, articulo libentius careat ; 
at cum de Christo subjective usurpatur, 
raro articulus omittitur.' Ibid. What 
strange uncertainties are these, to build 
the denial of so important an article as 
Christ's Divinity upon 1 He does not say 
absolutely Jehovah is the proper name of 
God, but only that it doth more follow 
the nature of proper names than the other 
names of God. And indeed it is certain 
that sometimes it hath the nature of an 
appellative, as Deut. vi. 4. irnbN mn* 
Tni< mn* " the Lord our God is one Lord 
and yet if it be not always and absolutely 
a proper name, though all the rest were 
granted to be true, the argument must be 
of no validity. Again, he cannot say an 
article is never affixed to a proper name, 
but only that libentius subtrahitur, it is 
rather omitted than affixed : which yet is 
far from a certain or a true rule, espe- 



OUR LORD. 



229 



Nor is this the only notation of the name or title Lord taken 
in a sense divine, above the expression of all mere human 
power and dominion ; for as it is often used as the interpreta- 
tion of the name Jehovah, so it is also for that of Adon or 
Adonai. " The Lord said unto my Lord/' saith David (Psal. 
ex. 1.) that is, in the original, JeAova/t unto Adon; and that 
Adon is the Word,^ that Lord is Christ. We know the Tem- 
ple at Jerusalem was the Temple of the most high God, and 
the Lord of that Temple in the emphasis of an Hebrew article 



cially in the language of the New Testa- 
ment. For no man can deny Jesus to be 
the proper name of Christ, given him ac- 
cording to the law at his circumcision, 
Ka\ iii\hBri TO hofxa. avrov \na-ov<;, Luke 

11. 21. and yet whosoever shall read the 
Gospel of St. Matthew, will find it ten 
times 0 'Ijjct-oSj with an article, for once 
\r,a-ovq without it. And in the Acts of the 
Apostles, written in a more Attic style, 
St. Paul is oftener styled o iTaSXo? than 
simplj riaSxo?. So Balaam, Gallio, &c. 
Some persons we find in the New Testa- 
ment, whom, if we should stay till we 
found them without an article, we should 
never call by their names at all; as 
Apelles, Balak, &c. Thirdly, o Ku^jo? is 
so often used for that God who is the 
Father with an article, and Ku^toj for the 
Son without an article, (for the Father, 
Matt. i. 22. ii. 15. v. 33. xxii. 44-. Mark 
xii. 36. Luke i. 6. 9. 15. 25. 46. ii. 15. 
22, 23. X. 2. Acts ii. 25. 34. iii. 19. 
xvii. 27. Rom. xv. 11. 1 Cor. x. 26. xvi. 
7. 2 Cor. V. 11. Eph. v. 17. 19. Col. iii. 

16. 20. 23. 2 Thcss. iii. 3. 2 Tim. i. 16. 
Heb. viii. 2. 11. xii. 14. Jam. iv. 10. 15. 
1 Pet. ii. 3. For the Son, Matt. iii. 3. 
xxii. 43. 45. Mark i. 3. Luke i. 76. ii. 11. 
iii. 4. XX. 44. John i. 23. Acts ii. 36. 
X. 36. xi. 16. 21. XV. 11. Rom. i. 7. x. 9. 

12. xiv. 6. 8. 14. xvi. 2. 8. 11—13. 22. 

1 Cor. i. 3. iv. 17. vii. 22. 25. 39. ix. 1, 
2. X. 21. xi. 11. xii. 3 xiv. 37. xv. 58. 
xvi. 10. 19. 2 Cor. i. 2. ii. 12. iv. 5. x. 

17. xi. 17. xii. 1, Gal. i. 3. v. 10. Eph. i. 
2. ii. 21. iv. 1. 5. 17. v. 8. vi. 1. 4. 10. 
21. 23. Phil. i. 2. 14. ii. 11. 19. 24. 29. 

iii. 1. 20. iv. 1, 2. 10. Col. i. 2. iii. 17, 

18. 24. iv. 7. 17. 1 Thess. i. 1. iii. 8. 

iv, 1. 15. 17. V. 2. 12. 2 Thess. i. 1, 2. 
ii. 13. iii. 4. 1 Tim. i. 1. 2 Tim. ii. 24. 
Tit. i. 4. Philem. 3. 16. 20. Jam. i. 1. 

2 Pet. iii. 8. 10. 2 John 3. Jude 14. 
Rev. xiv. 13. xix. 16.) I say, they are 
thus so often used, that though they equal 
not the number of their contrary accep- 
tations, yet they come so near, as to yield 
no ground for any such observation, as 
if the Holy Ghost intended any such ar- 
ticle distinction. Nay, it is most evident 
that the sacred penmen intended no such 



distinction, because in the same place 
speaking of the same person, they usually 
observe the indifferency of adding or 
omitting the article. As Jam. v. 11. Tr,v 
vTTOfxovhv huovs-aTZ, nai to tsXoj Kupiou 
el'JeTE, oTi TToXvo-JT'Ka.y^ioq Iittiv o Kvpiog jtai 
olnri^fAOOv. 2 Tim. 1. 18. AaJn a-lirx o Ku- 
f4o? ev^£"v £X£3? Trapi Ku^iov Iv |jt£l'v>] TjJ hfA.S^a. 
1 Cor. vii. 17. "Ena^rov ax; >t£xX»xev o Ku- 
p(Of, ovTct) TTEgtTraTEiTiw. ver. 22. 'O ya.^ Iv 
Kv^Im JtXnQsjj SoSXoj, a.Tre'ksv&spog Viv^iou lari. 
See Rom. xiv. 6 — 8. Wherefore being 
Jehovah is not affirmed absolutely to be a 
proper name ; being if it were, yet it ap- 
pears that it is not the custom of the New 
Testament to use every proper name of- 
tener without an article than with one ; 
being 6 Kupjoj is so often taken for him 
whom they acknowledge God, and Kujioj 
for him whom they cannot deny to be the 
Christ : it followeth that Christ, acknow- 
ledged to be the Lord, cannot by any 
virtue of an article be denied to be the 
true Jehovah. We must not then think to 
decide this controversy by the articles, of 
which the sacred penmen were not cu- 
rious, and the transcribers have been very 
careless : nor is there so great uncertainty 
of the ancient MSS. in any thing as in the 
words and articles of Kv^ioi; and ©eo'?. 
The Vulgar edition, Rev. i. 8. hath \Eyei 
0 Kvpioi only, the Complutensis xlyst Kygtoc 
0 ©so?, Plantine, Xsyu o Kug io? o ©so?, against 
the Socinian rule, w^ho will have an ac- 
cession by 0 to ©£o?, and a diminution by 
0 from Kv^ioi. As Rev. iv. 11. "A^toj s?", 
avpie, Ka^iTv TW 5o^av' in other INTSS. 'A^to? 
bJ, 0 Kvpiog ncti 6 ©£of iifXMV o ayiog, Xa^sXv 
Tt-jV So'^av. 1 Cor. xi. 27. to Trornpiov rov Ku- 
pou ava^ioji;' others with an addition, to 
TTOTwpjov rov Kv^iov ava^ioj? tov Viv^iov. 1 Cor. 
xiv. 37. the Vulgar edition, oti too Ky^i'ou 
eiViv EVToXat, the Complutensis, on K.upioy. 
So where we usually read X^iarog, divers 
ancient MSS. have Ktlgtoj. Lastly, it is 
observable that even in these words of 
the Creed, which we now expound, Kuftof 
is spoken expressly of Christ without an 
article, for so we read it : Kat bU 'ira-oZv 
XficTTov, TOV ulov avrou tov f^ovoyevn, Kyptov 
hfxS>v. 

* Chaldee paraphrase. 



230 



ARTICLE II. 



was Christ, as appeareth by that prophet, The Lord* whom 
ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger 
of the covenant, whom ye delight in." (Mai. iii. 1.) 

Now this notation, as it is the interpretation of Adon, sig- 
nifieth immediately and properly dojnbiion implying a right of 
possession, and power of disposing. Which doth not only 
agree with that other notion of Jehovah, but presupposes it, 
as following and flowing from it. For he who alone hath a 
being or existence of himself, and thereby is the fountain of 
all things beside himself, must be acknowledged to have full 
power and dominion over all : because every thing must ne- 
cessarily belong to him from whom it hath received wdiat it is. 
Wherefore being Christ is the Lord, as that title is taken for 
Jehovah, the name of God, expressing the necessary existence 
and independence of his single being, and consequently the 
dependency of all others upon him; it foUoweth, that he be 
acknowledged also the Lord, as that name expresseth Adon, 
signifying power authoritative and proper dominion. Thus 
having explained the notation of the word Lord, which we 
propounded as the first part of our exposition; we come next 
to the second, which is, to declare the nature of this dominion, 
and to shew how and in what respect Christ is the Lord. 

Now^ for the full and exact understanding of the dominion 
seated or invested in Christ as the Lord, it will be necessary 
to distinguish it according to that diversity which the Scrip- 
tures represent unto us. As therefore we have observed two 
natures united in his person, so must we also consider two 
kinds of dominion belonging respectively to those natures; 
one inherent in his Divinity, the other bestowed upon his hu- 
manity; one, as he is the Lord the Maker of all things, the 
other as he is made Lord of all things. 

For the first, we are assured that ^' the Word was God/' 
(John i. 1.) that by the same Word ''all things were made, and 
without him was not any thing made that was made ;" (Ibid. 3.) 
we must acknowledge that w^hosoever is the Creator of all 
things must have a direct dominion over all, as belonging to 
the possession of the Creator, who made all things. Therefore 
the Word, that is, Christ as God, hath the supreme and uni- 
versal dominion of the World. Which was well expressed by 
that famous confession of no longer doubting, but believing 
Thomas, " my Lord and my God." (John xx. 28.) 

For the second, it is also certain that there was some kind 
of lordship given or bestowed on Christ, whose very unction 
proves no less than an imparted dominion; as St. Peter tells 
us, that he was made both Lord and Christ." (Acts ii. 36.) 
What David spake of man (Psal. viii. 5, 6.) the Apostle hath 
applied peculiarly unto him, " Thou crownedst him with glory 
and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands ■ 



OUR LORD. 



231 



Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet." (Heb. 
ii. 7, 8.) 

]Vow a dominion thus imparted, given, derived, or bestowed, 
cannot be that which belongeth unto God as God, founded in 
the divine nature, because whatsoever is such is absolute and 
independent. Wherefore, this lordship thus imparted or ac- 
quired appertaineth to the human nature, and belongeth to 
our Saviour as the Son of man. The right of judicature is 
part of this power ; and Christ himself hath told us, that the 
Father ^' hath given him authority to execute judgment, be- 
cause he is the Son of man (John v. 27.) and by virtue of 
this delegated authority, the Son of man shall come in the 
glory of his Father with his angels, and reward every man 
according to his works." (Matt. xvi. 27.) Part of the same 
dominion is the power of forgiving sins ; as pardoning, no less 
than punishing, is a branch of the supreme magistracy : and 
Christ did therefore say to the sick of the palsy, *' Thy sins be 
forgiven thee, that we might know tliat the Son of man had 
power on earth to forgive sins." (Matt.ix. 2. 6.) Another branch 
of that power is the alteration of the Law, there being the same 
authority required to abrogate or alter, which is to make a 
law: and Christ asserted himself to be *' greater than the Tem- 
ple," shewing that the ** Son of man was Lord even of the 
sabbath-day." (Matt. xii. 6. 8.) 

This dominion thus given unto Christ in his human nature 
was a direct and plenary power over all things, but was not 
actually given him at once, but part while he lived on earth, 
part after his death and resurrection. For though it be true 
that ''Jesus know," before his death, " that the Father had 
given all things into his hands :" (John xiii. 3.) yet it is ob- 
servable that in the same place it is written, that he likewise 
knew *' that he was come from God, and went to God :" and 
part of that power he received when he came from God, with 
part he was invested when he went to God ; the first to enable 
him, the second, not only so, but also to reward him. "For 
to this end Christ both died, rose, and revived, that he might 
be Lord both of the dead and living." (Rom. xiv. 9.) After 
his resurrection he said to his disciples, " All power is given 
unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matt, xxviii. 18.) He 
drank of the brook in the way, therefore he hath lift up 
his head." (Psal. ex. 7.) Because "he humbled himself, and 
became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross : 
therefore God hath also highly exalted him, and given him a 
name which is above every name ; that at the name of Jesus 
every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, 
and things under the earth; and that every tongue should con- 
fess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." 
(Phil, ii, 8 — 11.) Thus for and after his death he was instated 
in a full power and dominion over all things, even as the Son 



232 



ARTICLE II. 



of man, but exalted by the Father, " who raised him from the 
dead, and set him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 
far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, 
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but 
also in that which is to come ; and hath put all things under 
his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the Church." 
(Eph. i. 20—22.) 

Now as all the power given unto Christ as man had not the 
same beginning in respect of the use or possession ; so neither, 
when begun, shall it all have the same duration. For part of 
it being merely economical, aiming at a certain end, shall then 
cease and determinate, w^hen that end for which it was given 
shall be accomplished : part, being either due upon the union 
of the human nature with the divine, or upon covenant, as a 
reward for the sufferings endured in that nature, must be coeval 
with that union and that nature which so suffered, and con- 
sequently must be eternal. 

Of the first part of this dominion did David speak, when by 
the spirit of prophecy he called his Son his Lord; The Lord 
said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make 
thine enemies thy footstool ;" (Psal. ex. 1.) where the continu- 
ation of Christ's dominion over his enemies is promised to be 
prolonged until their final and total subjection. ** For he must 
reign till he hath put all things under his feet." ( 1 Cor. xv. 25.) 
And as we are sure of the continuation of that kingdom till 
that time, so are we assured of the resignation at that time. 
For " when he shall have put down all rule, and all authority 
and powder, then shall he deliver up the kingdom to God, even 
the Father." (I Cor. xv. 24.) ^' And when all things shall be 
subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject 
unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in 
all." (Ibid. 28.) Thus he which was appointed to ^'rule in the 
midst of his enemies" (Psal. ex. 2.) during their rebellion, shall 
resign up his commission after their subjection. 

But we must not look upon Christ only in the nature of a 
general, who hath received a commission, or of an ambassador, 
with perfect instructions, but of the only Son of God, em- 
powered and employed to destroy the enemies of his Father's 
kingdom ; and though thus empowered and commissioned, 
though resigning that authority which hath already had its 
perfect work, yet still the only Son and heir of all things in his 
Father's house, never to relinquish his dominion over those 
whom he hath purchased with his own blood, never to be de- 
prived of that reward which was assigned him for his suffer- 
ings : for if the prize which we expect in the race of our im- 
perfect obedience be an immarcessible crown, if the weight of 
glory which we look for from him be eternal ; then cannot his 
perfect and absolute obedience be crowned with a fading 
power^ or he cease ruling over us, who hath always reigned in 



OUR LORD. 



233 



us. We shall for ever reign with him, and he will make us 
priests and kings; but so that he continue still for ever High- 
priest and King of kings. 

The certainty of this eternal dominion of Christj as man, we 
may well ground upon the promise made to David, because by 
reason of that promise Christ himself is called David, For so 
God speaketh concerning his people ; " I will set up one 
shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant 
David ; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 
And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a 
prince among them. I the Lord have spoken it." (Ezek. 
xxxiv. 23, 24.) Now the promise was thus made expressly to 
David, "Thy house and thy kingdom shall be established for 
ever before thee, thy throne shall be established for ever." 
(2 Sam. vii. 16.) And although that term for ever'^ in the 
Hebrew language may signify oft-times no more than a certain 
duration so long as the nature of the thing is durable, or at the 
utmost but to the end of all things; and so the economical 
dominion or kingdom of Christ may be thought sufficiently to 
fulfil their promise, because it shall certainly continue so long 
as the nature of that economy requireth, till all things be per- 
formed for which Christ was sent, and that continuation will 
infallibly extend unto the end of all things : yet sometimes 
also the same term for ever signifieth that absolute eternity of 
future duration which shall have no end at all; and that it is 
so far to be extended particularly in that promise made to 
David, and to be fulfilled in his Son, is as certain as the pro- 
mise. For the angel Gabriel did give that clear exposition to 
the blessed Virgin, when in this manner he foretold the glory 
of him who was then to be conceived in her womb ; " The Lord 
God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and 
he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his 
kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke i.32, 33.) Nor is this 
clearer in Gabriel's explication of the promise, than in Daniel's 
prevision of the performance, who saw in the night visions, 
and behold, one like the Son of man came wath the clouds of 
heaven ; and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought 
him near before him. And there was given him dominion and 
glory, and a kingdom, that all people and languages should 
serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which 
shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be 
destroyed.'' (Dan. vii. 13, 14.) 

Thus Christ is Lord both by a natural and independent do- 
minion : as God the creator, and consequently the owner of 
the works of his hands : and by a derived, imparted, and de- 
pendent right, as man, sent, anointed, raised and exalted, and 
so made Lord and Christ: which authority so given and be- 
stowed upon him is partly economical, and therefore to be 



234 



ARTICLE II. 



resigned into the hands of the Father, when all those ends for 
which it was imparted are accomplished : partly so proper to 
the union, or due unto the passion, of the human nature, that 
it must be coeval with it, that is, of eternal duration. 

The third part of our explication is, the due consideration of 
the object of Christ's dominion, inquiring whose Lord he is, 
and how ours. To which purpose first observe the latitude, 
extent, or rather universality of his power, under which all 
things are comprehended, as subjected to it. For " he is 
Lord of all," (Acts x. 36.) saith St. Peter, of all things, and 
of all persons ; and he must be so, who made all things as God, 
and to whom all power is given as man. To him then all 
things are subjected whose subjection employeth not a contra- 
diction. " For he hath put all things under his feet : but when 
he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is 
excepted which did put all things under him." (1 Cor. xv. 27.) 
God only then excepted, w^hose original dominion is repugnant 
to the least subjection, all things are subject unto Clirist ; 
whether they be things in heaven, or things on earth. In 
heaven he is far above all principalities and powers, and all 
the angels of God worship him;" (Heb. i. 6.) on earth all 
nations are his inheritance, *'and the uttermost parts of the 
earth are his possession." (Psal. ii. 8.) Thus Christ is cer- 
tainly cur Lardy because he is the Lord of all ; and when all 
things were subjected to him, we were not excepted. 

But in the midst of this universality of Christ's regal autho- 
rity it will be farther necessary to find some propriety of do- 
minion, by which he may be said to be peculiarly our Lord. 
It is true, he made us, and not we ourselves, we are the work 
of his hands; but the lowest of his creatures can speak as 
much. We are still preserved by his power, and as he made 
us, so doth he maintain us ; but at the same time he feedeth 
the ravens and clotheth the lilies of the field. Wherefore be- 
side his original right of creation, and his continued right of 
preservation, we shall find a more peculiar right of redemption, 
belonging properly to the sons of men. And in this redemption, 
though a single word, we shall find a double* title to a most 
just dominion, one of conquest, another of purchase. 



* For the right understanding of this 
double title involved in the word redemp- 
tion, it will be necessary to take notice of 
the ways by which human dominion is 
acquired, and servitude introduced. ' Servi 
aut nascuntur, aut fiunt,' saith the Ci- 
vilian, Inst. 1. i. tit. 3. but in Theology 
we say moro, ' Servi et nascuntur, et 
fiunt.' Man is born the servant of God 
his maker, man is made the servant of 
his Redeemer. Two ways in general 
they observed by which they came to 
serve, >vho were not born slaves. ' Fiunt 



aut jure gentium, id est, captivitate; aut 
jure civili, cum liber homo major viginti 
annis ad pretium participandum sese ve- 
nundari passus est.' Two ways then also 
there were by which dominion over those 
servants was acquired, by conquest or by 
purchase, and both these were always ac- 
counted just. Dionysius Halicarnasseus, 
an excellent historian, a curious observer 
of the Roman customs, and an exact 
judge of their actions, being a Grecian, 
justifieth the right which the masters in 
Rome claimed over their servants upon 



OUR LORD. 



'235 



We were first servants of the enemy of God ; for him we 
obeyed, "and his servants we are to whom we obey: tvhen 
Christ through death destroyed him that had the power of 
death, that is, the devil, and delivered us; he spoiled princi- 
palities and powers, and made a show of them operdy, triumph- 
ing over them." (Rom. vi. 16. Heb. ii. 14. Col. ii. 15.) But 
contrary to the custom of triumphing conquerors, he did not 
sell, but buy us ; because while he saved us, he died for us, 
and that death was the price by which he purchased us ; even 
so this dying victor gave us life : upon the cross, as his tri- 
umphant chariot, he shed that precious blood which bought us, 
and thereby became our Lord by right of redemption, both as 
to conquest and to purchase. 

Beside, he hath not only bouglit us, but provided for us ; 
whatever we have, we receive from him as the master of the 
family ; we hold of him all temporal and eternal blessings, 
which we enjoy in this, or hope for in another life. He is the 

Prince of life," (Acts iii. 15.) and '"by him we live;" (John 
vi. 57.) he is ^' the Lord of glory," (1 Cor. ii. 8.) and we are 
" called by his Gospel to the obtaining of the glory of our 
Lord." (2 Thess. ii. 14.) Wherefore he hath us under his 
dominion; and becomes our Lord by right of promotion. 

Lastly, men were not anciently sold always by others, but 
sometimes by themselves ; and whosoever of us truly believe 
in Christ, have given up our names unto him. In our bap- 
tismal vow we bind ourselves unto his service, " that henceforth 
we will not serve sin; but yield ourselves unto God, as those 
that are alive from the dead, and our members as instruments 
of righteousness unto God : that, as we have yielded our mem- 
bers servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity ; 
even so loe should yield our members servants to righteousness 
unto holiness." (Rom.vi.6. 13. 19.) And thus the same domi- 
nion is acknowledged by compact, and confirmed by covenant; 
and so Christ becomes oar Lord by right of obligation. 

The necessity of believing and professing our faith in this 
part of the Article appeareth, first, in the discovery of our con- 



these two grounds : 'Ervyx°^'^'-'V 5>i tcI"; 

Tou? JtxajoTttTOut yivofxtvai TpoTrov;. h yap 
oovna-afASvoi Tta^a, roZ Infxocriov tovi; vtto Jopu 
irai\wf/,ivovq in rZv \ct<pv^tuv, k rov a-rparnyov 
a-vy^aipna-avroi; a,/xa, raXq aXXatt; oxfjEXsiai? nal 
lopva.\'J}Tovq roH? 'KaBoviTiv e'xsiv, h 7rpiaf/,svoi 
•Trap ETEgoJV, Kctra, tou? avrovi; t^ottov; kv^Iocv 
ysvofA,hcDV BKinrmro rovi 5'ouXoi;?. Hist. 1. iv. 
p. 2i27. ed. Sylburg. Where it is also 
farther to be observed, that the same per- 
sons were made slaves by conquest, and 
possessed hj purchase ; by conquest to 
the city of Rome, by purchase to the 
Roman citizen. The general first took 
and saved them, and so made them his, 



that is, reduced them to the will and 
power of the state from which he received 
his commission, and in whose name and 
for whose interest he fought. 'J'his state 
exposed their interest to sale, and so What- 
ever right had been gained by the con- 
quering sword, was devolved on the 
Roman citizen for a certain sum of money 
paid to the state to defray the charges of 
that war. Thus every lord or master of a 
slave so taken had full power over him, and 
possession of him, by right of purchase, 
unto which he was first made liable by con- 
quest. And though not exactly in that man- 
ner, yet by that double right, is Christ 
become our Lord, and we his servants. 



236 



ARTICLE II. 



dition ; for by this we know that we are not our own, neither 
our persons nor our actions. ** Know ye not (saith St. Paul, 
1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.) that ye are not your own? for ye are bought 
with a price." And ancient servitude, to which the Scriptures 
relate, put the servants wholly in the possession* of their mas- 
ter; so that their persons were as properly his as the rest of his 
goods. And if we be so in respect of Christ, then may we not 
live to ourselves but to him ; for in this the difference of service 
and freedom doth properly consist if we cannot do our own 
wills,J but the will of him whose we are. Christ took upon him 
the form of a servant : and to give us a proper and perfect ex- 
ample of that condition, he telleth us, *' I came down from 
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent 
me." (John vi. 38.) First, therefore, we must conclude with the 
apostle, reflecting upon Christ's dominion and our obligation, 
that none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to him- 
self. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; or whether 
we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or 
die, we are the Lord's." (Rom. xiv. 7, 8.) 

Secondly, The same is necessary both to enforce, and invite 
us to obedience ; to enforce us, as he is the Lord, to invite us, 
as Christ the Lord. If we acknowledge ourselves to be his ser- 
vants, we must " bring into captivity every thought to the obe- 
dience of Christ." (2 Cor. x. 5.) He which therefore died, and 
rose, and revived, that he might become the Lord both of the 
dead and living, maketh not that death and resurrection effica- 
cious to any but such as by their service acknowledge that do- 
minion which he purchased. He, though he were a Son, yet 
learned obedience by the things which he suffered ; and being 
made perfect, he is become the author of eternal salvation unto 
all them that obey him." (Heb. v. 8, 9.) Thus the considera- 
tion of the power invested in him, and the necessity of the ser- 

* AouXo? KTr.fAA ri I|U^^^u;)^oy nai aia-TTe^ dominus servi. 'O ixh ^Ea-arorrig rov ^ovXou 

Of yavov TT^o o^yavMV iraq 6 vTrri^srrig. Aristol. SEcrTroT-vg fxovov, bkbivov oIk eVrtT' o Se JoDXo? 

Pol. 1. i. c. -i. To' TB yap aSifAcL la-riv o^ya- ov jU(,6\ov Sicr'TroTOv ^ovXog strTiv, aX\a nal oXcog 

V5V a-v[x<puTov, Koi rov Sbj-titotov 0 ^ovXog aitr- lusivov. Ibid. The servant then is so wholly 

'Ztrep fxo^iov Kal oeyavov atpctipBror toS"' opyavov in the possession and for the use of his 

ccs-'n'Bp hZXcg a4-v)(pg. Id. Eth. Eud. 1. vii. roaster, that he is nothing else but a liv- 

c. 9. And again more expressly: Tig y.Bv ing tool or instrument ; insomuch, (says 

ovv h <pvs-ig rov hvXov, nai rig h Ivva-fxig, bk he, ibid.) that if all tools were like those 

rovruiv ^r,Xov. 'o ya.^ fxn avrov <pvs-et, aXX" of Daedalus, or the tripods of Vulcan, 

aXXcv, av^poo'mog Se, oZrog (pvasi hvXog Bo-rtv which the poets feigned to move of them- 

aXXov ^'ka-riv avB^ooTTog.og av icrvf^a V, avBpot}- selves, artificers would need no under- 

<7rcg clov. Pol. 1. i. c. 4. So that the definition workmen, nor masters servants, 
of a servant according to Aristotle is, He, t So Aristotle Ethic. Nic. 1. iv. c. 8. 

who being a man, is notwithstanding the Upog aXXov ^riv ^ovXixov and in the first of 

possession of a man. And although all his Rhetorics on the contrary : bXsv^b^ou 

relatives be predicated of each other in to fA,v Tr^og cixxov ^jj'v. c. 9. med. 
oblique, as pater est Jilii pater, et Jilius J To {^v QouXsrai ng, rrig BXevbs^iag 

patris Jilius, dominus est servi dominus, et B^yov, s'lms^ rov hvXcv ovrog, ro fxh ijg 

servus domini servus ; yet he observes a ^ovXBrai. Aristot. Polit. I. vi. c. i?, ' Quid 

difference in this, that a servant is not est libertas 1 potestas vivendi ut velis.' 

only servus domini, but simply domifii ; Cic. Parad. 5. 
but the master is not simply servi, but 



OUR LORD. 



237 



vice due unto him, should force us to obedience ; while the 
consideration of him whom we are thus obliged to serve should 
allure and invite us. When God gave the Law with fire and 
thunder, the affrighted Israelites desired to receive it from 
Moses, and upon that receipt promised obedience. '* Go thou 
near (said they to him), and hear all that the Lord our God shall 
say; and speak thou unto us, and we will hear it and do it." 
(Deut. V. 27.) If they interpret it so great a favour to receive 
the Law by the hands of Moses ; if they made so ready and 
cheerful a promise of exact obedience unto the Law so given ; 
how should we be invited to the same promise, and a better 
performance, who have received the whole will of God revealed 
to us by the Son of man, who are to give an account of our 
performance to the same man set down at the right hand of the 
Father ? He first took our nature to become our brother, that 
with so near a relation he might be made our Lord. If then 
the patriarchs did cheerfully live in the land of Goshen, subject 
to the power and command of Egypt, because that power was 
in the hand of Joseph their exalted brother; shall not we with 
all readiness of mind submit ourselves to the divine dominion 
now given to him who gave himself for us ? Shall all the angels 
worship him, and all the archangels bow down before him, and 
shall not we be proud to join with them ? 

Thirdly, The belief of Christ's dominion is necessary for the 
regulation of all power, authority, and dominion on earth, both 
in respect of those which rule, and in relation to those that 
obey. From hence the most absolute monarchs learn, that the 
people which they rule are not their own but the subjects of a 
greater prince, by him committed to their charge. Upon this 
St. Paul doth ground his admonition to masters, " Give unto 
your servants that which is just and equal, knowing that ye 
also have a master in heaven." (Col. iv. 1.) God gave a power 
to the Israelites to make hired servants of their brethren, but 
not slaves ; and gives this reason of the interdiction, For they 
are my servants which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt ; 
they shall not be sold as bondmen." (Lev. xxv. 42.) What 
tenderness then should be used towards those who are the ser- 
vants of that Lord who redeemed them from a greater bondage, 
who bought them with a higher price ? From hence those which 
are subject learn to obey the powers which are of human ordi- 
nation, because in them they obey the Lord of all. Subjects 
bear the same proportion, and stand in the same relation to 
their governors, with servants to their masters : and St. Paul 
hath given them this charge, " Obey in all things your masters 
according to the flesh; and whatsoever you do, do it heartily, 
as to the Lord and not unto men ; knowing that of the Lord ye 
shall receive the reward of the inheritance : for ye serve the 
Lord Christ." (Col. iii. 22 — 24.) IN either do we learn from 
hence only whom, but also how, to obey. For while we look 



23a 



ARTICLE II. 



upon one Lord in heaveri;, while we consider hini as the " Lord 
of' lords," we regulate our obedience to them by our service due 
to him, and so are always ready to obey, but tu the Lord. 

Lastly, This title of our Saviour is of necessary belief for our 
comfort and encouragement. For being Lord of all, he is able 
to dispose of all things for the benefit of those which serve him. 
He who commanded the unconstant winds and stilled the rag- 
ing seas, he who multiplied the loaves and fishes, and created 
wine with the word of his mouth, hath ail creatures now under 
exact obedience, and therefore none can want whom he under- 
taketh to provide for. For the same Lord over all is rich unto 
all that call upon him." (Rom. x. 12.) Many are the ene- 
mies of those persons who dedicate themselves unto his ser- 
vice ; but our enemies are his, and part of his dominion is there- 
fore given him, and to continue in him until all his enemies be 
made his footstooL Great is the power of the lusts of our flesh, 
which war in our members; but his grace is sufficient for us, 
and the power of that spirit by which he ruleth in us. Heavy 
are the afflictions which we are called to undergo for his sake: 
but if we suffer with him, we shall reign together with him : 
and blessed be that dominion which makes us all kings, that he 
may be for ever Lord of lords, and King of kings. 

After this explication, every Christian may perceive what he 
is to believe in this part of the Article, and express himself how 
he would be understood when he maketh this profession of his 
faith, I believe in Christ our Lord. For thereby we may and 
ought to intend this much : I do assent unto this as a certain 
and infallible truth, taught me by God himself, that Jesus Christ, 
the only Son of God, is the true Jehovah, who hath that being 
which is originally and eternally of itself, and on which all other 
beings do essentially depend : that by the right of emanation 
of all things from him, he hath an absolute, supreme, and uni- 
versal dominion over all things as God : that as the Son of man 
he is invested with all power in heaven and earth ; partly eco- 
nomical, for the completing our redemption, and the destruc- 
tion of our enemies, to continue to the end of all things, and 
then to be resigned to the Father ; partly consequent unto the 
union, or due unto the obedience of his passion, and so eternal, 
as belonging to that kingdom which shall have no end. And 
though he be thus Lord of all things by right of the first crea- 
tion and constant preservation of them, yet is he more pecu- 
liarly the Lord of us who by faith are consecrated to his service : 
for through the work of our redemption he becomes our Lord 
both by the right of conquest and of purchase ; and making us 
the sons of God, and providing heavenly mansions for us, he 
acquires a farther right of promotion, which, considering the 
covenant we all make to serve him, is at last completed in the 
right of a voluntary obligation. And thus I believe in Christ 
OUR Lord. 



239 



ARTICLE III. 

V/hich ivas conceived hij the Holy Ghost, 
born of the Virgin Mary. 

These words, as they now stand, clearly distinguish the con- 
ception of Jesus from his nativity, attributing the first to the 
Holy Ghost, the second to the blessed Virgin ; whereas the 
ancient Creeds made no such distinction ; but without any par- 
ticular express mention of the conception, had it only in this 
manner, loho vjas born by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary ; or 
of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary ;^ understanding by the 
word born, not only the nativity, but also the conception and 
generation. This is very necessary to be observed, because 
otherwise the addition of a word will prove the diminution of the 
sense of the Article. For they who speak only of the operation 
of the Holy Ghost in Christ's conception, and of the manner of 
Jiis birth, leave out most part of that which was anciently un- 
derstood under that one term of being borii of the Holy Ghost 
and of the Virgin Mary. 

That therefore nothing may be omitted which is pertinent 
to express the full extent, and comprehend the utmost signifi- 
cation of this Article, we shall consider three persons men- 
tioned, so far as they are concerned in it. Tlie first is he w^ho 
was conceived and born ; the second, he by whose energy or 
operation he was conceived ; the third, she who did conceive 
and bear him. 



* * Deum Judaei sic praed leant solum, 
ut negent filium ejus ; negent simul cum 
eo unum esse, qui natus est de Spiritu 
Sancto ex Maria Virgine.' Novatiavus. 
' Qui natus est de Spiritu Sancto ex I\Ia- 
ria Virgine.' Rufjimts in Syml)olum, §.12. 
'Natus de Spiritu S. et Maria Virgine.' 
S. Arigiist. Ench. ad Laurent, c. 34. 37. 
et 38. As also the (louncii of Francford 
in Sacrosyilabo. ' Natus est per Spiritum 
S. ex Virgine Maria.' S. August, de Fide 
et Symb c. iv. §. 8. ' Nonne de Spiritu 
S. et Virgine Maria Dei filius unicus 
natus est?' Idem, de Proudest. Sauct. c. 
15. Et paulo post: ' Quia natus est de 
Spiritu S. ex Maria Virgine.' ' Qui natus 
est de Spiritu S. ex Maria Virgine.' 5. 
Leo Epist. X. c. 2. Marimus Tajirin. 
Chrysol. Etherius Uiam. Auctor Symbol, 
ad Catechum. So also Venantius Fortu- 
natus. From whence Fiilgeutius de Fide 
ad Petrum Diaconum : ' Natum de Spi- 
ritu S. ex Maria Virgine, in Symbolo ac- 
ceptum, et corde ad justitiam credit, et 
ore ad salutem S. Ecclesia confitetur. 
Item pr;edicandum est quomodo Filius 
Dei incarnatus est de Spiritu S. ex Maria 
semper- Virgine.' c. 2. Capitul. Caroli 82. 



and Alcuinus I. iii. de Tri)iitat. c. 1. * Di- 
citur in Symbolo Catholicae fidei, quod 
Christus de Spiritu S. et ex IVIaria Vir- 
gine sit natus.' In the ancient MS. tran- 
scribed by the learned Archbishop of Ar- 
magh : Tov yEm^ivra In 7ivivfxa.Toq aytou 
xa] Mu^iag rr,- -nra^&ivcy. So Paulus Sa- 
mosatenus in his fifth proposition : 'imrovf 
0 j'EvvfjS'iij In 'UJVEvfJ.a.rog ayiov netl Ma^ta? twc 
TTacSrevot). These, omitted in the Nicene 
Creed, were put in by the Council of 
Constantinople, upon the occasion of 
the Apollinarian heresy, as was observed 
by Diogenes bishop of Cyzicum in the 
Council of Chalcedon : Ol ya^ aym ita.- 
"rigiq o\ fxZTa ravra, to Ic-a^nuiQri, o sXttov ol 
ayioi iv timaia, waTipe;, £a-a,<pnvi!rav EiTro'vTSf, 
£K TTVBvfxaroq ayiov xa] Ma^iag Tnq Tta^'^hov. 
In the several expositions among the ser- 
mons de Tempore, falsely attributed to 
St. Augustin : ' Qui conceptus est de 
Spiritu S. natus ex Virgine Maria.' So 
Eusebius Gallicanus, Homil. ii. de Sym- 
bolo, p. 554. And from thence it hath so 
continued, as we now read it. Which was 
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the 
Virgin Mary. 



240 



ARTICLE III. 



For the first, the relative in the front of this carries us clearly- 
back unto the former Article, and tells us that he which was 
thus conceived and born was Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. 
And being we have already demonstrated that this only Son 
is therefore called so, because he was begotten by the Father 
from all eternity, and so of the same substance with him; it 
foUoweth that this Article at the first beginning, or by virtue 
of its connexion, can import no less than this most certain, but 
miraculous, truth, that he* which was begotten by the Father 
before all worlds, was now in the fulness of time conceived by 
the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. Again, being by 
the conception and birth is to be understood whatsoever was 
done towards the production of the human nature of our Sa- 
viour; therefore the same relative, considered with the words 
which follow it, can speak no less than the incarnation of that 
person. And thus even in the entry of the Article we meet 
with the incarnation of the Son of God, that great mystery 
wrapt up in that short sentence of St. John, the Word was 
made flesh.'' (i. 14.) 

Indeed the pronoun hath relation not only unto this, but to 
the following Articles, which have their necessary connexion 
with and foundation in this third ; for he who was conceived and 
born, and so made man, did in that human nature suffer, die, 
and rise again. Now when we say this was the Word, and that 
Word was God, being whosoever is God cannot cease to be 
so ; it must necessarily follow, that he was made man by join- 
ing the human nature with the divine. But then we must take 
heed lest we conceive, because the divine nature belongeth to 
the Father, to which the human is conjoined, that therefore the 
Father should be incarnate, or conceived and born. For as cer- 
tainly as the Son was crucified, and the Son alone ; so cer- 
tainly the same Son was incarnate, and that Son alone. Al- 
though the human nature was conjoined with the Divinity, 
which is the nature common to the Father and the Son ; yet 
was that union made only in the person of the Son. Which 
doctrine is to be observed against the heresy of the Patripas- 
siansj-j- which was both very ancient and far diffused, making 



* ' Huic, quem dudum de Patre natum 
inefFabiliter didicisti, nunc a Spiritu S. 
templum fabricatum intra secreta uteri 
Virginalis intellige.' Ruff, in Synih. §. 12. 

t The heresy of the Patripassians seems 
only to have relation to the suffering of 
our Saviour, because the word signifies 
no more than the passion of the Father. 
But it is founded in an error concerning 
the incarnation, it being out of question 
that he which was made man did suffer. 
Epiphanius observes, Noetus was the first 
which taught this heresy, who lived one 
hundred and thirty years before him, more 
or less, and when he was questioned for 



it, he denied it : iia to fA-n^va, Trfo avrou 
l^£fA,sa-eti TctvTnv] rriv mnpiav. Hares. Ivii. 
§. 1. But certainly this heresy was an- 
cienter than Noetus : for the Patripas- 
siani are named by St. Cyprian, Ep. 73. 
and TertuUian his master chargeth it upon 
Praxeas : * Duo negotia Diaboli Praxeas 
Romse procuravit, Prophetiam expulit, et 
Haeresim intulit ; Paracletum fugavit, et 
Patrem crucifixit.' Adv. Prax. c. 1. And 
expressing the absurdity of that opinion : 
♦ Itaque post tempus Pater natus et Pater 
passus, ipse Deus Dominus Oranipotens 
Jesus Christus preedicatur.' c. 2. And 
De Prascr. adv. Ha:ret. ' Post hos omnes 



WHICH WAS CONCEIVED. 



241 



the Father to be incarnate, and becoming man to be crucified. 
But this very Creed was always thought to be a sufficient 
confutation of that fond opinion,*^ in that the incarnation is 

genus de Sabellii opinione sumpserunt, 
ciijus discipuli etiam Patripassiani merito 
nuncupantur ; quia si ipse est Filius qui 
et Pater, crux Filii Patris est passio, et 
quicquid in forma servi Filius Patri obe- 
diendo sustinuit, totum in se Pater ipse 
suscepit.' Ep. 93. c. 1. 'J'hus the Patri- 
passian heresy, beginning from Praxeas 
and Hermogenes, was continued by 
Noetus, Sabellius, and Priscillianus, and 
mingled with all their several heresies, 
the sum and substance of which is thus 
well set down by Victorinus Afer : * Patri- 
passiani Deum solum esse dicunc quern 
nos patrem dicimus ; ipsum solum exsi- 
stentem et effectorem omnium, etvenisse 
non solum in mundum, sed et in carnem, 
et alia omnia quae nos Filium fecisse di- 
cimus.' adv. Avium, I. j. p. 

* It appeareth plainly that Tertullian 
confuted Praxeas, by reducing him to 
these words of the Creed. For when he 
had lirst declared : ' Nos unicum quidem 
Deum credimus (which was the objection 
of Praxeas) sub hac tamen dispensatione, 
quam olKovofxiuv dicimus, ut unici Dei sit 
et Filius sermo ipsius, qui ex ipso pro- 
cesserit, per quem omnia facta sunt, et 
sine quo factum est nihil.' c. '2. Then 
he subjoineth ; ' Hunc missum a Patre 
in Virginem, et ex ea natum hominem et 
Deum, filium hominis et filium Dei, et 
cognominatum Jesum Christum. Hunc 
passum, hunc mortuum, et sepultum, se- 
cundum Scripturas, et resuscitatum a 
Patie, et in coelos resumptum sedere ad 
dextram Patris, venturum judicare vivos 
et mortuos.' Ibid. And that we may be 
assured he used these. words out of the 
Creed, it followeth : ' Hanc Regulam 
ab initio Evangelii decucurrisse, &c.' Ibid. 
This is yet farther evident out of Epipha- 
nius, who tells us the eastern doctors 
confuted Noetus in the same manner, 
by reducing hira to the words of the 
Creed : "Eva ©eov ^o^a^o/xsv Kal avrol (just as 
Tertullian : • Nos unicum quidem Deum 
credimus.') ciXX' cog oiSa/wevStxaiii); ^o^u^etv 
Kai 'ivct X^ta-rov E)(^OfxBv, ^X\' ODg ol^afxzv ha, 
Xeiirrov vlov ®sou, vaQovra ooq 'iitaQiv, aito- 
Qctvovra nadovi; oLTrsQavgv, ivaa-ravra, anxQoyret 
el( rov ov^avov, ovra h S'a^ta tov Trargof, 
i^'Xjifjt.ivov xpivctf ^WTflf xat vsnpovg. Hceres. 
.57. 1. And when the argument of 
Tertullian against Praxeas, and the 
Greeks against Noetus drawn from the 
Creed did not sufficiently convince the 
Patripassians, the Church of Aqiiileia, to 
exclude them wholly, added these two 
words to the first article, invisibikni, and 



etiam Praxeas q.uidam Haeresim intro- 
duxit, quam Victorinus corroborare cura- 
vit. Hie Deum Patrem Omnipotentem 
Jesum Christum esse dicit, hunc cruci- 
fixum passumque contendit ; mortuum 
praeterea seipsum sibi sedere ad dextram 
suam, cum profana et sacrilega temeritate 
proponit.' c. 53. After Praxeas, Noetus 
taught the same. 'ErdXfxno-s Xiynv rlv 
irarBfo. mTrov^ivcti, says Epiphanius, and 
being questioned for it, he answered : T; 
yaf xajcov vnTroinM ; hct 2riov 'iva 
E7ria-Taf/,at , xctl ov>i aXXov 7rX>jv avTov ygmi- 
SivTct, TTimvQoTa, aTToSavovTrt. Hceres. Ivii. 
§. 1. He thought the Father and the Son 
to be the same person, and therefore if 
the Son, the Father to be incarnate : Tlo- 
ifATO^a. Toy Xpis-Tov IS'tJa^s, tov avrlv sTvai 
<nrars^a xai vlov Kcti ayiov msvfA.a. S. Epiphan. 
Anaceph. t. i. 1. ii. §.11. After the Noe- 
tiaui followed the Sabelliani. So Phi- 
lastrius : ' Sabellius Discipulus ejus, qui 
similitudinem sui Doctoris itidem secutus 
est, unde et Sabelliani postea sunt appel- 
lati, qui et Patripassiani, et Praxeani a 
Praxea, et Hermogeniani ab Hermogene, 
qui fuerunt in Africa, qui et ista senti- 
entes abjecti sunt ab Ecclesia Catholica.' 
In Biblioth. Patr. Lot. t. iv. p. 60'2. So 
St. Augustin : ' Sabelliani dicti sunt qui- 
dam Haeretici, qui vocantur et Patripas- 
siani, qui dicunt ipsum Patrem passum 
esse.' Tract. S6. in loan. This I confess 
is denied by Epiphanius, who acknow- 
ledged Sabellius to have followed Noetus 
in many things, but not in the incarna- 
tion or passion of the Father : Za^gX^viavot 
01 ra Ofxoia avonrax; (I. avonroig, id est, 
NoJiTjavoT?, vel avorirM, id est, NonrS!, as St. 
Augustin, Novato.) So^a^ovrEf Tra^a. touts 
/Lco'vdv "kkyova-i yctp fxh TTB'rrov'bkva.i tov itark^a. 
Anaceph. t. i. I. ii. 16. This St. Au- 
gustin wonders very much at in Epipha- 
nius : ' Sabelliani, inquit, similia Noeto 
dogmatizantes, prceter hoc quod dicunt Pa- 
trem non esse passtnn ; quomodo de Sabel- 
lianis intelligi potest, cum sic innotuerint 
dicere Patrem passum, ut Patripassiani 
quam Sabelliani saepius nuncuparentur'!' 
S. August. Hcer. 41. Indeed, the Latin 
fathers generally call the Sabellians Pa- 
tripassians ; and not only so, but Theo- 
doret doth so describe them as professing 
one person : 'Ev fxh tjj iraXaia ojq TTciTEga 
vo/xoQsrrio-ai, ivSs t^i naivri, w? vlov ha.vQ^ui'nna-ai. 
1. ii. c. 9. After the Sabelliani succeeded 
in the same heresy the Priscillianistae, 
as appeareth by Pope Leo, who shews 
they taught but one person of the Father, 
Son, and Holy Ghost : ' Quod blasphemire 



242 



ARTICLE III. 



not subjoined to the first, but to the second. Article ; we do 
not say, / believe in God the Father Almighty, winch was con- 
ceived y but in his only Soti, our Lord, which was co)iceived hi) the 
Holy Ghost. 

First then. We believe that he which was made flesh was the 
Word, that he which took upon him the nature of man was not 
the Father nor the Holy Ghost, nor any other person but the 
only-begotten Son. And when we say that person was con- 
ceived and born, we declare he was made really and truly man, 
of the same human nature which is in all other men, who by 
the ordinary way of generation are conceived and born. For 
the " Mediator between God and man is the man Christ Jesus 
(1 Tim. ii. 5.) that since by man came death, by man also 
should come the resurrection of the dead." (1 Cor. xv. 21.) 
As sure then as the first Adam and we who are redeemed are 
men, so certainly is the second Adam and our Mediator man. 
He is therefore frequently called the ** Son of man," and in that 
nature he was always promised. First, " to Eve," (Gen.iii. 15.) 
as her seed, and consequently her son. Then to Abraham, 
" In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed ;" 
(Gen. xxii. 18.) and that "seed is Christ," (Gal. iii. 16.) and 
so the son of Abraham. Next to David, as his son to sit 
upon his throne ;" (2 Sam. vii. 12 — 16.) and so he is " made of 
the seed of David according to the flesh, (Rom. i. 3.) the son 
of David, the son of Abraham," (Matt. i. 1.) and consequently 
of the same nature with David and with Abraham. And as he 
was their son, so are we his brethren, as descending from the 
same father Adam ; *' and therefore it behoved him to be made 
like unto his brethren." (Heb. ii. 17.) For he *'laid not hold 
on the angels, but on the seed of Abraham." (Ibid. 16.) And 
so became not an angel, but a man. 

As then man consisteth of two different parts, body and soul, 
so doth Christ: he assumed a body, at his conception, of the 
blessed Virgin. Forasmuch as the children are partakers of 
flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." 
(Heb. ii. 14.) The verity of his body stands upon the truth 
of his nativity ;^ and the actions and passions of his life shew 
the nature of his flesh. 



impassibilem. Invisihilem, to shew he was 
not incarnate ; impassibilem, to shew he 
was not crucified. So Ruffinus in the 
conclusion of his exposition upon these 
words : Credo in Deum Patrem Oinnipo- 
tentem, addeth : ' His additur invisibilem 
et impassibilem :' and then gives the rea- 
son : ' Sciendum quod duo isti sermones 
in Ecclesiae Romanee Symbolo non haben- 
tur. Constat autem apud nos additos 
Hfereseos causa Sabellii, illius profecto 
quas a nostris Patripassiuiia appellatur, id 
est, quae Patrem ipsura vel ex Virgine 



natum dicit, et visibilem factum, vel 
passum affirmat in carne. Ut ergo ex- 
cluderetur talis impietas de Patre, vi- 
dentur hasc addidisse majores, et invisi- 
bilem Patrem atque impassibilem dixisse. 
Constat enim Filium, non Patrem, in 
came et ex carne natum, et ex nativitate 
carnis Filium visibilem et passibilem 
factum.' In Symb. 7. 

* * Marcion, ut carnem Christi ne- 
garet, negavit etiam nativitaiem, aut, 
ut nativitatem negaret, negavit et car- 
nem : scilicet, ne iuvicem sibi testimo- 



WHICH WAS CONCEIVED. 



243 



He was first born with a body which was ^'prepared for him," 
(Heb. X. 5.) of the same appearance with those of other in- 
fants ; he grew up by degrees, and was so far from being sus- 
tained without the accustomed nutrition of our bodies, that he 
was observed even by his enemies to come^' eating and drink- 
ing," (Matt. xi. 19.) and when he did not so, he suffered hun- 
ger and thirst. Those ploughers never doubted of the true 
nature of his flesh, who *' ploughed upon his back and made 
long furrows." (Psal. cxxix. 3.) The thoTns which pricked his 
sacred temples, the nails which penetrated through his hands 
and feet, the spear which pierced his sacred side, give suf- 
ficient testimony of the natural tenderness and frailty of his 
flesh. And lest his fasting forty days together, lest his walk- 
ing on the waters and traversing the seas, lest his sudden 
standing in the midst of his disciples when the doors were 
shut, should raise an opinion that his body was not true and 
proper flesh ; he confirmed first his own disciples, " feel and 
see," that a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me to 
have." (Luke xxiv. 39.) As therefore we believe the coming 
of Christ, so must we confess him to have come in the verity 
of our human nature, even in true and proper flesh. With this 
determinate expression was it always necessary to acknowledge 
him: for every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ come in 
the flesh, is of God ; and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus 
Christ come in the flesh, is not of God." (1 John iv. 2, 3.) This 
spirit appeared early in opposition to the apostolical doctrine ; 
and Christ, who is both God and man, was as soon denied to 
be man as God. Simon Magus,* the arch-heretic, first began, 
and many after followed him. 

And certainly, if the Son of God would vouchsafe to take 
the frailty of our flesh, he would not omit the nobler part, our 
soul, without which he could not be man. For Jesus in- 
creased in wisdom and stature (Luke ii. 52.) one in respect 
of his body, the other of his soul. Wisdom belongeth not to 
the flesh, nor can the knowledge of God, which is infinite, in- 
crease : he then whose knowledge did improve together with 

nium redderent et responderent nativitas 
et caro ; quia nec nativitas sine carne 
nec caro sine nativitate.' TertulL de 
Carne Christi, c. 1. 

* Simon Magus first made himself to 
be Christ ; and what he feigned of him- 
self, that was attributed by others unto 
Christ. ' Dixerat sein monte Sina Legem 
Mosi in Patris persona dedisse Juda;is, 
tempore Tiberii in Filii persona putative 
apparuisse.' <S'. A-ignst, Ho'ves. 1. So 
St. Cyril represents him : Ovu Iv a-afKi, 
aWa, ^OKris-£i, X^iiTTOV 'iriiroZv <pavkvra. 
Calech, 6. From this ^oKturit; of his in- 
vention arose the heresy of the /Xonrirai. 

R 2 



For Saturnilus or Saturninus followed his 
disciple IMenander with his putative tan- 
turn hominem, as Irenasus ; and in phan- 
tasmate tantum venisse, as TertuUiaa 
speaks, Adv. Hueret. c. 46. After him 
Valentinus and his followers, Epiphanes, 
Isidorus, and Secundus ; then the Mar- 
cosians, Heracleonitaj and Ophitfe, 
Cerdon, Marcion, Lucanus, and generally 
th-e Manichees. Those were the ^ontiral 
or <t>avTacriao-Tal, all conspiring in this, 
that Christ was not really what he ap- 
peared, nor did truly suffer what he 
seemed to endure. This early heresy 
appeareth by the opposition which St. 
Ignatius made unto it in his epistles. 



i 

5f 



244 



ARTICLE III. 



his years must have a subject proper for it, which was no other 
than a human soul. This was the seat of his finite understand- 
ing and directed will, distinct from the will of his Father, and 
consequently of his divine nature ; as appeareth by that known 
submission,. " not my will, but thine be done." (Luke xxii. 42.) 
This was the subject of those affections and passions which so 
manifestly appeared in him : nor spake he any other than a 
proper language, when before his suffering he said, " My soul 
is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." (Matt. xxvi. 38.) 
This was it which on the cross, before the departure from the 
body, he recommended to the Father : teaching us in whose 
hands the souls of the departed are : for *' when Jesus had 
cried with a loud voice, he said. Father, into thy hands I com- 
mend my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the ghost." 
(Luke xxiii. 46.) And as his death was nothing else but the 
separation of the soul from his body ; so the life of Christ as 
man did consist in the conjunction and vital union of that soul 
with the body. So that he which was perfect God, was also 
pe?'Ject man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. 
Which is to be observed and asserted against the ancient he- 
retics,^ who taught that Christ assumed human flesh, but that 
the Word or his Divinity was unto that body in the place of 
an informing soul. 



* Of thk kind two several sects were 
most remarkable, the Arians and the Apol - 
linarians. Arius taught that Christ had 
nothing of man but the flesh, and with 
that the Word was joined, "a^ejo? s-a^Ko, 
fxoynv TTfo^ iTroK^u<prni rnt; ^iornro<; 6fj,o\oys7' 
avTi 51 rov B<ruibev Iv hf^Tv avB^unrou tovtso-ti 
Tflj 4uX"f> "^oycv iv T? <rapxi Xiyn ysyo- 
VEvai. Athan. de Adv. Cliristi, c. Apotl'uiar. 
1. ii. §. 3. So Felicianus the Arian, in 
Vigil, de Uiiitate Trin. c. 17. ' Ita enim 
a majoribus nostris semper est traditum, 
quod Christi corpus ad vicem animae com- 
munis ipsius Filii Dei habitus animarit ; 
nee accessione animalis spiritus indigens 
fuerit, cui inhabitans fons vitaj potuit con- 
ferre quod vixit.' Eunomius followed 
him in this particular : "A^siog Se Kal Evvo- 

T)3Ta ■\'V')(nq Iwfymivai twv p^fEietv. Theod. 
1. V. cant.Hcer. c. 11. Apoliinaris distin- 
guished between the soul and the mind, 
the -^^x^ ^°'^^> £^cknowIedged 

that the Word assumed the body and the 
soul, or 4-1;;^^ of man, but not the mind or 
spirit, or the voug, but the Word itself was 
in the place of that. 'Apollinaristas Apol- 
iinaris instituit, qui de anima Christi ab 
EcclesiaCatholica dissenserunt, dicentes, 
sicut Ariani, Deum Christum carnem sine 
anima suscepisse. In quaestione testi- 
moniis Evangelicis victi, mentem, quara- 
tionalis est anima hominis, non fuisse in 
anima Christi, sed pro hac ipsum verbum 



in ea fuisse, dixerunt.' This was then 
the clear difference between tiie Arian 
and Apollinarian heresy : ' Apollinarista? 
quidem carnis et animae naturam sine 
mente assumpsisse Deum credunt, Ariani 
vero carnis tantummodo.' Facuiidus, l.ix. 
c. 3, p. 382. So that two things are to 
be observed in the Apollinarians, their 
philosophy and their divinity : their phi- 
losophy, in making man consist of three 
distinct parts, the body, the soul, and the 
mind ; their divinity, in making the hu- 
man nature of Christ to consist but of 
two, the body and the soul, and the third 
to be supplied by the Word. Which is 
excellently expressed by Nemesius de 
Nat. Horn, in respect of his philosophy : 
TiVBg fxh, XV sa-Ti Kal ITXaJTi'vof, «XX>)V sTveii 
Tr,v -^^X^'^' "■^^''^ "^^^ ^"'^^ ^oyfjLaritravTBgj 
Ik T^iuiv rov av^fooTtov crwso-Tavai QovXcvtai, 

Kal 'ATToXXtvafiof o rvg Aeto^msicLg ysvo/xsvog 
svla-Kowog toZtov ya§ Trn^o-fxsvog rov ^Bfj(.£Xiev 
Tvg olKsiag So^«f , kaI rk XotTTa '7r^os-a)K0^6fx,tia-£ 
Kara to oIksTov ^oyfjia. c. 1. init. And by 
Theodoret in respect of his Divinity : 
2a^iia}2'nvat T9V ©eov lcj)ncr£ Xoyov, a-aifxa Kal 
aveiX«<^STit ov rhv XoyiKnv, aXXa rr.v 
aXoj/ov, nv <pvoriKriv, vyovv ^<WTtxw, rtvsg ovofxa.' 
^auai. rh vqZv aXXo ri Trapa rhv ^-^X^^ 
vai "Kkym, oiiJt i<^riyiv av£tX^<j)S-at, aXX' a^Kia-at 
rriv &Hiav 'p^a-ty Big to TrXnpis-at rov vou rtn 
;^f£iav. Hitret. Fab. 1. iv. 8. 



WHICH WAS CONCEIVED. 



245 



Thus the whole perfect and complete nature of man was 
assumed by the Word,=* by him who was conceived and born of 
a woman, and so made a man. And being the divine nature 
which he had before could never cease to be what before it was, 
nor ever become what before it was not; therefore he who was 
God before by the divine nature which he had, was in this in- 
carnation made man by that human nature which he then as- 
sumed ; and so really and truly was both God and man.f And 
thus the third Article from the conjunction with the second, 
teacheth us no less than the two natures really distinct in 
Christ incarnate. 

For if both natures were not preserved complete and distinct 
in Christ, it mu&t be either by the conversion and transubstan- 
tiation of one into the other, or by commixiion and confusion 
of both into one. But neither of these ways can consist with 
the person of our Saviour, or the office of our Mediator. For 
if we should conceive such a mixtion and confusion of sub- 
stances as to make a union of natures, we should be so far from 
acknowledging him to be both God and man, that thereby we 
should profess him to be neither God nor man, but a person 
of a nature as different from both, as all mixed bodies are dis- 
tinct from each element which concurs unto their composition. 
Besides, we know there were in Christ the atfections proper to 
the nature of man, and all those infirmities which belong to us, 
and cannot be conceived to belong to that nature of which the 
divine was but a part. Nor could our humanity be so com- 
mixed or confounded with the Divinity of our Saviour, but that 
the Father had been made man as much as the Son, because 
the divine nature is the same both of the Father and the Son. 
Nor ought we to have so low an esteem of that infinite and in- 
dependent BeingjJ as to think it so commixed with or immersed 
in the creature. 

Again, as the confusion, so the conversion of natures is im- 
possible. For first, we cannot with the least show of proba- 
bility conceive the divine nature of Christ to be transubstan- 
tiated into the human nature; as those whom they call Flan- 
drian Anabaptists^ in the Low-Countries at this day maintain. 
There is a plain repugnancy even in the supposition ; for the 



* 'Quid a Patre Christus acceperat, 
nisi quod et induerat 1 hoininem sine du- 
bio, carnis animseque texturam.' Tertitll. 
de Resur. earn. c. 34. ' Hoc toto credente 
jam mundo, puto quod et Daemones con- 
titeantur Filium Dei natum de Maria Vir- 
gine, et carnem naturae humanae atque 
animara suscepisse.' S. Hier. init. Apol. 
2. advers. Riiffinutn, col. 745. 

^oyoi;, 6 fxovoi afx^oo, ©eo^ re kcu av&g<w7rog. 
Clem. Alexand. adv. Gentes, c. i. p. 3. 
t ' Abeit ita credere, ut conflatili quo- 



dam genere duas naturas in unam arbi- 
tremur redactas esse substantiam : hu- 
jusmodi enim commixtio partis utriusque 
corruptio est. Deus enira qui capax est, 
non capabilis, penetrans, non penetra- 
bilis, implens, non implebilis, qui ubique 
simul totus, et ubique difFusus est per in- 
fusion em potentiae suae, misericorditer 
naturae mixtus est humanae, non humana 
natura naturae est mixta Diviuc^.' LepO' 
rins Libel. Emend, p. 9. 

§ Teste Episcopio, Instit. Theol. 1. W, 
c. 8. 



246 



ARTICLE III. 



nature of man must be made, the nature of God cannot be made, 
and consequently cannot become the nature of man. The im- 
material, indivisible, and immortal Godhead cannot be divided 
into a spiritual and incorruptible soul, and a carnal and cor- 
ruptible body ; of which two humanity consisteth. There is 
no other Deity of the Father than of the Son; and therefore if 
this was converted into that humanity, then was the Father 
also that man, grew in knowledge, suffered, and died. We must 
not therefore so far stand upon the propriety of speech, when 
It is written, (John i. 14.) " The Word was made flesh/' as to 
destroy the propriety both of the Word and of the Jlesh."^ 

Secondly, We must not, on the contrary, invent a conversion 
of the human nature into the divine, as the Eutychians of old 
did fancy. For sure the incarnation could not at first consist 
in such a conversion, it being unimaginable how that which had 
no being should be made by being turned into something else. 
Therefore the humanity of Christ could not at the first be made 
by being the Divinity of the Word. Nor is the incarnation so 
preposterously expressed, as if the flesh were made the Word, 
but that the Word was made flesh. And if the manhood were 
not in the first act of incarnation converted into the divine na- 
ture, as we see it could not be ; then is there no pretence of 
any time or manner, in or by which it was afterwards so tran- 
substantiated.f Vain therefore was that old conceit of Euty- 



* In that proposition, 6 'koyo; (ra^^ sys- 
vsTo, there hath been strange force used 
by men of contrary judgments, and for 
contrary ends, as to the word iymro. The 
Socinians erdeavouring to prove it can 
have no other sense than simply /ia't, the 
Word was flesh : the Flandrian Anabap- 
tists stretching it to the highest sense of 
factum est, the Word was made flesh. It 
is confessed that the verb yivBy9ai in the 
use of the Greek language is capable of 
either interpretation : it is also acknow- 
ledged that the most ancient interpreters 
were divided in their renditions. For the 
Syriac rendered it Nin NIDn KnbQT Et ver- 
hum carofuit ; the ancient Latin, Et ver- 
bum caro factum est. It cannot be denied 
but in the Scriptures it hath been used in- 
diff'erently in either sense. And the same 
old Vulgar translation in some places ren- 
ders it, as the Syriac doth here. Matt. x. 
16. yivea-^B ouv (p^ovi/xoi wg ol o(peig, Estate 
ergo prudentes sicut serpentes ; and 25. 
'ApxSTOV t£ fAaBnrri l'\a yivKrai ooi; o ^i^ac-xa- 
Xoi; avrov, Sujficiat discipulo ut sit sicut 
magister ejus. From whence it is evident 
that they placed not the force in the sig- 
nification of the word yivsc-Bm, but in the 
circumstance of the matter in which it 
was used. Howsoever, neither of these 
interpretations prove either of these opi- 
nions. For if it be acknowledged that the 



Word was flesh, and it hath been already- 
proved and presupposed by St. John in 
his precedent discourse, that the Word 
had a former being antecedent to his being 
flesh ; it followeth, that he which was be- 
fore the Word, and was not flesh, if after 
he were flesh, must be made such. And 
so the Socinian observation falls. Again, 
if he which was made flesh was the Word, 
and after he was made such was still the 
Word, as certainly he was, and is still 
the same ; then his being made or becom- 
ing flesh can no way evacuate that na- 
ture, in which he did before subsist. And 
so the Flandrian interpretation is of no 
validity, 

t This was the proper opinion of Eu- 
tyches, as appeareth by his own confes- 
sion in the Council of Chalcedon : 'Of^o- 
XoyZ Ik Syo <pvs-Bcav yiyivno-^cLi tov Kv^iov hfxZi 
TTgo Tr,q kvajcreoDg, fxSTo, 5b rhv 'ivcoa-iv fxiav <^v- 
a-iv ofAoXoyZ. Act. 1. Two distinct natures 
he confessed at first, but when the union 
was once made, he acknowledged but 
one. But when that union was made he 
expressed not, nor could his followers 
agree ; some attributing it to the concep- 
tion, some to the resurrection, others to 
the ascension. Howsoever, when they 
were united, his opinion clearly was, that 
the human nature was so absorbed into 
the divine, so wholly made the same, that 



WHICH WAS CONCEIVED. 



247 



ches,\\'ho thought the union to be made so in the natures, that 
the humanity was absorbed and wholly turned into the Divi- 
nity, so that by that transubstantiation the human nature had 
no longer being. And well did the ancient fathers, who op- 
posed this heresy, make use of the sacramental union between 
the bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ, and 
thereby shewed, that the human nature of Christ is no more 
really converted into the Divinity, and so ceaseth to be the 
human nature, than the substance of the bread and wine is 
really converted into the substance of the body and blood, and 
thereby ceaseth to be both bread and wine. From whence it 
is by the way observable, that the Church in those days under- 
stood no such doctrine as that of transubstantiation.* 



it ceased wholly to be what it was, and 
so there was but one, that is, the divine 
nature remained. This is sufficiently ex- 
.pressed by St. Leo, who was the strongest 
opposer of bim, and speaketh thus of his 
opinion, Serm. 8. de Nativ. ' Hie autem 
recentioris sacrilegii profanus assertor 
uuitionem quidem in Christo duarum con- 
fessus est naturarum ; sed ipsa unione 
id dixit efFectum, ut ex duabus una rema- 
neret, nullatenus alterius exsistente sub- 
stantia.' And the Eranistes in the dia- 
logue of Theodorel arguing for that opi- 
nion, being urged to declare whether in 
that union one nature was made of them 
both, or one remaining, the other did not 
so, answered plainly : 'Eyi Tnv BsorKret 

rr,v av^fCDTTormct. Dialog, ii. p. 77. 

* There can be no time in which we 
may observe the doctrine of the ancients 
so clearly, as when they write professedly 
against a heresy evidently known, and 
make use generally of the same arguments 
against it. Now what the heresy of Eu- 
tyches was, is certainly known, and the 
nature of the sacrament was generally 
made use of as an argument to confute it. 
Gelasius bishop of Rome hath written an 
excellent hook against Eutyches, de dua- 
bus uatinis in Christo, in Biblioth. Putr. 
Lett. t. V. par. 3. p. 671. in which he pro- 
poundeth their opinion thus : ' Euty- 
chiani dicunt unam esse naturara, id est, 
Divinam and, ' sola exsistente Deitate, 
Humanitas illic esse jam destitit.' That 
then which he disputes against is the tran- 
substantiation of the human nature into 
the divine. The argument which he 
makes use of against it is drawn from the 
eucharist : ' Certe Sacramenta quje su- 
mimus corporis et sanguinis Christi Di- 
vina res est, propter quod et per eadem 
Divinse efficimur consortes naturae : et 
tamen esse non desinit substantia vei na- 
lura Panis et Viai. Et certe imago et 



similitude corporis et sanguinis Christi 
in actione mysteriorum celebrantur. Satis 
ergo nobis evidenter ostenditur, hoc nobis 
de ipso Christo Domino sentiendum, quod 
in ejus imagine profitemur, celebramus, 
et sumimus, ut sicut in banc, scilicet, in 
Divinam, trzmseant, S. Spiritu perficiente, 
substantiam, permanentes tamen in suae 
proprietate naturae ; sic illud ipsum my- 
sterium principale, cujus nobis efficien- 
tiam virtutemque veraciter reprajsentaut, 
ex quibus constat proprie permanentibus, 
unum Christum, quia integrum verumque, 
permanere demonstrant.' In which words 
it is plain he affirms the union of the hu- 
man nature of Christ to be the principal 
mystery, the representation of that mys- 
tery to be in the sacrament of the eucha- 
rist : he concludes from thence, that as 
in the representation the substance of the 
bread and wine remaineth in the propriety 
of their own nature, so the human nature 
of Christ in the greater mystery doth still 
remain. In the margin of this place in 
the Bibliotlieca Patrum there is printed 
Canle, as if there could be any danger iu 
observing the sense of the fathers, when 
they speak so expressly and conside- 
rately. In the same manner we find a 
disputation between a heretic and a ca- 
tholic in the second dialogue of Theo- 
doret, where Eranistes, as a heretic, asks 
Orthodoxus by what names he calls the 
bread and wine after consecration ; who 
answers. The body and blood of Christ : 
from whence Eranistes argues, p. 85. 
"SlaTre^ roivvv ra. (Tv[xB(j'Ka -rov Isc-TTorincZ <ra}- 
/uaTCf T£ xaj aifXATOi; aXXa y.h ila\ TTfo rr-t; 

fxsraBdxy^srai xal iTifa yi\erar oitcd to ^s- 
a-TTOTiKOV j-ZfAct. fXBToL Tr,v avciXy^^tv £i; TW oL- 
a-iav fxiTiBxh^r) Thv ^Eiav As the symbols 
of the body and blood of Christ are one thing 
before consecration , and after that change 
their name, and become another ; so the body 
of Christ after his ascetision is changed into 



248 



ARTICLE III. 



Being then he which is conceived was tlie onlu Soti of God, 
and that only Son begotten of the substance of the Father, and 
so always subsisted in the divine nature ; being by the same 
conception he was made truly man, and consequently assumed 
a human nature ; being these two natures cannot be made one 
either by commixtiou or conversion, and yet there can be but 
one Christ subsisting in them both, because that only Son was 
he which is conceived and born : it followeth, that the union 
which was not made in the nature, was made in the person of 
the Word ; that is, it was not so made, that out of both natures 
one only should result, but only so, that to one person no other 
should be added. 

Nor is this union only a scholastic speculation, but a certain 
and necessary truth, without which we cannot have one Christ, 
but two Christs, one Mediator, but two Mediators ; without 
which we cannot join the second Article of our Creed with 
the third, making them equally belong to the same person; 
without which we cannot interpret the sacred Scriptures, or 
understand the history of our Saviour. For certainly he which 
was before Abraham, was in the days of Herod born of a wo- 
man ; he which preached in the days of Noah, began to preach 
in the days of Tiberius, being at that time about thirty years 
of age ; he was demonstrated the Son of God with power, who 
was the seed of David according to the flesh ; he who died on 
the cross, raised him from the dead who died so, being " put 
to death through the flesh, and quickened by the Spirit 
(I Pet. iii. 18.) he was*' of the fathers as concerning the flesh, ^' 
who was *'God overall blessed for ever." (Rom. ix. 5.) Being 
these and the like actions and affections cannot come from the 
same nature, and yet must be attributed to the same person; 



the divine substance. To this Ortbodoxus 
answers : 'Ea'Xw? aig Z<^riveg a^nuj-iv, You 
are tahen in your own nets. OvH ya^ fxira, 
Tov aytaa-fji.ov To. fXV(rriKa, trv/J.Bo'ka rrig olKslag 
l^iWftTfli (pvssaig, fxBvti ya,§ Im t«? TTpoTB^a; 
ovcriaq, koi tov a-^n[j,cLToq, nai tov siJiii?, itcu 
o^ara es-Ti not aTnk, oTa xai TrpoTSfov hr 
The bread and wine even after consecration 
leave not their own nature, but remain in 
their former substance, shape, and form. In 
the same manner : Kal skeVvo to crZi^a to 
fABV 7rp3Tepov eTS'oj s^ei xaj a-)(njixa Kai ttb^i- 
y^a<phv, Kal aira^ aTrXif EitteT'v, Tr,v toZ «rw- 
fA-arog ova-'iav The bodij of Christ hath the 
same form, figure, and shape, and indeed the 
Same bodily substance. And when Eranis- 
tes still objects, that the bread is called 
the body, and not bread ; Ortbodoxus 
answers that he is mistaken : Oi; ya§ s-Zfxa 
(xovov, aWa xal a^rog i^oorig ovofxa^BTai, ouTdOf 
avTog 6 K.vptog TT^oTnyo^ivs-z, xal avTO Ss s-oofxa 
S-6~ov ovofxd^ofxev a-uifxa' For it is not only 
called the body, but also bread of life, and 
thi body itself we call the divine body. 



Who sees not then, that Theodoret be- 
lieved no more that the bread is converted 
into the body, than that the body is con- 
verted into the Divinity of Christ? Who 
perceives not that he thought the bread 
to be as substantially and really bread 
after the consecration, as the body of 
Christ is really a body after his ascen- 
sion 1 The same argument is used by 
St. Chrysostom upon the same occasion 
against the Apollinarians in his epistle ad 
Ccesarium, not yet published in Greek, 
and by Ephraimus in Photii Bibliotheca 
against the Eutvchians. As therefore 
all the fxiras-Toi^slooa-ig of the sacramental 
elements maketh them not cease to be 
of the same nature which before they 
were ; so the human nature of Christ, 
joined to the divine, loseth not the nature 
of humanity, but continueth with the Di- 
vinity as a substance in itself distinct ; 
and so Christ doth subsist not only ex, 
but in duabus naturis, as the Council of 
Chalcedon determined against Eutyches. 



BY THE HOLY GHOST. 



249 



as we must acknowledge a diversity of natures united, so must 
we confess the identity of the person in whoin they are con- 
joined, against the ancient heresy of the Nestorians,* con- 
demned in the Council of Ephesus. 

By the Holy Ghost, 

Having thus dispatched the consideration of the first Per- 
son concerned in this Article, and the actions contained in it 
so far as distinctly from the rest they belong to him, we de- 
scend unto the other two concerned in the same ; and first to 
him whose operation did precede in the conception, the Holy 
Ghost. Which second part some may think to require a three- 
fold consideration ; first, of the conception ; secondly, of the 
person ; thirdly, of the operation. But for the person or ex- 
istence of the Holy Ghost, that is here only mentioned ob- 
liquely, and therefore to be reserved for another Article, where 
it is propounded directly. And for the conception itself, that 



* This heresy doth most formally con- 
tradict these words of the Creed, because 
it immediately denies this truth, that the 
eternal Son of God was conceived and 
born. And in vain did Nestorius seek 
not only to avoid it in the Nicene Creed, 
but to make use of the words of the Creed 
even against the unity of the person of 
Christ. St. Cyril had well objected the 
series, order, and consequence of that con- 
fession : "E^m h ayia. not fjt,zyaM Ivvohi;, 
alrov Ijt ©Eou nttTpof Kara <pv<nv vlov (xowyivri, 
Tov In @tov aXriQmv ©£ov a\n^mv, to cf)5;f to 
ex Tou <f)«TCf, Toy ou to, TravTa ttettoiuxev 
0 Uarh^, n,ct7t'k^iiv, era^K<t)Qr,va.i rB Kai 
Bvav^^ODTfriirai, ira^ttv, avacTwat rn rpirri 
hfXipa., xctj anX^iiv tlq ov^ivov;. Efnst. b. p. 
25. The strength of this objection lies in 
this, that Christ, the only-begotten Son, 
begotten of the Father before all worlds, 
was incarnate. The answer of Nestorius 
was in this manner : nia-TsCofxev elj tov 
Kv^iov h/XMV^nroZv X^ia-rlv, tov ulov alrov tov 
fA,ovoysvn' a-noitrnrov oircioq ^In^rovt, Xpia-rog, Kol 
fxovoysvhi;, xcl] vlof, TrjoTfpov &£Vte?, rx Koiva, 
T»?f ^riOTtjrog Kcti avQ^ajTrornToq, ooq ^SfA-iXiovg, 
ovo/utetTo, TOTS TKV T^Q IvavQ^ivTrha-tooi;, xai toZ 
iraQovt, iuti rng avaarnraa-iooq, eTrouo^ofxova-i 
na^ahcriv. Ibid. -p. 26. And the strength, or 
rather the weakness, thereof is this : that 
first the Council placed the names of Jesus 
Christ, and the only-begotten Son, names 
common to the Divinity and humanity of 
Christ: and then upon them built the 
doctrine of his incarnation. Whereas it 
is evident that, supposing the only-begotten 
a term common to the humanity and 
Divinity, yet the Council clearly expounds 
it of the eternal generation, adding imme- 



diately, begotten of his Father before all 
worlds ; neither is there any word between 
that exposition and the incarnation, but 
such as speak wholly of Christ as God. 
Therefore that only begotten Son, who 
was begotten of his Father before all worlds, 
descended from heaven, and was incar- 
nate. Thus St. Cyril in his second epistle 
to Nestorius, and Nestorius in his second 
to him. Which mistake of bis seems yet 
more strange to me, when I consider in 
the same epistle of Nestorius that funda- 
mental truth asserted, which of itself suf- 
ficiently, nay, fully confutes his heresy : 
for he acknowledgeth the name of Christ 
to be, aTTaQovg Kal itaBmrig ohtriaq h [xova^iiua 
ir^oa-doTrM TT^oa-tiyo^'iav (rtifxavrinhv, ibid, and 
consequently, Christ himself to be a single 
person in a double nature, passible and 
impassible : which once granted, it evi- 
dently followeth, that he which was born 
from eternity, was also born in time, for 
by those several nativities he had those 
several natures ; that he which was im- 
passible as God, might, and did suffer 
as man, because the same person was 
of an impassible and a passible nature •, 
impassible as God, passible as man. 
Wherefore by that which Nestorius hath 
confessed, and notwithstanding that which 
he hath objected, it is evident out of the 
Nicene Creed, that the Son of God, be- 
gotten of his Father before all worlds, 
was incarnate and made man; and as 
evident out of the Apostles' Creed, es- 
pecially expounded by the Nicene, that 
the same only-begotten Son was conceived 
by the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin 
Mary. 



260 



ARTICLE III. 



belongeth not so properly to the Holy Ghost, of whom the 
act cannot be predicated. For tliough Christ tvas conceived 
hy the Holy Ghost, yet the Holy Ghost did not conceive him, 
but said unto the Virgin, **Thou shalt conceive." (Luke i. 31.) 
There remaineth therefore nothing proper and peculiar to this 
second part, but that operation of the Holy Ghost in Chrut^s 
conception, whereby the Virgin was enabled to conceive, and 
by virtue whereof Christ is said to be conceived by him. 

Now when we say the conception of our Saviour was wrought 
by the operation of the Spirit, it will be necessary to observe, 
first, What is excluded by that attribution to the Spirit; 
secondly, What is included in that operation of the Spirit. 

For the first of these, we may take notice in the salutation 
of the angel, when he told the blessed Virgin she should con- 
ceive and bring forth a son, she said, " How shall this be, see- 
ing I know not a man?" (Luke i. 34.) By which words she 
excludeth first all men, and then herself : all men, by that as- 
sertion, *' I know not a man;" herself, by the question, ** How 
shall this be, seeing" it is so ? First, our Melchizedeck had 
no father on earth ; in general, not any man, in particular, not 
Joseph. It is true, ** his mother Mary was espoused to Jo- 
seph :" but it is as true, before they came together, she was 
found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matt. i. 18.) We read 
in St. Luke, (ii. 27.) that the parents brought up the child 
Jesus into the temple :" but tliese parents were not the father 
and the mother, but as it foUoweth, Joseph and his mother 
marvelled at those things which were spoken of him." (Ibid. 
33.) It is true, Philip calleth him ''Jesus of Nazareth, the 
son of Joseph:" (John i. 45.) and which is more, his mother 
said unto him, " Behold, thy father and I have sought thee 
sorrowing :" (Luke ii. 48.) but this must be only the reputed 
father of Christ, he being only, '* as was supposed, the son of 
Joseph, which was the son of Eli," (Luke iii. 23.) Whence 
they must needs appear without all excuse, who therefore af- 
firm our Saviour to have been the proper son of Joseph, be- 
cause the genealogy belongs to him ; whereas in that very 
place where the genealogy begins, Joseph is called the sup- 
posed father. How can it then therefore be necessary Christ 
should be the true son of Joseph, that he may be known to be 
the son of David, when in the same place where it is proved 
that Joseph came from David, it is denied that Christ came 
from Joseph 1 And that not only in St. Luke, where Joseph 
begins, but also in St. Matthew, where he ends the genealogy. 

Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born 
Jesus, who is called Christ." (Matt. i. 16.)^ Howsoever then 
the genealogies are described, whether one belong to Joseph, 

* Indeed in our translation, whoin may relate to both, as well as one, and to Joseph 
as well as Mary ; but in the orginal it evidently belongs to Mary : Toy 'iaia-h<p rh ay^^a 
Ma-fiag, s| Tig iyevvhQri 'ina-ovi. 



BY THE HOLY GHOST. 



^51 



the other to Mary, or both to Joseph, it is from other parts of 
the Scriptures infallibly certain, not only that Christ descended 
lineally from David according to the flesh, but also that the 
same Christ was begotten of the Virgin Mary, and not by 
Joseph. 

Secondly, As the blessed Virgin excluded all mankind, and 
particularly Joseph, to whom she was then espoused, by her 
assertion ; so did she exclude herself by the manner of the 
question, shewing that of herself she could not cause any 
such conception. Although she may be thought the " root 
of Jesse," yet could she not germinate of herself; though Eve 
were the mother of all living, yet generation was founded on 
the divine benediction which was given to both together : for 

God blessed them, and said unto them, Be fruitful and mul- 
tiply, and replenish the earth." (Gen. i. 28.) Though Christ 
was promised as the *^ seed of the woman," yet we must not 
imagine that it was in the power of woman to conceive him. 
When the Virgin thinks it impossible she should conceive be- 
cause she knew not a man, at the same time she confesseth 
it otherwise as impossible, and the angel acknowledgeth as 
much in the satisfaction of his answer, '* For with God nothing 
shall be impossible." (Luke i. 37.) God then it was who 
immediately and miraculously enabled the blessed Virgin to 
conceive our Saviour; and while Mary, Joseph, and all men 
are denied, no person which is that God can be excluded from 
that operation. 

But what is included in the conception by the Holy Ghost, 
or how his operation is to be distinguished from the concep- 
tion of the Virgin, is not so easily determined. The words by 
which it is expressed in Scripture are very general : First, as 
they are delivered by way of promise, prediction, or satisfac- 
tion to Mary; "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and 
the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee :" (Luke i. 35.) 
Secondly, as they suppose the conception already past ; 
*^When his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they 
came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost;' 
(Matt. i. 18.) and give satisfaction unto Joseph, " Fear not to 
take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in 
her is of the Holy Ghost:" (Ibid. 20.) Now being the ex- 
pressions in the Scriptures are so general, that from thence 
the operation of the Spirit cannot precisely be distinguished 
from the concurrence of the Virgin ; much less shall we be 
able exactly to conclude it by that late distinction made in 
this Article, conceived by the Holy Ghost, horn of the Virgin; 
because it is certain that the same Virgin also conceived him 
according to the prophecy, (Isa. vii. 14.) Thou ^halt con- 
ceive and bear a son :" and therefore notwithstanding that 
distinction, the difficulty still remains, how he was conceived 
by the Spirit, how by the Virgin. Neither will any difference 



252 



ARTICLE II. 



of prepositions* be sufficient rightly to distinguish these ope* 
rations. Wherefore there is no other way to bound or deter- 
mine the action of the Holy Ghost, but by that concurrence 
of the Virgin which must be acknowledged with it. For if 
she were truly the mother of Christ (as certainly she was, and 
we shall hereafter prove), then is there no reason to deny to 
her in respect of him whatsoever is given to other mothers in 
relation to the fruit of their womb ; and consequently, no 
more is left to be attributed to the Spirit, than what is neces- 
sary to cause the Virgin to perform the actions of a mother. 
When the Scripture speaketh of regeneration, or the second 
birth, it denieth all which belongeth to natural procreation, 
describing the " sons of God" as begotten " not of bloods. 



• As conceptus de Spiritu S., natus ex 
Maria Virgine. St. Augustin indeed hath 
delivered a distinction between de and ex, 
after this manner, speaking to those words 
of the apostle : ' Quoniam ex ipso, et per 
ipsum, et iti ipso, sunt omnia. Ex ipso non 
hoc significat quod de ipso. Quod enim 
de ipso est, potest dici ex ipso ; non au- 
tem omne quod ex ipso est, recte dicitur 
de ipso. Ex ipso enim coelum et terra, 
quia ipse fecit ea ; non autem de ipso, 
quia non de substantia sua. Sicut aliquis 
homo si gignat filiura, et faciat domum, 
ex ipso filius, ex ipso domus ; sed filius 
de ipso, sicut domus de terra et ligno.' 
De Nat. Boni adv. Manich. c. 27. This 
distinction having no foundation in the 
Latin tongue, is ill made use of for the 
illustration of this Article, because in the 
Greek language of the Testament there is 
no such diversity of prepositions, for as 
we read of Mary, 1^ 5? kysm^ri 6 'irjo-oCj, 
so also of the Holy Ghost, el^iBt) h yacr^l 
zy^ous-a Ik TTViifxaro^ ayiov, and to h avrri 
ysvvrjBh Ik miufxarog la-riv ayiov. It is 
therefore said as well Ik Ttnvy.a.ToQ, as Ijc 
Mafi'a?. Again, the Vulgar observeth no 
such difference, as rendering for the one, 
de qua natus est Jesus, and for the other, 
in utero habens de Spiritu S. Correspon- 
dently in the Greek Creeds, cruXXiKfOevTct 
Ik irvsvfxarog, yinnBivra Ik Magi'a?, or as in 
the Nicene, Ik 'jmvfxarog xai Mafia./;. And 
the Latin not only de Spiritu S. ex Maria 
Virgine, but sometimes de Spiritu S. et 
Maria Virgine, and de 3Iaria Virgine, 
Chrysologus and St. Augustin often de 
Trinitate. Wherefore in vain have the 
schools first accepted of St. Augustin's 
distinction, and then applied it to Christ's 
conception ; first taking the preposition 
de to signify no less than a procession from 
the substance of the cause, and then ac- 
knowledge Christ so begotten of the Holy 
Ghost, because the eternal Son who was 
so begotten was of the same substance 
with the Holy Ghost. Thus Thomas 



Aquinas has delivered the subtilty. Sum. 
p. 3. q. 32. a. 2. ' In Spiritu S. duplex 
habitudo consideratur respectu Christi. 
Nam ad ipsum filium Dei, qui dicitur 
esse conceptus, habet habitudinem con- 
substantialitatis ; ad corpus autem ejus 
habet habitudinem causae efiicientis. Haec 
autem prsepositio de utramque habitudi- 
nem designat, sicut cum dicimus hominem 
aliquem esse de suo patre. Et ideo con- 
venienter dicere possumus Christum esse 
conceptum de Spiritu S. hoc modo, quod 
efficientia Sp. S. referatur ad corpus as- 
sumptum, consubstantialitas vero ad per- 
sonam assumentem.' But this distinc- 
tion of consubstantiality and effective 
causality can make nothing for the pro- 
priety of the phrase ; for the preposition 
de signifieth the material cause as well as 
the efiicient, it must do so in respect of 
that which is the effect, if it require that 
the thing which is made be made of the 
substance of that de quo est : then must 
Christ, according unto that which is made, 
be made of the substance of the Holy 
Ghost ; or, to speak in the words of the 
Scripture, * Quod in ea natum est, de Spi- 
ritu Sancto est.' Where either that which 
was conceived in the Virgin must be ac- 
knowledged of the substance of the Holy 
Ghost, or else the preposition de must not 
be taken in St. Augustin's sense. How- 
ever, being there is but one preposition 
Ik, common to both in the original Greek ; 
being the vulgar translation useth de in- 
differently for either ; being where they 
have distinguished de and ex, they have 
attributed ex, which doth not signify con- 
substantiality, to the Virgin, of whom they 
confess he did assume the substance of 
his body, and de, which signifieth (as they 
say) consubstantiality to the Holy Ghost, 
of whose substance he received nothing : 
it followeth, that the difference in the 
prepositions can no way declare the dif- 
ferent concurrence of the Spirit and the 
Virgin in Christ's conception. 



BY THE HOLY GHOST. 



253 



nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of 
God:" (John i. 13.) and in the incarnation of our Saviour, 
we remove all will or lust of the flesh, we deny all will of man 
concurring; but as the Moods in the language of the Hebrews 
did signify that substance of which the flesh was formed in the 
womb, so we acknowledge in the generation of Jesus Christ, 
that he was made of the substance of his mother. 

But as he was so made of the substance of the Virgin, so 
was he not made of the substance of the Holy Ghost, whose 
essence cannot at all be made. And because the Holy Ghost 
did not beget him by any communication of his essence, 
therefore he is not the father of him, though he were conceived 
by him. And if at any time I have said, Christ was begotten 
by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, if the ancients speak 
as if he generated* the Son, it is not so to be understood, as 
if the Spirit did perform any proper act of generation, such as 
is the foundation of paternity. 

Again, as the Holy Ghost did not frame the human nature 
of Christ out of his own substance; so must we not believe 
that he formed any part of his flesh of any other substance 
than of the Virgin. For certainly he was of the fathers ac- 
cording to the flesh, and was as to that truly and totally the 
son of David and Abraham. The Socinians, who will acknow- 
ledge no other way before Christ's conception by which he 
could be the only-begotten Son of God, have been forced to 
invent a strange conjunction in the nature of Christ: one part 
received from the Virgin, and so consequently from David 
and from Abraham, from whom that Virgin did descend ; 
another framed by the Spirit,t and conjoined with it; by the 



* As Chrysologus, Serm.. 57. * Ubi 
Spiritus general, Virgo parturit, totum 
divinum geritur, nihil humanum.' And 
Serm. 62. • Stupeuti mundo solus aperit 
quid est, quod Spiritus generat, Virgo 
concipit, Virgo parit.' 

t ' Deus ipsemet ad sanguinem Mariae 
addidit aliam materiam, ex quibus deinde 
Christusconceptus et natus est.' Smalcius, 
De Veroet Nattirali Dei Filio, c. "2. ' V^erum 
manet generationem et banc dici posse, 
quatenus in Deum ea cadere potest, si ad 
sanguinem Marias addita sit ex parte Dei 
materia, ex qua cum sanguine Mariae 
juncta natus sit Christus.' lb. c. 3. What 
this was thus added to the substance of 
the Virgin, he elsewhere explains : ' Nos 
Dei virtutem in Virginis uterum aliquam 
substantiam creatam vel immisisse aut 
ibi creasse affirmamus, ex qua, juncto eo 
quod ex ipsius Virginis substantia ac- 
cessit, verus homo generatus fuit.' This 
he doth not only without any authority 
affirm, but ground upon it the sonship of 
Christ. For so it follows : ' Alias enim 



homo ille Dei filius a conceptione et na- 
tivitate proprie non fuisset.' And again : 
* Necessitas magna fuit ut Christus ab 
initio vitae sua? esset Dei Filius, qualis 
futurusnon fuisset, nisi Dei virtute aliquid 
creatura fuisset quod ad constituendum 
Christi corpus uua cum Mariae sanguine 
concurrit.' Thus while they deny the 
eternal generation of the Son, they esta- 
blish a temporal in such manner as is not 
consonant with that word which they 
pretend wholly to follow, and have made 
a body of Clirist partly descending from 
the Father, partly not : and whereas as 
man he is like to us in all things, sin only 
excepted ; they have invented a body, 
partly like ours, partly not, and so in no 
part totally like. Indeed some of the 
ancients did speak so as to make the 
Holy Ghost the semen Dei ; as Tertullian ; 
' Ergo jam Dei filius ex Patris Dei semine, 
i. e. Spiritu, ut esset hominis filius, caro 
ei sola erat ex hominis carne sumenda 
sine viri semine. Vacabat enim viri se- 
men apud habentem Dei semen.' De car. 



254 



ARTICLE III. 



one part of which humanity he was the son of man, as by the 
other part he was the Son of God. 

The belief of this is necessary to prevent all fear or suspicion 
of spot in this Lamb, of sin in this Jesus. Whatsoever our 
original corruption is, however displeasing unto God, we may 
be from hence assured there was none in him, in whom alone 
God hath declared himself to be well pleased. *' Who can 
bring a clean thing out of an unclean?" saith Job (xiv. 4.) ; 
a clean and undefiled Redeemer out of an unclean and defiled 
nature? He whose name is Holiness, whose operation is to 
sanctify, the Holy Ghost. Our Jesus was like unto us in all 
things as born of a woman, sin only excepted, as conceived by 
the Holy Ghost. This original and total sanctification of the 
human nature was first necessary, to fit it for the personal 
union with the Word, who, out of his infinite love, humbled 
himself to become flesh, and at the same time, out of his in- 
finite purity, could not defile himself by becoming sinful flesh. 
Secondly, The same sanctification w^as as necessary in respect 
of the end for which he was made man, the redemption of 
mankind : that as the first* Adam was the fountain of our im- 
purity, so the second Adam should also be the pure fountain 
of our righteousness. " God sending his own Son in the like- 
ness of sinful flesh, condemned sin in the flesh ;" (Rom. viii. 3.) 
which he could not have condemned, had he been sent in sin- 
ful flesh. " The Father made him to be sin for us, who knew 
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in 
him (2 Cor. v. 21.) which we could not have been made in 
him, but that he *^did no sin," (1 Pet. ii. 22.) and knew no 
sin. For, whosoever is sinful wanteth a Redeemer ; and he 
could have redeemed none, who stood in need of his own re- 
demption. We are redeemed **with the precious blood of 
Christ:" (1 Pet. i. 19.) therefore precious, because of a 
Lamb without blemish, and without spot." (Ibid.) Our 
atonement can be made by no other high-priest than by him 
who is "holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." 



Christ, c. 18. And St. Hilary calls it : 
• Sementivam ineuntis Spiritus eflBcaciam.' 
1. 2. de Trill, c. 26. But in this they only 
understood the operation of the Spirit, 
liwo seminis. And whosoever spake of 
any proper semen, they abhorred ; as ap- 
pears by the 191st Sermon de Tempore: 
' Nec ut quidam sceleratissimi opinantur, 
Spiritum S. dicimus pro semine fuisse, sed 
potentia et virtute Creatoris operatum.' 
I know not whether be the greatest folly ; 
to make the Holy Ghost the father, as 
these men have done, by creating part of 
his body by way of seminal conjunction ; 
or to make the same Spirit mother of 
Christ, as the Nazarenes did. ' In Evan- 
gelio Hebraeorum quod lectitant Nazaraei, 



Salvator inducitur loquens, Modo me ar- 
ripuit mater mea, Spiritus Sanctus.' There 
is only this difference, that one is founded 
upon the authority of Scripture, the other 
upon the authority of a pretended, but no 
Scripture : the one maketh the Holy Ghost 
a partial, the other a total mother. 

* ' Illud unum peccatum, quod tam 
magnum in loco et habitu tantae felicitatis 
admissum est, ut in uno homine origina- 
liter, atque, ut ita dixerim, radicaliter, 
totum genus humanum damnaretur, non 
solvitur ac diluitur nisi per unum Medi- 
atorem Dei et hominum, hominem Chris- 
tum Jesum, qui solus potuit ita nasci, ut 
ei opus non esset renasci.' S. August. 
Enchirid. cap. 48. 



BY THE HOLY GHOST. 



255 



(Heb. vii. 26.) We cannot "know that he was manifested to 
take away our sins/'^**" except we also know that **in him is no 
sin." (1 John iii. 5.) Wherefore, being it is so necessary to 
believe the original holiness of our human nature in the person 
of our Saviour ; it is as necessary to acknowledge that way by 
which we may be fully assured of that sanctity, his concep- 
tion by the Holy Ghost. 

Again, it hath been observed+ that by this manner of 
Chrisfs conception is declared the freedom of the grace oi 
God. For as the Holy Ghost is God, so is he also called the 
Gift of God : and therefore the human nature in its first ori- 
ginal, without any precedent merit,J was formed by the Spirit, 
and in its formation sanctified, and in its sanctification united 
to the Word ; so that the grace was coexistent, and in a man- 
ner connatural with it. The mystery of the incarnation is fre- 
quently attributed in the Scriptures to the love, mercy, and 
goodness of God, "Through the tender mercy of our God 
the day-spring from on high hath visited us (Luke i. 78.) In 
this *'*the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man 
appeared." (Tit. iii. 4.) And though these and such other Scrip- 
tures speak properly of the love and mercy of God to man 
alone, offered unto him in the incarnation of our Saviour, and 
so directly exclude the merits of other men only ; yet because 
they speak so generally with reference to God's mercy, they 
may well be thought to exclude all universally. Especially 
considering the impossibility of merit§ in Chrisfs humanity, 
in respect of his conception ; because all desert necessarily 
precedeth its reward, and Christ was not man before he was 
conceived, nor can that merit which is not. 

Thirdly, Whereas we are commanded to be holy, and that 
even as he is holy; by this we learn from what foundation this 
holiness must flow. We bring no such purity into the world, 
nor are we sanctified in the womb ; but as he was sanctified 
at his conception, so are we at our regeneration. He was con- 
ceived not by man, but by the Holy Ghost, and we are " not of 



* * In quo non est peccatum, ipse venit 
auferre peccatum. Nam si esset in illo 
peccatum, auferendum esset illi, non ipse 
auferret.' >S. Augtist. Tract. 4. in 1 loan. 
§.8. 

t By St. Augustin : ' Ex hoc quod de 
Spiritu S. est secundum hominem nati- 
vitas Christi, quid aliiid quamipsa gratia 
demonstratur.' Enchir. c. 37. 

t ' Modus iste quo natus est Christus 
de Spiritu S. non sicut filius, et de Maria 
Virgine sicut filius, insinuat nobis gra- 
tiam Dei, qua homo, nullis prsecedentibus 
meritis, in ipso exordio naturae suae quo 
esse coepit, Verbo Dei copularetur in tan- 
tam personae unitatem, ut iden^. ipse 
esset filius Dei qui filius hominis, erfilius 



hominis qui filius Dei : ac sic in bumaucB 
naturae assumptione fieret quodammodo 
ipsa gratia naturalis, quee nullum pecca- 
tum posset admittere. Quae gratia pro- 
pterea per Spiritum S. fuerat significanda, 
quia ipse proprie sic est Deus, ut etiam 
dicatur Dei Donum.' Id. ibid, c. 40. 

§ ' Cum ad naturam Dei non pertineat 
natura humana, ad personam tamen uni- 
geniti Filii Dei per gratiam pertinet 
humana natura; et tantam gratiam, ut 
nulla sit major, nulla prorsus fequalis. 
Neque enim illam susceptionem hominis 
ulla merita piaecesserunt, sed ab ilia sus- 
ceptione merita ejus cuncta cceperunt.' S. 
August. Tract. 82. in loan. 



256 



ARTICLE III. 



blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but 
of God." (John i. 13.) The same overshadowing powerwhich 
formed his human nature, reformeth ours; and the same Spirit 
assureth us a remission of our sins,* which caused in him an 
evemption from all sin. He which was was born for us upon 
his incarnation, is born within us upon our regeneration. + 

AH which considered, we may now render a clear explication 
of this part of the Article, whereby every person may under- 
stand what he is to profess, and express what is the object of 
his faith, when he saith, I believe in Jesus Christ, which was 
conceived by the Holy Ghost. For hereby he ought to intend 
thus much : I assent unto this as a most necessary and infal- 
lible truth, that the only-begotten Son of God, begotten by 
the Father before all worlds, very God of very God, was con- 
ceived and born, and so made man, taking to himself the hu- 
man nature, consisting of a soul and body, and conjoin- 
ing it with the divine in the unity of his person. I am fully 
assured that the Word was in this manner made flesh, that he 
was really and truly conceived in the womb of a woman, but 
not after the manner of men ; not by carnal copulation, not 
by the common way of human propagation, but by the 
singular, powerful, invisible, immediate operation of the Holy 
Ghost, whereby a Virgin was beyond the law of nature enabled 
to conceive, and that which was conceived in her was originally 
and completely sanctified. And in this latitude I profess to 
believe in Jestts Christ, which was conceived by the 
Holy Ghost. 

Born of the Virgin Mary, 

The third person considerable in this third Article, is re- 
presented under the threefold description of her name, con- 
dition, and action. The first telleth us who it was, it was 
Mary; the second informeth us what she was, a 2;zr^m ; the 
third teaches us what she did, she conceived and bare our 
Saviour, and brought forth the Son of God ; which was born of 
the Virgin Mary. 

The evangelist, relating the annunciation, taketh particular 
notice of this name; for shewing how an angel was sent unto 
a '* virgin espoused to a man," he first observed that his "name 
was Joseph ;" and then that the " virgin's name was Mary :" 
(Luke i. 27.) not for any peculiar excellency in the name itself, 
or any particular application to the Virgin arising from the 



* * Ea gratia fit ab initio fidei suae 
homo quicunque Christiauus, qua gratia 
homoille ab initio suo factijs est Christus. 
De ipso Spiritu et hie renatus, de quo 
est ille natus. Eodem Spiritu fit in nobis 
remissio peccatorum, quo Spiritu factum 



est ut nullum haberet ille peccatum.' S, 
August, de Puedest. Sanct. c. 15. 

t ' Nolite desperare ; quod semel Da- 
tum est ex Maria, quotidie et in nobis 
nascitur.' S, Hicron. Comm. in Psal. 
Ixxxiv. 17. 



BY THE HOLY GHOST. 



257 



origination of it, as some have conceived ;* but only to denote 
that singular person who was then so well known to all men, 
being espoused unto Joseph, as appeareth by the question of 
his admiring countrymen, ** Is not this the carpenter's son ? 
Is not his mother called Mary ?" (Matt. xiii. 55.) Otherwise 
the name was common even at that time to many ; to the sister 
of Lazarus, (John xi. 1.) to the mother of James and Joses, 
(Matt, xxvii. 56.) to the wife of Cleophas, (John xix. 25.) to 
the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, (Acts xii. 12.) 
to her who was of Magdala in Galilee, (Luke viii. 2.) to her 
who bestowed much labour on St. Paul, (Rom. xvi. 6.) Nor is 
there any originalf distinction between the name of these, and 
of the mother of our Lord. For as the name of Jesus was the 



* For some have thought the dignity 
of the Virgin to be denoted in her name. 
As Gregory Nyssen (or rather his inter- 
polator) Homil. in Natal. Christi : 'Ettbi- 
Sav STi^^Y] TO TratJi'ov, ccvofAaos fxsv aLrhv 
Mct^isLV, oof av Ksu Sia rnq STTo^vufxia^ to S'eoSo- 
Tov Siaa-Tifxetv^Bin t>?j ^apt-roi;. Mistaking, 
as I conceive, the origination of Mary 
for that of Anna, her mother n2n. Thus 
he thought grace, others dominion, to be 
contained in her name. 'H Maoia. spuv- 
Vivircti KV^ia, aWa KailXTri^. Kufiovykp stshs 
T>3» IXTrlSa Tou TTavTO? x.oafj,ov X^is-tov. Auctor 
Homil. de Laud. B. Marie, suh nomine 
Epiphanii. TinrBi ToiyagoDv >] x^?'^ (tout© 
ykf h 'Avvo. s^fA.T]viuira.t) tJjv kv^Uv tovto 
j/ap cr-nfjLaivBi rr,t; Ma^iag to ovofxct. Damasc. 
Orthod. Fid. I. iv. c. 15. S. Hieron. de 
Noin. Hebraicis, col. 1478: 'Sciendum 
quod Maria sermone Syro Domina nun- 
cupatur.' So Chrysologus : ' Dignitas 
Virginis annunciatur ex nomine : nam 
Maria Hebrzeo sermone, Latine Domina 
nuncupatur. Vocat ergo Angelus Domi- 
nam, ut Dominatoris genetricem trepi- 
datio deserat servitutis, quam nasci et 
vocari Dominam ipsa sui germinis fecit 
et impetravit auctoritas.' Surm. 142. 
* Sermone Syro Maria Domina nuncu- 
patur, et pulcre, quia Dominum genuit.' 
Isidor. Hispal. Orig. 1. vii, c. 10. The 
same Isidore with others gives another 
etymology : ' Mai-ia illuminatrix, sive 
Stella maris ; genuit enim lumen mundi.' 
Ibid. And Bernard, [Jomii. 2. super 
Missus est: ' Loquemur pauca et super 
hoc nomine, quod interpretatura maris 
Stella dicitur, et matri Virgini valde con- 
venienter aptatur. Ipsa namque aptis- 
sime sideri comparatur, quia sicut sine 
sui corruptione sidus suum emittit radium, 
sic absque sui leesione Virgo parturit 
filium.' So far not amiss. But w^hen 
from a bad etymology he makes worse 
divinity, calling her the Star of Jacob, and 
attributing unto her the light of our 



minds, the life of our graces and extirpa- 
tion of our vices (the work of the Spirit 
of Christ), when in the midst of all our 
temptations, horrors of conscience, and 
depths of despair, he adviseth us imme- 
diately to a ' Respice Stellam, Mariam 
cogita, Mariam invoca ;' his interpreta- 
tion can warrant no such devotion. This 
etymology also descended from St. Je- 
rome, who in his interpretation of the 
names in Exodus, as from Philo : ' Maria 
illuminatrix mea, vel illuminans eos, aut 
Smyrna maris, vel stella maris.' De Nom. 
Hebr. col. 1454. And again, on the 
names in St. IMatthew : ' Mariatn plerique 
existimant interpretari, illuminant me 
isti, vel illuminatrix, vel Smyrna maris ; 
sed niihi nequaquara videtur. Melius 
autem estut dicamus sonare earn stellam 
maris, sive amarum mare.' Ibid. col. 
1 178. 'E^fA.rivsvETai TraXjv h Ma^ix <ry.v^va 
QcLXic-iTKi;. HomiL de Laadibus B. Maricc. 
' Dictje sunt et ante Mariae mullaj : nam 
et iMaria soror Aaron dicta fuit, sed ilia 
Maria amaritudo maris vocabatur.' S. 
Ambros. Inst it. ^irg. c. 5. Indeed that 
ab amaritudine, without the adjection of 
mare, is the etymology observed by the 
Jews; as appears by the author of tlie 
Life of Moses, who relating how Amram 
took Jochebed to wife, and of her begat 
a daughter, addeth, -a no nrair N^pn^ 
""n -mob on "31 "-lyon -bnn N'-nn nyn 
■jX-i^" on She icas called Miriam, because at 
that time the Egyptians, ivho were the off- 
spring of Cham, made the lives of the sons 
of Israel bitter. And in the like manner 
Sedar 01am, niTO DU' bj no nou* Kip3. 

t This is to be observed, by reason of 
some learned men, who make the name 
of the Virgin different from that of others 
called Mary in the Gospel, upon two 
grounds, in respect of the accent, and 
the termination ; the one being Mapikfj., 
the other Magt* : the first with a Hebrew 
termination, indeclinable, and the accent 



258 



ARTICLE III. 



same with Joshua, so this of Mart/ was the same with Miriam.* 
The first of which naaie recorded was the daughter of Amram, 
the sister of Moses and Aaron, a prophetess ; to whom the 
bringing of Israel out of Egypt is attributed as well as to her 
brethren. ''For I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt 
(saith the Lord), and redeemed thee out of the house of ser- 
vants ; and I sent before thee Moses, Aaron, and Miriam." 
(Mic. vi. 4.) As she was exalted to be one of them who brought 
the people of God out of the Egyptian bondage; so was this 
Mary exalted to become the mother of that Saviour, who 
through the red sea of his blood hath wrought a plenteous re- 
demption for us, of which that was but a type : and even with 
the confession of the lowliness of a handmaid she seems to 
bear that exaltation in her narae.+ 



inult'ma ; the latter with a Greek termi- 
nation, declinable, and the accent in pen- 
vlt'ima. As "OV0|C<.tt t«? Tra^divov Ma^iaf^, 
Lukei. 27. in the nominative : 'Avoy^a.- 
4«c-&ai a-vv Ma^ii/A, Luke ii. 5. in the da- 
tive : Mh <po0nBr!!;7ra.fa,'ha$s7v Ma^iau, Matt, 
i. 20. in the accusative : and fxh <^o0cv, 
Ma^iafx, Luke i. 30. in the vocative case. 
All which belong to the Virgin, who is 
never named Magt'a : as none of tlie 
rest by any of tlie evangelists is ever 
called Ma^iafx. But notwithstanding this 
observation, we find the same Virgin's 
name declined: as, Mvia-TEL/figtV^f t«; ^n- 
Tjo? alrov Mafia?, Matt. i. 18. and, Ihv 
yvveti^i Kal Mafia tk fA.rjr^'i tov 'Ik^ov, Acts 
i. 14. both which must come from the 
Greek termination Mapta in recto. And, 
on the contrary, that Mary which St. Paul 
msntioneth, hath the same Hebrew ter- 
mination with the Virgin, ' As-Ttaa-acrbs 
Metpjafx, «T(f TToXXa. EHOTTtaa-ay elj hf^ag, 
Rom. xvi. 6. Beside, the Syriac trans- 
lation makes no difference between the 
name of these and of the Virgin ; as CID 

mpri nDN □"-lOT Mark xv. 40. 

So again, xmnx D-iDT KD-biJ?: D-iD Matt, 
xxviii, 1. And therefore there can be no suf- 
ficient foundation for any such distinction. 

* For whereas we first read, Exod. xv. 
20. nx-n^n a^"ia the LXX. translate it, 
Ma.pia.fA, h 7r^o<pnTtt;, and the Vulgar Lat. 
Maria Prophetissa. The Hebrew first was 
C-iD Murjam ; the Syriac altering the 

pronunciation, not the letters, D-nD Mar- 
jam, as for biia?:, bnara. And because the 

Greek language admitteth no jod conso- 
nant, they pronounced it Mafia^u. Though 
sometimes indeed, even the Greeks did 
use the barbarous pronunciation in the 
barbarous words, as Lucian with the La- 
tins makes 'lov^a.Xo? of three syllables, 
'lov^aTo; srsfov (am^oH Ifa^EJ "ha^-Jiv. 

Tragopodagr. 172. 



Again, because no Greek word endeth 
in |W, to make it current in that language, 
it was necessary to alter the termination, 
according to their custom ; as for Annibal 
'Avvt'iSaf, Asdrubal 'As-Spou/Saf, Amilkar, 
'A^j'XKaf, and KaiV, Kai'f. I'his was to be 
done sometimes by addition ; as H'^x, 
liu>x,°^> 'a^sX "A^hXoj, Aafxl'X, Aa/uep^o;, 
'lapsS" 'l^Piloq, 'EvMi;"Eta>(rog, SHSo?, 'A^ifx 
' A^a.fy(.oi, ' AB^aafx" AB^a,y,og and ' ABl>a.afxri;. 
And so for Ma.§ia.y,, Mafta^^n or Maf jayuvjj. 
Josephus, Mapia^tcjj Tov TraiSo? aS'£Xcf>)5, of 

Miriam the sister of Mose5 ; whom in 
another place he calls a.^E\<^i.v aurcS Ma^ia- 
fxvriv. Therefore he thought the name of 
Miriamne to be the same with Miriam. 
And as the Greeks were wont to add their 
own terminations to exotic words ; so did 
they at other times leave out the exotic 
terminations, if thereby their own were 
left. As for n-nx et n:n 'A^i'a and "Avva, 
for nDK et niT 'A^-a and Zaja, for mn 
©aja, for Ma^iafA, Ma^ta. Wherefore from 
the Hebrew Mirjam came, by variety of 
pronunciation, at first the Syriac Mavjam; 
and from the Syriac Marjam, at first, only 
by variation of the pronunciation, Mafja|U, 
then for the propriety of termination , Mapi'a. 

t For though that interpretation Do- 
mina may seem to some conveniently 
enough from X"t?3, yet that being rather 
from the Chaldees, cannot so well agree 
with Miriam ; nor is the D so properly 
added at the end, as to the beginning of 
a Hebrew word, where it is usually in 
words of simple signification Heeman- 
tical. Again, though D'' may signify 
Smyrna maris, or illuminatrix, which St. Je- 
rome rejected ; and Stella (or rather stilta, 
which is properly "iq) inaris, or amarusii 
mare, which he rather embraced : yet 
these compositions are not so proper or 
probable at all, especially in a name dis- 
syllable. Though the Jews themselves . 
deduce it from Tia, to signify the bitter- 
ness of the Egyptian bondage, as we read 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 259 



Beside this name of the blessed Virgin, little hath been dis- 
covered to us. Christ, who commended the faith of the cen- 
turion, the love of Mary Magdalen, the excellences of John 
the Baptist, hath left not the least encomium of his mother. 
Ths evangelists, who have so punctually described the city, 
family, and genealogy, of Joseph, make no express mention of 
her relations, only of her cousin Elizabeth, who was of the 
tribe of Levi, of the daughters of Aaron." (Luke i. 5.) Al- 
though it be of absolute necessity to believe that he who was 
born of her descended from the tribe of Judah, and the family 
of David ; yet hath not the Scripture clearly expressed so much 
of her, nor have we any more than an obscure tradition of her 
parents Joachim and Anna.^ 

Wherefore the title added to that name raaketh the distinc- 
tion : for as divers characters are given to several persons by 
which they are distinguished from all others of the same com- 
mon nomination, as Jacob is called Israel, and Abraham the 
friend of God, or father of the faithful ; so is this Mary suf- 
ficiently characterized by that inseparable companion of her 
name, the Virgin.-^ For the full explication whereof more can- 
not be required, than that we shew, first. That the Messias was 
to be born of a virgin, according to the prediction of the pro- 
phets ; secondly, That this Mary, of whom Christ was born, 
was really a virgin when she bare him according to the rela- 



in Midrash j/^rvi, beside the two authors 
before quoted, D-l^^OT yi^'os; D-IQ DKlpa 
on '-n na yet still the addition of the final 
tnem is not proper ; or if that should stand 
for Dn there were no good account to be 
given of the jod. Whereas if we deduce 
it from the radix DTI with the addition of 
the Heeinantic viem, the notation is evi- 
dent, and the signification clear, as of one 
exalted above others. 

* I call this a tradition, because not in 
the written word : and obscure, because 
the first mention we find of it was in the 
fourth century. Epiphanius first informs 
us, who speaking of Joseph, says he knew 
thus much : ruvaina juiv ^'Sgj avrriv tk irXaa-u, 
naX ^r)\ZMV rrj (pvasi, Kal lit y-meoq "Avvh?, 
Koi Ik TTo-r^ot; 'looaKsifA,. Hccres. 78. §. 17. 
Again : Ei uyyixoui; Tr^ocntvveTa-dai ov biXa, 
<7r6crei} fxaWov tw afro "avvh? ^eysvyn^sv^v, tw 
tKrov \xa.n&ifx t/j "Avva lilcio^n[/-'ivnv ; Ha'ves^ 
79. §. 5. where he makes mention of the 
history of Mary, and the tradition con- 
cerning her nativity. 'H rnc Majtaj I<rTcpi'a, 

rtiiTjJc 'la)ajtg;|U Iv -rti Ipfifxci), OTi h yvm a-ov 
a-vm}^r><pvTa, &c. Damasc. Orthod. Fid. 1. 
iv. c. 13. and Orig. contra Celsum de Pan- 
thera, 1. i. §. 32. What this history of 
Mary was, or of what authority those tra- 
ditions were, we cannot learn out of Epi- 
phanius. What the interpolator of Gre- 



gory Nyssen's Homily produceth, he con- 
fesseth taken from apocryphal writings. 
And divers of the like relations descended 
from the prime and greatest heretics. The 
Gnostics had a book among them, which 
was called viwa Mapt'a?. Epiphan. Hares. 
'26. §. V2. Amongst the Manichees Seleu- 
cus wrote the history of the Virgin. And 
the Protevangelium Jacobi deceived many 
in relations of this nature. Among which 
many being certainly false, it is not now 
easy (if at all possible) to distinguish 
what part of them or particular is true. 
• Quod de generatione Mariae Faustus po- 
suit, quod pattern habuerit ex tribu Levi 
sacerdotem quendam nomine Joachim, 
quia Canonicumnon est, non me constrin- 
git,' saith St. Augustia, 1. xxiii. contra 
Faustum, c. 9. 

t Ti? TTOTE, v Iv TTOict j/sveS TiroXfAnKS ko.'KeXv 
TO ovofj.ci Magt«? t!i? a,yia,t;, y.a.\ l^a)Toofj,iVo{ ova 
iTrnvtyHe ro Tra^&svov; 'e^ avrciv yap Tuiv 
IttiSetwv ovofXATOov Hal T)i? a^srrig vVo<^ciiv£i ra, 
rsHij.h^ia. 'A^ta}[xara fXEV ya.^ ovofAaa-ioov slxh- 
<paa-iv oi Jt'naio: inaa-TM 7rp£7r&VT(W?, y-ai ooi; jjg- 

©eou, Jtas ou ^laXu^hasrctf tS> II ^lanouB, to 

Keti ToTf 'AttocttoXoj?, TO Boavepj/Hf, rouTEa-nv, 
viol ^povT^?, xal ovu amoxarei'KSKpQria-ercn' 
Kal TK ayla. Ma^ia., to TrapSsvof, Xcti cv rpct- 
TTriT-srai. Ep':p1iaii, Hitre.s. 78. §. 6. 



s 2 



260 



ARTICLE III. 



tions of the evangelists ; thirdly, That being at once the mo- 
ther of the Son of God, and yet a virgin, she continued for ever 
in the same virginity, according to the tradition of the fathers, 
and the constant doctrine of the Church. 

The obdurate Jew, that he might more easily avoid the truth 
of the second, hath most irrationally denied the first ; resolved 
rather not to understand Moses and the prophets, than to ac- 
knowledge the interpretation of the apostles. It will therefore 
be necessary from those oracles which were committed unto 
them, to shew the promised Messias was to be born after a 
miraculous manner, to be the son of a woman, not of a man. 
The first promise of him seems to speak no less, the seed of 
the woman shall bruise the serpent's head :" (Gen. iii. 15.) for 
as the name of seed is not generally or collectively to be taken 
for the generation of mankind, but determinately and indi- 
vidually for that one seed, which is Christ ; so the w^oman is 
not to be understood with relation unto man, but particularly 
and determinately to that sex from which alone immediately 
that seed should come. 

According to this first evangelical promise followed that pre- 
diction of the prophet, ** The Lord hath created a new thing 
on the earth, A woman shall compass a man." (Jer. xxxi. 22.) 
That new creation of a man is therefore new, and therefore a 
creation, because wrought in a woman only, without a man, 
compassing a man. Which interpretation of the prophet is 
ancient, literal, and clear ; * and whatsoever the Jews have in- 
vented to elude it, is frivolous and forced. For while they 
force the phrase of compassing a man, in the latter part of the 
prediction, to any thing else than a conception, they do not 
only wrest the Scripture, but contradict the former part of the 
promise, making the new creation neither new, as being often 
done, nor a creation, as being easy to perform. 



* For it is not to be denied that the 
proper signification of niD is circundare ox 
cingere. 11. Judah has observed but one 
interpretation of this verb, "rnx V^y abiD : 
and Kimchi testifieth that all words which 
come from the root n2.D signify encom- 
passing or circuition. Therefore those 
words, nmnn nnp: must literally im- 
port no less than that a woman shall en- 
compass, or enclose a man, which, with the 
addition of a neio creation, may well bear 
the interpretation of a miraculous con- 
ception. Especially considering that the 
ancient Jews did acknowledge this sense, 
and did apply it determinately to the 
Messias : as appeareth in Bereshit Rdbba 
Parash. 89. where shewing that God doth 
heal with that with which he wouudeth, 
lie saith, As he punished Israel in a virgin, 
so would he also heal them with a virgin, 
according to the prophet, " The Lord hath 
created a new thing on the earth, a wo- 



man shall compass a man." By the tes- 
timony of R. Huna in the name of R Idi, 
and R. Josuah the son of Levi, riT 
TTnb" crn '3^* n-u'^an This is Messiah the 
King, of whom it is written, (Psal. ii. 7.) 
" This day have I begotten thee." And 
again in Midrash Tillim, upon the 2d 
Psalm, R. Huna in the name of R. Idi, 
speaking of the sufferings of the Messiah, 
saith, That when his hour is come, God 
shall say, nnn inxmb "b,' "Dk 1r^^H Nin pi 

"I'mb" Drn r\unn 1 must create him with a 
new creation. And so (by virtue of that 
new creation) he saith, T/i/s day have I 
begotten thee. From whence it appeareth 
that this sense is of itself literally clear, 
and that the ancient Rabbins did under- 
stand it of the Messias; whence it fol- 
loweth that the latter interpretations are 
but to avoid the truth which we profess, 
that Jesus was born of a virgin, and there- 
fore is the Christ. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



261 



But if this prophecy of Jeremy seem obscure, it wili be suf- 
ficiently cleared by that of Isaiah, " Behold a virgin shall con- 
ceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel." (Isa. 
vii. 14.) The ancient Jev\^s immediately upon the promulgation 
of the Gospel,* understanding well how near this place did 
press them, gave three several answers to this text : First, 
denying that it spake of a virgin at all ; f secondly, asserting 
that it could not belong to Jesus ;% thirdly, affirming that it was 
fully completed in the person of Hezekiah.§ Whereas the 
original word was translated a virgin, by such interpreters]! as 
were Jews themselves, some hundred years before our Saviour's 
birth. And did not the notation of the word, and frequent 
use thereof in the Scriptures, persuade it, the wonder of the 
sign given by the Lord himself would evince as much. But as 
for that conceit, that all should be fulfilled in Hezekiah, it is so 
manifestly and undoubtedly false, that nothing can make more 
for the confirmation of our faith. For this sign was given and 
this promise made a virgin shall conceive and bear a son") 
at some time in the reign of Ahaz. This Ahaz reigned but 
sixteen years in Jerusalem ;" (2 Kings xvi. 2.) and Hezekiah 
his son, who succeeded him, " was twenty and five years old 
when he began to reign," (2 Kings xviii. 2.) and therefore born 
several years before Ahaz was king, and consequently not now 
to be conceived when this sign was given. Thus while the 
ancient Jews name him only to fulfil the prophecy in w^hom it 



* How soon tbese objections were made 
use of by the Jews, will appear by Justin 
Martyr, the first writer which made anj 
considerable explication and defence of 
the Christian religion ; who, in his dialogue 
with Trypho the Jew, shews us what were 
the objections of the Rabbins: 'Ettei 51 
y^sr? Koi 01 Si^aa-naXot vfxm ToXjUaTE Xaysiv, 

l^ol h TTap^Bvo^ Iv yaa-r^l s'^Si, aXX', ISou h VBcivig 
h yaa-Tfi Xn^trai, nal rs^irai viov. p. 262. 
And Tertullian, whose works are full of 
the divinity of Justin : ' Si quando ad de- 
jiciendos aliquos ab hac divina preedica- 
tione, vel convertere singulos simplices 
quosque gestitis, mentiri audetis, quasi 
non Virginem, sed jiivenculam, conceptu- 
ram Scriptura contineat.' Advers. Judaos, 
cap. 9. et adv. Marcionem, lib. iii. cap. 13. 

t And as they soon began, so did they 
go on, with this objection : ' Hodie toto 
jam credente mundo, argumentantur Ju- 
d3ei, Esaia docente de Maria et virgini- 
tate ejus, Ecce virgo in utero concipiet, et 
par'iet Jitium, in Hehneojuvencularn scrip- 
turn esse, non virginem, id est, halma, non 
bethula.' S. Hieron. adv. Helvid. col. 439. 

t ' Dicunt Judsei, Provocemus istam 
praedicationem Esaise, et faciamus com- 
parationem, an Christo, qui jam venit, 
competat illi prime nomen qiwd Esaias 



prcedicavit, et insignia ejus quas de eo 
nunciavit. Equidem Esaias praedicac eura 
Emmanuelemvocari oportere, dehinc vir- 
tutem sumpturum Damasci et spolia Sa- 
raariae adversus regem Assyriorum. Porro, 
inquiunt, iste qui venit neque sub ejus- 
modi nomine est dictus, neque re bellica 
functus.' Tertidt. adv. Judieos, c. 9. 

§ So Justin testifieth of the Jews, 
speaking to Trypho, and in him to them : 

ysvofxivov vfMOtiv Qa.tri'hka. p. 9,6"i, And Trypho 
replies again to Justin : "I'^Mfxzv inmov 
El? XgicTTOv Tov vfJ,kripo\ ATto^iinvviiQ zl^ncT^ai, 
huBii; ya.^ eI? 'E^Exi'av avrnv "KsyofAiv ttstt^O' 
(prtrsus-Qai. p. 302. 

II The LXX. 'iJou h TrapBsvo? Ivyaa-rpl 
Xn^sTAi. It is true, the rest of the inter- 
preters, concurring with the objection of 
the Jews, translated it, 'iSou h veavj;, i. e. 
adnlescentula, ox juvencula. But as their 
antiquity so their authority is far short of 
the LXX. especially in this case. I shall 
not need to shew how the origination of 
noby from nby proves no less. We know 
the affinity of the Punic tongue with the 
Hebrew ; and by the testimony of St. 
Jerome, ' Lingua Punica, quae de He- 
braeorum fontibus manare dicitur, propria 
virgo alma appellatur.' V. Lib. Quest. Heb. 
in Gen. c. 24. v. 43. 



262 



ARTICLE III. 



is impossible it should be fulfilled, they plainly shew, that for 
any knowledge which they had, it was not fulfilled till our 
Saviour came : and therefore they cannot with any reason deny 
but that it belonged unto the Messias, as divers of the ancient 
Rabbins thought and confessed : and is yet more evident by 
their monstrous error, who therefore expected no Messias in 
Israel,* because they thought whatsoever was spoken of him 
to have been completed in Hezekiah. Which is abundantly 
enough for our present purpose, being only to prove that the 
Messias promised by God, and expected by the people of God 
before and under the Law, was to be conceived and born of a 
virgin. 

Secondly, As we are taught by the predictions of the pro- 
phets, that a virgin was to be mother of the promised Messias; 
so are we assured by the infallible relations of the evangelists, 
that this Ma?y the mother of Jesus, whom we believe to be 
Christy was a virgin when she bare him, when she ^' brought 
forth her first-born son." That she was a virgin when and 
after she was espoused unto Joseph, appeareth by the narra- 
tion of St. Luke (i. 27.); "for the angel Gabriel was sent from 
God to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph." 
After the salutation of that angel, that she was still so, ap- 
peareth by her question, " How shall this be, seeing I know 
not a man?" That she continued so after she conceived by 
the Holy Ghost, is evident from the relation of St. Matthew : 
for when she was espoused unto Joseph, before they came 
together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, 
i. J 8.) That she was a virgin not only while she was with 
child, but even when she had brought forth, is also evident 
out of his application of the prophecy: "Behold, a virgin 
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son." (Matt. i. 23.) 
For by the same prediction it is as manifest thdit ?l virgin should 
bring forth, as conceive a son A Neither was her act of par- 



It istheknown saying of Hillel, record- 
ed in Sanbedrin, c. Chelek, n-U'O Dnb 
in"p)n "Q'-n imb^x -rnDir bxi^-b There is no 
Mesiiais to the Israelites, because they havs 
already enjoved him in the days of Hezekiah. 
Divers of the latter Rabbins endeavour to 
mollify these words of Hillel by their 
several expositions, but in vain. And R. 
Joseph understood him better, who thought 
he took away all expectation of a Mes- 
sias, and therefore fairly prayed for him, 
Condonet Dominus hoc R, Hil'el. Howso- 
ever, it appears that from two principles, 
whereof one was false, he gathered that 
false conclusion. For first, he thought 
those words in Isaiah were spoken of the 
Messias : which proposition was true. 
Secondly, he conceived that those were 
spoken of Hezekiah, and fulfilled in him : 
%vhich proposition was false. From hence 



he inferred, that the Israelites were not 
to expect a Messias after Hezekiah : 
which conclusion was also false. 

t ' Hsec est virgo quas in utero con- 
cepit, virgoqae peperit filiura. Sic enim 
scriptum est, Ecce virgo in utero concipiet, 
etpariet Filium. Non enim concepturam 
tantummodo Virginem, sed et parituram 
Virginem dixit.' S. Ambros. Epid. 7. ad 
Siricium. So he argued from the pro- 
phecy, and St. Augustin from the Creed : 
' Si vel per nascentem corrumperetur ejus 
integricas, non jam ille de Virgine nasce- 
retur ; eumque falso, quod absit, de vir- 
gine natum tota confiteretur Ecclesia, 
quae, imitans ejus matrem, quotidie parit 
membra, et Virgo est.' Enchir. c. 34. As 
also St. Ambrose in the same epistle : 
' Quae potuit Virgo concipere, potuit Virgo 
generare, quum semper conceptus praece- 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 263 



turition more contradictory to virginity, than that former of 
conception. 

Thirdly, We believe the mother of our Lord to have been 
not only before and after his nativity, but also for ever, the most 
immaculate and blessed Virgin. For although it may be 
thought sufficient as to the mystery of the incarnation,* that 
when our Saviour was conceived and born, his mother was a 
virgin ; though whatsoever should have followed after, could 
have no reflective operation upon the first-fruit of her womb ; 
though there be no farther mention in the Creed, than that he 
was born of the Virgin Mary : yet the peculiar eminency and 
unparalleled privilege of that mother, the special honour and 
reverence due unto that Son, and ever paid by her, the regard 
of that Holy Ghost who came upon her, and the power of the 
Highest who overshadowed her, the singular goodness and 
piety of Joseph, to whom she was espoused, have persuaded 
the Church of God in all ages to believe that she still conti- 
nued in the same virginity, and therefore is to be acknowledged 
the Ever-Virgin Marj/.f As if the gate of the sanctuary in 
the prophet Ezekiel were to be understood of her : "This gate 
shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in 
by it; because the Lord, the God of Israel, hath entered in by 
it, therefore it shall be shut." (Ezek. xliv. 2.) 

Many, indeed, have taken the boldness to deny this truth, 
because not recorded in the sacred writ; J and not only so 



dat, partus sequatur. Sed si doctrinis 
non creditur sacerdotum, credatur ora- 
cnlis Christi, credatiu monitis Angeloram, 
credatur Symbolo Apostolorum, quod Ec- 
clesia Romana intemeratum semper cu- 
stodit et servat.' And St. Basil upon oc- 
casion of the same prophecy : 'h avTri 
■yvVTi no] TTap^svog no.) fAnrn^, xal h tm ayi' 
atr/ucx rni; Trct^&svi'aj y.ivov(Ta, Jtat tj^v t?? ts- 
xvoyov'iag el'Koyiav iCkn^ovofAOva-a.. Homil, in 
Sanct. Christ. Gen. §, 4. ' Virgo peperit, 
quia Virgo concepit.' Vigil, de unitate 
Trinit. c. 10. 

* Msp^fJ yaf T«? yara. Tr,v olaovofAiav iitth- 
^zc-iaq avaynaia h TTO-p^evia, to ^ £<p£^yi? avo- 
"KvTr^a.yfA.omTOV tcc Xoj/oj rou fj.vTTr,ciou Kctra- 
\il-^MfA.iv. S. Basil, Homil. in Sanct. Christ. 
Gen. i{. 5. 

t For so the Greek Church always 
called her ainrapQsvo!;, and from them the 
Latins, Semper Virgo. 

t First we read in the time of Origen, 
that some did maintain the virginity of 
Mary no longer than to Christ's nativity. 
' In tantam nescio quis prorupitinsaniam, 
ut assereret negatam fuisse IMariam a 
Salvatore, eo quod post nativitatem illius 
juncta fuerit Josepho.' Homil. 7. in Lu- 
cam. Tertullian himself was produced as 
an assertor of the same opinion ; nor does 
St. Jerome deny it, though I think he 



might have done it. Apollinaris, or at 
least his followers, delivered the same, 
says Epiphaniiis, and Eunomius with his, 
Tov 'lajTri<p fjiSTO, rhv a.<ppairrcv Kuo<*)0^ictv <tvv- 
aTTTSiv oh TTSfpUac-i rjj Tfap^svu}, as Photius 
out of Philostorgius. Not that these 
words in Photius were the words of Phi- 
lostorgius, for he was clearly an Euno- 
mian, and therefore would never express 
their opinions with an ov 7rs<p^iiia<ri. And 
as he always commended Eunomius, so 
he was not commended but by an Euno- 
mian, that is, a man of his own sect. As 
that epigram, 

Ewofxiavov. 
'itTTOfi'nv IriXsirira Gsov ya-olTZTiri cro<pTia-i. 
Which I therefore mention, because Go- 
tofred hath made an unnecessary emenda- 
tion in the verse, ItIxss-c-' a^kov, and a 
worse interpretation in the inscription, 
taking the Eunomian to be a Catholic, 
and the name of the sect for the name of 
a man ; and confirming this error by a 
greater mistake, saying Eunomian us was 
the name of a man, twice spoken of in 
Suidas, once in Evvofxiavo? and again in 
sXoua-B. It is true indeed Suidas saith ex- 
pressly, Ei.vOjM.tavo?, ovofxa avpiov, and imme- 
diately adds these words, tov Sh Elvofxictvlv 
eXovts EsXicragio? to osTov Xovt^ov, as if Be- 
lisarius had baptized one whose name 



264 



ARTICLE III. 



but to assert the contrary as dehvered in the Scriptures ; but 
with no success. For though, as they object, St. Matthew 
testifieth that Joseph "knew not Mary, until she had brought 
forth her first-born son," (Matt. i. 25.) from whence they would 
infer, that afterwards he knew her ; yet the manner of the 
Scripture language produceth no such inference. =^ When 
God said to Jacob, ** I will not leave thee until I have done 
that which I have spoken to thee of," (Gen. xxviii. 15.) it fol- 
loweth not that when that was done, the God of Jacob left 
him. When the conclusion of Deuteronomy was written, it 
was said of Moses, No man knoweth of his sepulchre unto 
this day (Deut. xxxiv. 6.) but it were a weak argument to 



was Eunomianus. But the words are 
taken out of Procopius in Hist. Arcana, 
p. '2. from whence it appears that he who 
was baptized was by name Theodosius, 
and by sect an Eunomian. And what- 
soever his name was who wrote that epi- 
gram on the History of Philostorgius, he 
was certainly by sect an Eunomian, and 
that was intended in the inscription, writ- 
ten without question by some Catholic, 
who thought no man could commend the 
History of Philostorgius but one of his 
own opinion. These contradictors of the 
perpetual virginity of the mother of our 
Lord afterwards increased to a greater 
number, whom Epiphanius calls by a ge- 
neral name Antidicomarianitce. And from 
him St. Augustin : ' Antidicomaricinit^ ap- 
pellati sunt Heeretici, qui Mariae Virgi- 
nitati usque adeo contradicunt, ut affir- 
ment earn post Christum natum viro suo 
fuisse commixtam.' de Htrrcs. 56. con- 
demned under that name by the sixth ge- 
neral Council, Act. 2. [xi.j The same 
were called by the Latins, Helvidiani, from 
Helvidius (a disciple of Auxentius the 
Arian), whose name is most made use of, 
because refuted by St. Jerome. He was 
followed by Jovinian, a m.onk of Milan, 
as St. Jerome testifieth ; though St. Au- 
gustin delivereth his opinion otherwise : 
* Virginitatem Maris destruebat, dicens 
earn pariendo fuisse corruptam.' Hceres. 
8-2. And Bonosus, a bishop in Macedo- 
nia, referred by the Council of Capua to 
the judgment of Anysius bishop of Thes- 
salonica, was condemned for the same, as 
appeareth by the 79th Ep. of St. Ambrose, 
written toTheophilus and Anysius : ' Sane 
non possumus negare de Marias filiis jure 
reprehensum, meritoque vestram Sanctita- 
tem abhorruisse, quod ex eodem utero vir- 
ginali, ex quo secundum carnem Christus 
natus est, alius partus effusus sit.' This 
is the catalogue of those by the ancients 
accounted heretics, for denying the per- 
petual virginity of the mother of our Lord. 
* For in the word "Ew; there is no such 



force. Tc icog ov Travrcui; avn^iaipsirai too 
lulXXoVTi, aXXi TO f^^X?^ M'^^ ToDSg TiQtja-i, to 
fxera rovn oLk avaivsrai. S. Greo-, Naz. 
Orat. 2. de Filio. To I'sdj TroXXap^oS p^po'viu 
fxkv Tiva. SjxeT TTSpio^iO'u.ov i7ro<paivnv, nctra oi 
T^v ftXiiSsiav TO ao^ia-Tov ^BUnaiv. S, Basil. 
Homil. in Sanct. Christ. Gen. §. 5. "E&o? 

ypa-ipr, T>5V pJjj-iv ravrnv (xi) Im hMpia-fxivov 
tiBbvcii x^o'vou. iS. Chrysflst. in Matt. Ho" 
mil. 5. To"Ea;; iroWamg not I'm tov ^ms- 
xij Iv TV ^sta. y^cf^v slpi^KOfxiv XEj'^cvov. hid. 
Pelus. lib. i. ep. 18. To "Em^ TroWa^oZ 
ovK lirt %^wo'J "KBysi, aXX' IttI tov uvtov Tr^ay- 
fxcLTo;. Adria. Isag. in S. S. To"E3i;? ivt'oTE fxh 
TT^Of aVTi^iacTToXfjV TOV l<|)S^S? TTa^a- 
Xa,fA,BavSTai, hioTS S' ovv Im ^nXajjei fxtyaXoov 
fxsv e^y'jtiv nai Seoot^ettSv HetBaTTi^ nal vvv ov 
fxh Trpog avTiSiaa-To'Khv Itb^ov ;)^fovou Ttvof, 
aXXa nctl haVTiov tig I'STo^h'Kaxni/ aTTEfavToy 
ha.i7Th[xaTog. Phot. ep. 30. In the same 
manner it is observed by the Greek gram- 
marians of TT^iv, that if any one declared 
that he did it not tt^Iv before such a thing 
were done, it foUoweth not that he did it 
when or after that thing was done. As 
when Helena saw and knew Ulysses a spy 
in Troy, she promised upon oath that she 
would discover him to none till he was 
safe returned to the Grecian fleet ; 

Kai (i/^ocra xapTSgov o^xcv, 

Mh f/,lv TTplv '0Syj-?)a jUSTa T^MSatr aya<pr,vcti, 
n^t'v ye TOV Ig vvag ts ^oag nXiciag t a<f>j- 

aio-Bai. Od. A. v. 253. 

And yet it is not likely (says Eustathius), 
that Helena did ever discover Ulysses to 
the Trojans after he was returned : 'Ev S'e 
tS, Mri TTph 'oJys-c-^a Tpciis-iv avci<pvvai, tt^Iv 
avTov z:g wa.g ixEsrS'aj, ElVsp fm hxBi 'TTiQa.vov 
h elXoyicTov to avcKpvvai oXccg tov 'O^vg-o-ria 

ToTg TpMTlV, IvQvfAriTBOV TWV ^VVafXlV tov, fA.r) 

7rp\v Tcoiricrai tcSe ti n^iv av toJs y'ivnTai, 
(nTig h TM A pa^wSi'tt Tr.g 'iXjaSo? UtiTai) Koi 
(^ctviiTai IxeT&ev, wg ovy.HKog t^v 'EXsvrjv eI-tteiV 
ToT'? 'iXjEucrt TTEgt ToZ ^OlviTakoog ov^l otb slg 
vncig nal nXio-'iag a<pUsTo avTog. A negation 
anteceding Trplv or l'(Wf, is no affirmation 
following them. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



265 



infer from thence, that the sepulchre of Moses hath been known 
ever since. When Samuel had delivered a severe prediction 
unto Saul, he "came no more to see him until the day of his 
death;" (1 Sam. xv. 35.) but it were a strange collection to 
infer, that he therefore gave him a visit after he was dead. 

Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of 
her death (2 Sam. vi. 23.) and yet it were a ridiculous stu- 
pidity to dream of any midwifery in the grave. Christ pro- 
mised his presence to the apostles unto the end of the 
world (Matt, xxviii. 20.) who ever made so unhappy a con- 
struction as to infer from thence, that for ever after he would 
be absent from them ? 

Again, it is true that Christ is termed the Jirst-born son of 
Mary^^ from whence they infer she must needs have a second; 
but might as well conclude, that wheresoever there is one, 
there must be two. For in this particular the Scripture-notion 
of priority excludeth an antecedent, but inferreth not a conse- 
quent : it supposeth none to have gone before, but concludeth 
not any to follow after. " Sanctify unto me (saith God) all 
the first-born;" which was a firm and fixed law, immediately 
obliging upon the birth: whereas if the first-born had included 
a relation to a second, there could have been no present cer- 
tainty, but £1 suspension of obedience; nor had the first-born 
been sanctified of itself, but the second birth had sanctified 
the first. And well might any sacrilegious Jew have kept 
back the price of redemption due unto the priest,t nor could 
it have been required of him, till a second offspring had ap- 
peared ; and so no redemption at all had been required for an 
only son. Whereas all such pretences were unheard of in the 
Law, because the original Hebrew wordj is not capable of any 
such construction ; and in the Law itself it carrieth with it 
a clear interpretation, Sanctify unto me all the first-born : 
whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, 
both of man and beast, it is mine." (Exod. xiii. 2.) The aper- 
tion of the womb determineth the first-born and the law of 



* For 1 shall not deny that Christ was 
called i\ie first-horn in respect of his mo- 
ther, though Epiphanius thought that a 
sufficient answer : Oiut eTttev, on eymmcrs 
TOV TT^'JiroroKov ai/T?i?* aXX' oIm lyvoo avrriv, 
iao? lyivv*i<r£ rov vlov avrrii;, xai om iiTtB, tov 
ir^ooTOTOHov avrnq, aWa, Tov ir^oororoKov. 'Ett; 
(xh yap tS vIm aur^? Is-rifxavsv, avrnt; kclto, 
era^Ko, yiyi\vr)(T^cLi' im 5= rri -rov Tr^oororonov 
i'SToovvy.la, ouxeti to ahrrt^ eQeto, aXKa, iT^oo'ro- 
Tojtov [xoyov. Haeres. 78. 17. As if her 
son the first-born were not her first-born 
son. Ou TTavTCBj o tt^wtotoko? -crpo? tou? 
imyivofxivovQ Ip^sj tw a-vyn^iinv, «XX' o 7rg5- 

S. Basil. Horn, in Sanct. Christ. Gen. §. 5. 
' Primogenitus est non tantum post quern 



et alii, sed ante quem nullus.' S. Hleron. 
adv. Helvid. col. 443. It is observed by 
Servius, on that of Virgil's ^^neid. i. 5. 
' Trojae qui primus ab oris,' that primus is 
post quem nulhis. 

t Thus Jerome makes his plea : ' Quid 
me in unius mensis stringis articulo ? 
quid primogenitum vocas, quem an se- 
quantur fratres ignoro? Exspecta donee 
nascatur secundus : nihil debeo sacerdoti, 
nisi et ille fuerit procreatus, per quem is 
qui ante natus est incipiat esse primo- 
genitus.' Advers. Helvid. col. 4-i3. 

§ ' Definivit serrao Dei, quid sit Pri- 
mogenitum ; Omne, inquit, quod aperit vul- 
vam.' S. Hier. adv. Hetv. col. 41-3. 



266 



ARTICLE III. 



redemption excludeth all such tergiversation : " Those that 
are redeemed, from a month old thou shalt redeem;" (Numb, 
xviii. 16.) no staying to make up the relation, no expecting 
another birth to perfect the redemption. Being then " they 
brought our Saviour to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ; 
as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every male that openeth 
the womb shall be called holy to the Lord (Luke ii. 22, 23.) 
it is evident he was called the first-born of Mary according to 
the notion of the Law of Moses, and consequently that title 
inferreth no succession, nor proveth the mother to have any 
other offspring. 

Indeed, as they thirdly object, it cannot be denied but that 
we read expressly in the Scriptures of the brethren of our Lord : 
" He went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his 
brethren/' (John ii. 12.) and, " While he talked unto the people, 
his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak 
with him." (Matt, xii. 46.) But although his mother and his 
brethren be named together, yet they are never called the sons 
of his mother ; and the question is not whether Christ had any 
brethren, but whether his mother brought forth any other chil- 
dren ? It is possible Joseph might have children before Mary 
was espoused to him ; and then as he was reputed and called 
our Saviour's father, so might they well be accounted and 
called his brethren, as the ancient fathers,^ especially of the 
Greek Church, have taught. Nor need we thus assert that 
Joseph had any offspring, because the language of the Jews 
includeth in the name of brethren not only the strict relation of 



* Origen first delivereth it on St. Matt, 
and Eusebius sheweth his opinion, speak- 
ing of St. James the brother of our Lord, 
Hist. Heel. 1. ii. c. 1. Tots ^nra mu 'Iukm- 
00V TOV TOV Ku^iou 'Kiyoij.iVQV aS'eXcfjov, cVt 
y.a\ ojTo? lcoTri<p mofjLxaTo iraiq, tov S"i 
X^ia-Tov TTdTY)^ 0 \a}a-ri<^. So we read, as it 
is set forth by R. Stephan. But in my 
book collated with an ancient MS. "Oxt 

Koi o'jToi; Uioj hv tov 'l<W£r)i<f> tou vofxi^ofA,svov 
oiovsj TTttTgo? TOV X^iJ-Tov. Whlch is much 
more plain ; for ajvo{xa.a-To iajoai; is nothing 
so pertinent in this particular, as vlog m. 
So Epiphanius : '^Hv yk^ o 'lunui^og ovtoq vVog 
TOV lci3a-h<i> Ik yuvamog tov 'iwsrnvf), ova utto 
Mafia?. Hceres. 29. §. 4. And Hares. 42. 
§. I'i. speaking of the rest he calls them : 
Tovi; vloug \xa-h<p Ik Tnf oVTtag avTOu aXXrii; 
ybvaiKog. Thus St. Hilary • ' Homines 
pravissimi hinc praesumunt oplnionis suae 
auctoritatem, quod plures Dominum no- 
strum fratres habuisse sit traditum, quasi 
Marise illi fuissent, et non potius Joseph 
ex priore conjugio suscepti.' Com. in Matt, 
c. 1. Thus also St. Ambrose de Virg. 
And generally all the fathers to that time, 
and the Greeks afterwards. St. Chry- 
sostom, St. Cyril, Euthjmius, Theophy- 



lact, CEcumenius, and Nicephorus. These 
all seem to have followed an old tradi- 
tion, which is partly still continued, in 
Epiphanius : "Esrpj^s ouTog o 'lc»}c-h<^ Thv /xiv 
TTfiWTHV avTov yvvcuKct BK Trig cpuXw? 'lovSet' 
Kai Kvia-KSi uvtS ainn TraX^ctg Toy a^ibfAOV 
TEiTcrafa? fxlv appivcti;^ br)XBiag 5= 5uo. H(i:res. 
78. §. 7. The first of these six children 
was James : [xbt avrov ylvSTcti TTaTg 'loiurn 
iia.\ovfxBvog, sTra /ust avTov IvfABchv, IVsjTa 
lov^ag' y.ai ^6o S^vyaTBptg, h Mafia, Hai h 2a- 
Xx/xn xa'KovfA.Bvr). Ibid. ^. 8. Thus had the 
Greeks a distinct relation of the sons and 
daughters of Joseph, and of the order of 
their generation. Whose authority I shall 
conclude with that of Jobius (Ecou. I. ix. 
"eSei TTftTefa ;iai ci^BXcpovg Itti yr,g oVOfxairat 

TOV aTTUTO^a, QVK BK TMV XpSTTiJJv Jtai TTOVn^SlV 

TovTOug l^B\B^aTo, aXXa Tovg kv ^iKaioa-Cvyj 
^ictXa/xTTOVTag' Toiovrog yap 'l(i;5->j<^, Ka] o'l TOv- 
Tov TTdH^Bg. In Phot. Biblioth. 222. c. 38. 
col. 642. And that of Amphilochius 

Jun. 'HTTlVTJJCraV Se TTOTB Kai cl TOV 'lMa-ri<p 

viol, KctBiig fxacTV^BT 6 EvayyBXia-irig, Ka] t? 
•Trsi^tt ^i^a^^BVTSg TO aXnOlg, ysy§ci<pvxatriv 
'laKooQog Kai 'louJaj -zHravTi tm aoc-^'i, &bov nal 
Kv^iov ^In^QV XfirroD lov\ovg BC-VTOvg ilyai. 
Or at. in Deip. in fin. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



267 



fraternity, but also the larger of consanguinity ; and therefore 
it is sufficient satisfaction for that expression, that there were 
such persons allied unto the blessed Virgin. "We be bre- 
thren," (Gen. xiii. 8.) said Abraham unto Lot; when Abraham 
was the son of Terah, Lot of Haran, and consequently not his 
brother, but his nephew, and, as elsewhere properly styled, 

the son of his brother." (Gen. xii. 5.) '* Moses called Mishael 
and Elzaphan the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said 
unto them. Come near, carry your brethren from before the 
sanctuary (Lev. x. 4.) whereas those brethren were Nadab 
and Abihu, the sons, not of Uzziel, but of Aaron. " Jacob 
told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was 
Rebekah's son;" (Gen. xxix. 12.) whereas Rebekah was the 
sister of Rachel's father. It is sufficient therefore, that the 
evangelists, according to the constant language of the Jews, 
call the kindred of the blessed Virgin the brethren and sisters 
of her only son ; which indeed is something the later, but the 
most generally approved, answer.* 

And yet this difficulty, though usually no farther considered. 



• The first, I conceive, who returned 
this answer was St. Jerome, in a tractate 
written in his youth at Rome against Hel- 
vidius ; wherein, after a long discourse of 
several acceptations of brethren in the 
Scriptures, he thus concludes : * Restat 
igitur, ut fratres eos intelligas appeliatos 
cognatione, non affectu, non gentis privi- 
legio, non natura, quo modo Lot Abrahas, 
quo modo Jacob Laban est appellatus 
frater.' Adv. Helvid. col. 448. And as for 
the other opinion of those which went be- 
fore him, he says it was grounded merely 
upon an apocryphal history, Com. in Matt. 
c. xii. 49. col. 639. ' Quidam fratres 
Domini de alia uxore Joseph filios su- 
spicantur, sequentes deliramenta Apo- 
cryphorum, et quandam Escham mulier- 
culam confingentes.' Indeed Origen him- 
self, followed in this particular by the 
Greek Church, did confess no less ; who 
tells the authors from whom that inter- 
pretation first arose : ' Fratres autem 
Jesu putabant nonnulli esse, (ex tradi- 
tions Hebraeorum sumpta occasione, ex 
evangelio quod titulum habet juxta Pe- 
irum, aut ex libro Jacobi) filios Joseph ex 
priore uxore, qu£B convixerat ipsi ante- 
quara duceret Mariam.' In Matt. xiii. 55. 
This Jacobus mentioned by Origen, is the 
same with him whom Eustathius men- 
tions in Hexaemero, p. 70. ed. Lugd. 1629. 

lAct^iai; ^laKooQo; Tif, iTTiX^BUv. Where he 
reckons Joseph inter toi;? ^r,^£iovTa.i;, and 
Epiphanius calls 'laxa^^oj 'eB^cl7o;, Lib. de 
Vit, B. Mari(B. Virg. St. Jerome therefore 
observing that the former opinion of Jo- 
seph's sons was founded merely upon an 



apocryphal writing, and bfing ready to 
assert the virginity of Joseph as well as 
Mary, first invented the other solution in 
the kindred of Mary, as founded not only 
in the language, but also testimony of the 
Scriptures : ' Quidam fratres Domini de 
alia uxore Joseph filios suspicantur, se- 
quentes deliramenta Apocryphorum, et 
quandam Escham mulierem confingentes. 
Nos autem sicut in libro quem contra Hel- 
vidium scripsimus continetur, fratres Do- 
mini non filios Joseph, sed consobrinos 
Salvatoris, Mariae liberos intelligimus 
materterae Domini, quae esse dicitur mater 
Jacobi minoris et Joseph et Judae, quos 
in alio Evangelii loco fratres Domini le- 
gimus appeliatos. Fratres autem conso- 
brinos dici omnis Scriptura demonstrat.' 
S. Hier. in 3Iatt. xii. 49. col. 639. After 
St. Jerome, St. Augustin embraced this 
opinion: ' Cousanguinei Virgin is Marias 
fratres Domini dicebantur. Erat enim 
consuetudinis Scripturarum appellare fra- 
tres quoslibet consanguineos et cogna- 
tiouis propinquos.' In loan. Tract. 28. 3. 
item Tract. 10. §. 2. et contra Fanstum, 
1. xxii. c. 35. Although therefore he 
seem to be indifferent in his exposition of 
the Epistle to the Galatians, i. 15. 'Ja- 
cobus Domini frater, vel ex filiis Joseph 
de alia uxore, vel ex cognatione Mari<p 
matris ejus, debet intelligi :' yet because 
this exposition was written while he was 
a presbyter, and those before mentioned 
after he was made a bishop ; therefore 
the former was taken for his undoubted 
opinion, and upon his and St. Jerome's 
authority, hath been generally since re- 
ceived in the Latin Church. 



268 ARTICLE III. 

is not fully cleared ; for they which impugned the perpetual 
virginity of the mother of our Lord, urged it farther, pretending 
that as the Scriptures called them the brethren of Christ, so they 
also shewed them to be the sons of Mary the mother of Christ. 
For first, the Jews express them particularly by their names, 
"Is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, 
and Joses, and Simon, and Judas ?" (Matt. xiii. 55.) There- 
fore James and Joses were undoubtedly the brethren of Christ, 
and the same were also as unquestionably sons of Mary for 
among the women at the cross we find ^'Mary Magdalene, 
and Mary the mother of James and Joses." (Matt, xxvii. 56.) 
Again, this Mary they think can be no other than the mother 
of our Lord, because they find her early in the morning at the 
sepulchre with Mary Magdalene and Salome ; (Mark xvi. 1.) 
and it is not probable that any should have more care of the 
body of the son than the mother.-t She then who was certainly 
present at the cross, was not probably absent from the sepul- 
chre : wherefore they conclude, she was the mother of Christ, 
who was the mother of James and Joses, the brethren of 
Christ. 

And now the urging of this argument will produce a greater 
clearness in the solution of the question. For if it appear that 
Mary the mother of James and Joses was different and dis- 
tinguished from Mary the Virgin ; then will it also be appa- 
rent that the brethren of our Lord were the sons of another 
mother, for James and Joses were so called. But we read in 
St. John, that " there stood by the cross of Jesus, his mother, 
and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary 
Magdalene." (John xix. 25.) In the rest of the evangelists we 
find at the same place " Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mo- 
ther of James and Joses (Matt, xxvii. 56. Mark xv. 40.) 
and again at the sepulclire, *' Mary Magdalene and the other 
Mary (Matt, xxviii. 1.) wherefore that other Mary, by the 
conjunction of these testimonies, appeareth to be Mary the wife 
of Cleophas, and the mother of James and Joses; and conse- 
quently James and Joses, the brethren of our Lord, were not 
the sons of Mary his mother, but of the other Mary ,J and there- 
fore called his brethren according to the language of the Jews, 
because that the other Mary was the sister of his mother. 



* From this place Flelvidius argued : 
' Hsec eadem vocabula in alio loco norai- 
nari, et eosdem esse fratres Domini filios 
MariiE.' S. Hier. advers. Helv. col. 444. 
And from the next he concluded : ' Ecce 
Jacobus et Joses, filii Marias, quos Judaei 
fratres appellarunt.' Ibid. col. 445. 

t Here Helvidius exclaiming triumphed: 
Quam miserum erit et impium de Maria 
noc sentire, ut cum aliae foeminae curam 
sepulturae habuerint, matrem ejus dicamus 
absentem !' Ibid, col. 445. 



I ' Jacobus qui appellatur frater Do- 
mini, cognomento Justus, ut nonnulii ex- 
istimant, Joseph ex alia uxore, ut autem 
mihi videtur, Marias sororis Matris Do- 
mini, cujus Joannes in libro suo meminit, 
filius.' S. Hieron. in Calalogo Script. Eccles. 
n. 4. col. 346. * Sicut in sepulcro ubi 
positum est corpus Domini, nee antea 
nec postea mortuus jacuit : sic uterus 
Marise nec antea nec postea quicquam 
mortale suscepit.' S. August, in loan. 
Tract. 28. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



269 



Notwithstanding therefore all these pretensions, there can 
be nothing found to raise the least suspicion of any interrup- 
tion of the ever-blessed Mary's perpetual virginity. For as she 
was a virgin when she conceived, and after she brought forth 
our Saviour; so did she continue in the same state and condi- 
tion, and was commended by our Saviour to his beloved dis- 
ciple, as a mother only now of an adopted son. 

The third consideration belonging to this part of the Article 
is, how this Virgin was a mother, what the foundation was of 
her maternal relation to the Son of God, what is to be attributed 
unto her in this sacred nativity, beside the immediate work of 
the power of the Highest, and the influence of the Holy Ghost. 
For we are here to remember again the most ancient form of 
this Article, briefly thus delivered, born of the Holy Ghost, and 
Virgin Mary ; as also that the word horn^ was not taken pre- 
cisely for the nativity of our Saviour, but as comprehending in 
it whatsoever belonged to his human generation ; and when 
afterward the conception was attributed to the Spirit, the 
nativity to the Virgin ; it was not so to be understood, as if 
the Spirit had conceived him, but the blessed Virgin, by the 
power and operation of the Spirit. 

First, therefore, we must acknowledge a true, real, and pro- 
per conception, by which the Virgin did conceive of her own 
substance the true and real substance of our Saviour,f accord- 
ing to the prediction of the prophet, " Behold, a virgin shall 
conceive," (Isa. vii. 14.) and the annunciation of the angel, 
" Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb. "J (Luke i. 31.) 
From whence our Saviour is expressly termed by Elizabeth 
" the fruit§ of her womb." (Luke i. 42.) 

Secondly, As she did at first really and properly conceive, 
so did she also nourish and increase the same body of our Sa- 
viour, once conceived, by the true substance of her own ; by 
which ''she was found with child of the Holy Ghost," (Matt, 
i. 18.) and is described going with Joseph to be taxed, being 
great with child,"|| (Luke ii. 5,) and pronounced happy by 
that loud cry of the woman in the Gospel, " Blessed is the 
womb that bare thee." (Luke xi. 27.)^ 

Thirdly, When Christ was thus conceived, and grew in the 
womb of the blessed Virgin, she truly and really did bring 
forth a son, by a true and proper parturition ; and Christ thereby 
was properly born, by a true nativity.** For as we read, Eli- 



* rgvv«9lvTa. 

t ' Tantum ad nativitatem carnis ex 
se dedit, quantum ex se fcEminae edendo- 
rum corporum susceptis originibus im- 
pendunt.' S. Hilar. 1. x. de Trinit. c. 15. 

X That is, by a proper conception, c-v\- 
Xa^stv h yas-Tfl: the Syriac in one word 
' ac si dicerea, ventrescere.' So the 
LXX. translated the simple mn 6v yctt^r^l 
Xii^eTAi. As therefore Iv yacrrpi c^^jv ex- 



presseth a proper gravidation, so doth Iv 
■yacTTpl a-uWa0eiv a proper conception. Ac- 
cording to that expression of Gregory Na- 
zianzen : ©Ei'jtS? ^wev, on X'^'P'? "''^J' 
BfooTTMooq Se, OTt Voy.M nvwiooq, Ep. i. ad 
Cledon. 

§ Heb. itan na 

% 'H hoi'K'm h BcLO-Taa-acra cri. 



270 



ARTICLE III. 



zabeth's full time came, that she should be delivered, and she 
brought forth a son (Luke i. 57.) so in the like simplicity of 
expression, and propriety of speech, the same evangelist speaks 
of Mary, ''The days were accomplished that she should be de- 
livered, and she brought forth her first-born son.^' (Luke ii. 6, 7.) 

Wherefore from these three, a true conception, nutrition, 
and parturition, we must acknowledge that the blessed Virgin 
was truly and properly the mother of our Saviour.=^ And so 
is she frequently styled the mother of Jesus, in the language of 
the evangelists, and by Elizabeth particularly, the mother of 
her Lord, as also by the general consent of the Church (because 
he which was born of her was God)t the Deipara ; % w^hich 



aX«93? ovTtt, in ysvovi; Aa/JtS' kclto, trapua, 
vlov Bsov xctra, Bi'hnfA.ct na) ^vva/xiv Qiou, 
j/syewnjotlvov aXjjQa;? In Tra^Qivov, S. Ignat. 
Epist. ad Smyr. c. 1. 

* • Veri et proprii filii quis nisi ab- 
surdissimus neget vere et proprie esse 
matrem'!' Faciuidus 1. i. c. 4. ' Hocet ad 
credendum difficile, et dignum contro- 
versia videbatur, utrum Deum ilia Virgo 
genuerit, CEeterum quod vere et proprie 
genuerit, quicquid est ille quern genuit, 
nnlii dignum disceptationis apparet.' Ibid. 

t TTmi; yap ov Qeoroytog h Qsh vlov 'i'/ova-a. \ 
Theod. Ahucnra, disp. 12. 

t This name was first in use in the 
Greek Church, which delighting in the 
happy compositions of that language, 
called the blessed Virgin ©ejto'xov. From 
whence the Latins iu imitation styled 
her ' Virginem Deiparam et Deigeni- 
tricem.' JMeursius in his Glossary, sets 
the original of this title in the time of 
Justinian : ' Inditum hoc nomen est 
matri Domini ac Servatoris nostri Jesu 
Christi a Synodo V. Constantinopolitana 
tempore Justiniani.' Whereas this was 
not the original, but the confirmation of 
that title. ' In hac Synodo Catholice est 
institutum, ut Beata Maria semper virgo 
©EOToxoj diceretur ; quia sicut catholica 
fides habet, noE hominem solum, sed vere 
Deum et hominem, genuit.' Paul. Waruef. 
de Gest. Lon^obard. 1. vi. c. 14. So speak- 
eth he of the same Synod ; and it is true, 
for the seventh Canon of the same run- 
neth thus : El' Tj? y.a.Ta a.va<^o^a.M n nara.- 
^^n<7Tinui(; QBor'jUov Xsysi rhv ayiav, sv^o^ov, 

aXh^iiav ©ioroKOV avrhv oy.o'KoyBi — o toioStoj 
avaQifML 'ia-Too, Otherwise in this Council 
was but confirmed what had been deter- 
mined and settled long before ; and 
therefore Photius ?ays thereof, epht. 1. 
Avrn h Ivvo^o.'; N£(rroflov TraXiv to. [xia^k 
7J'apa<pvo[xBva. ^oy/xcna £ij to TraVTSXg? s^sQe- 
pi<r£' that it utterly cut off the heresy of 
Nestorius, which then began to grow up 
again. Now part of the heresy of Nes- 



torius, was the denial of this ©esto'xo?, 
and the whole was nothing else but the 
ground of that denial. And therefore 
being he was condemned for denying of 
it, that title must be acknowledged au- 
thentic, which he denied from the time of 
the Council of Ephesus ; in which those 
fathers, saith Photius, expressly : t«v 
Trava^^avrov Koi aBiTrapBivov (Xf kttou) fx^irs^a, 
Kvpiot}^ xai a\nBa>^ naXsXcrBat Kai aviv<pKfxeiirba.i 
©soTOJtcv TTa^ah^xnacri. Epist. 1. And that 
it was so then is manifest, because by 
the denial of this the Nestorian heresy 
was first discovered, not in Nestorius him- 
self, but in his presbyter Anastasius, who 
first in a sermon magisterially delivered : 
©eoroKov rr-iv Mapia-v na.'Kihui fxn^sit;. Socrat. 
Eccl. Hiit. 1. vii. c. 32. and Liber at. Bre- 
viar. c. 4. as also Evagrius and Nicepho- 
rus. Upon which words arising a tumult, 
Nestorius took his presbyter's part, teach- 
ing the same doctrine constantly in the 
Church, aal Travray^oZ rh Xs^iv toZ ©eotshoj 
IxiSaXXaiv. And thereupon the tumult 
grew so great, that a general Council for 
that reason was called by Theodosius 
junior, tou fisaTopiov tw ayiav lAa^iav sTvai 
©eoTOitov a^vovfASvov, as Justinian testifieth, 
Ep. ad V. Synodum. In which, when all 
things seemed clearly to be carried against 
Nestorius and his faction, he hoped to 
have reconciled all by this feigned ac- 
knowledgment : AsyEs-^o) xal ©sotokoj h 
Ma^ia, nai 'uravcraa-^oi} to, "Kwxv^a. Socrat. 
1. vii. c. 34. Liberat. Brev. c. 6. It is 
plain then, that the Council of Ephesus, 
which condemned Nestorius, confirmed 
this title ©EOTOKJc, I say, confirmed it ; for 
it is evident that it was before used in the 
Church, by the tumult which arose at the 
first denial of it by Anastasius ; and so 
confirmed it as received before, because 
they approved the epistles of St. Cyril, 
who proved it by the usage of those 
fathers which preceded him. Where by 
the way it is observable, that while St. 
Cyril produceth nine several fathers for 
the use of this word, and both before 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 271 



being a compound title begun in the Greek Church, was re- 
solved into its parts by the Latins, and so the Virgin was 
plainly named the mother of God.* 



and after he produceth them, affirmeth 
that they all did use it ; there are but 
three of them who expressly mention it, 
Athanasius, Antiochus, and Ammon, 
Epist. ad Pi^eginas de Reel. Fid. p. 47. 
seqq. And it is something to be admired, 
that he should so name the other six, and 
recite those places out of them which had 
it not, when there were before him so many 
beside them that used it. As Gregory 
Nazianzen : El' ri? ol ©soroxov rhv MctpUv 
vTCoXa.fjLQavii, x^^i^ l^ri t^j bsornro?. Epist. 
1. ad Ciedoii. and in his first oration de 
Fitio speaking of the difference of his ge- 
neration from that of others : Tlov j/ip 
Iv roii <roTj 'iyv-jK; Qsotokov Tra^Qivov ; And 
St. Basil asserteth : Ko.ra.Ux^'^^'^i ^^v 
ipi'Kc^^is'TMV Tnv ay.or,v, oti ttste BTrauo'aTo 
eTvxi 'wafiQivog h ©soto'xo?. Horn, in Sanct. 
Christ. Gen- §. 5. And that in the time 
of St. Basil and St. Gregory, this term 
was usual, appeareth by the objection 
of Julian, who derided the Christians 
for thinking God could be born of a 
woman : ©ioroxov S"£ Lfj-Si^oh irctvirQi Ma^tav 
naXoZyri:;. S. Cyril. Alex. c. Jul. 1. vii. 
Before both these Eusebius speaketh of 
Helena, Avho built a church at Bethlehem: 

Kvna-iv fj.-J^ [xcLTi QavfA,a<rroX(; xariHOT/ixii. De 
vita Const. 1. iii. c. 43. And before Eu- 
sebius, Alexander bishop of Alexandria : 
ATra^^f) yeyovev 6 Kupioj h/J^MV lr,^oZq X^ittd?, 

©soToxsy Maoia./;. Ep. ad Alex, apud Theod. 
I. i.e. 4. Before him Dionjsius Alexand. 
calls our Saviour : tov a-apKaiQsvra Ik t^j 
kyiaq va-pQivou Kal QioroKov Masiag. Epist. 
ad Pallium Samosat. p. 276. t. i. Biblioth. 
Patr. Gr. Par. 16'c'4. And speaking of 
the words of Isaiah, " a virgin shall con- 
ceive :" Aeinvvs-iv oti h ©soto'xoj riva crvvs- 
XajSsv, h TTcc^Qsvoi; SnXovoTf. Resp. ad Qucest. 
5. And in the answer to the same ques- 
tion : TIvsufxeLTi ayicii r,^pa(rrai, xai ^nSTUzrai 

'TOV ©Eou, Ma^ict h ©scTO/to?, jtaj TTa^&BVOi;. 
And again : OvrMo-ti \iyei nai mpl tou 
ymrjQivro^ in t^? ©eotoxou. In answer to 
the seventh question : Ata to <f>st;>'£iv ei? 
Aij/uTTTOV TOV 'lKcrr,<^ afxet rf, ©soTOJto) Ma^ix 
Iv aynaXai; <ps^ou-7ri tw naraipuyriv hfxciv. 
And so often. Nay, yet before him 
Origen did not only use, but expound 
at large the meaning of that title ©so- 
To'xof, in his first tome on the Epistle to 
the Romans, as Socrates and Liberatus 
testify. Well therefore did Antiochus, 
bishop of Antioch, urge the ancient fathers 
against Nestorius, calling it : 7rgoV<fopov 



And again : noXXoi"? tSv UaTSpoov y.ai aw- 
rsQh, xat y^a<ph, xa.1 pr,9sv. Touro j/ip 
TO ovofjta, says he, oL^B^i txv 'ExxX»5-tao-Ttx5y 
SiJao-XttXctjy TTct^nrmaf ol' n ya^ 'X^pna-k^ivoi 
avTM woWol xai imia-rifxoi, ol' Ts jU.rj 'X^^no'A- 
fxsvoi ovK lirBXaQcvro TaSv ■)(^^r,s-aij,i\ct}v. Concii. 
Ephes. p. 1. c. 25. 

* x\.lthough ©EoToxoj may be extended 
to signify as much as the mother of God, 
because TtV.TSiv doth sometimes denote as 
much as yenxv, and therefore it hath been 
translated -Dei genitrix as well as Deipara ; 
yet those ancient Greeks which call the 
Virgin ©soto'xo?, did not call her [xnTB^a. 
TOV ©S5U. But the Latins translating 
©EoTo'xoj Dei genitrix, and the Greeks 
translating Dei genitrix Qbov /xnrnp, they 
both at last called her plainly the mother 
of God. The first which the Greeks ob- 
served to style her so, was Leo the Great, 
as was observed by Ephraim Patriarch of 
Theopolis, whose words have been very 
much mistaken by two learned men, Dio- 
nysius Petavius and Leo AUatus, who 
have produced them to prove that Leo 
]Magnus was the first man which ever used 
the word ©soto'xoj. A strange error this 
must needs appear in so great a person 
as a patriarch, and that of the Greek 
Church ; and indeed not imaginable, 
considering how well he was versed in 
those controversies, and how he com- 
pared the words of Leo with those of the 
ancient Greek fathers, and particularly 
of St. Cyril. His words are these in his 
epistle ad Zeuobium : IT^iTo? Iv ayloii; Asan 
tSixij sltiTBV avTaTg XB^sciV, fj^riTvp Bbou 
Brrh h ayia Qbotoho;, rwv vrpo auToU TTctTSptuv 
SjaTTftiytoi? pnfA.as-1 fxh toDto <^a.(xivccv, that is, 
* Leo was the first who in plain terms 
called the ©ectoxo?, that is, Mary, the 
mother of God ; whereas the fathers be- 
fore him spake not the same in express 
words.' Petavius and Allatius have 
clearly mistaken the proposition, making 
the subject the predicate, and the predi- 
cate the subject, as if he had first called 
the mother of God ©eoto'xcj, whereas he 
is said first to call the ©eotoxo? mother of 
God, as appeareth by the article added 
to the subject, not to the predicate. But 
if that be not sufficient, his meaning will 
appear by another passage to the same 
purpose, in his epistle ad Syncleticum : 
"Oti fxnTB^a. Qbov tt^Ztov /uev h 'EXis-a^ET 
avB^TCBV, Iv olq xkyn, Kai iroQiv fxoi tovto, 
I'va, h fxhrno tov K-jpiou fxov IxSn tt/jo? (h.s ; 
la<pBa-TS^ov S"! TaSv aWaiv fxsra ravra rriv 
Xe^jv nspxnror o cVio; Aesjv j YlaTtaq TTpor.viyKS. 



272 



ARTICLE III. 



The necessity of believing our Saviour thus to be born of the 
Virgin Mary, will appear both in respect of her v^ho was the 
mother, and of him who was the son. 

In respect of her it was therefore necessary, that we might 
perpetually preserve an esteem of her person proportionable to 
so high a dignity. It was her own prediction, From hence- 
forth all generations shall call me blessed (Luke i. 48.)* but 
the obligation is ours, to call her, to esteem her so. If Eliza- 
betht cried out with so loud a voice, ** Blessed art thou among 
women," (Ibid. 42.) when Christ was but newly conceived in 
her womb; what expressions of honour and admiration can we 
think sufficient, now that Christ is in heaven, and that mother 
with him ? Far be it from any Christian to derogate from that 
special privilege granted her, which is incommunicable to any 
other.J We cannot bear too reverend a regard unto the * mo- 
ther of our Lord/ so long as we give her not that worship which 
is due unto the Lord himself. Let us keep the language of 
the primitive Church : ' Let her be honoured and esteemed, 
let him be worshipped and adored. *§ 

In respect of him it was necessary, first, that we might be 
assured he was made, or begotten of a woman, and consequently 
that he had from her the true nature of man. " For he took 
not on him the nature of angels," (Heb. ii. 16.) and therefore 
saved none of them, who for want of a Redeemer, are " reserved 
in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the 
great day." (Jude 6.) And man once fallen had been, as de- 
servedly, so irrevocably condemned to the same condition, but 
that ** he took upon him the seed of Abraham." (Heb. ii. 16.) 



Therefore as he took the Lord and Gnd 
to be synonymous ; so he thought Eli- 
zabeth first styled INIary, the mother of 
God, because she called her the mother 
of her Lord; 'and after Elizabeth, Leo 
was the first who plainly styled her 
so, that is, the mother of God.' And that 
we may be yet farther assured of his mind, 
he produceth the words of Leo the pope, 
iu his epistle to Leo the emperor : 'Ava- 
SefXATi^ia-Qo} NEcrroffo?, o rhv fxana^ietv aai 
©soroKov Mapi'av ov^i rov Qsov, avQ^wTTOU Se 
fxovov, <7na-T£va)v sTvct; fjLmi^a.. The sentence 
which he translates is this : ' Anathema- 
tizetur ergo Nestorius, qui beatam Virgi- 
nem Mariam non Dei, sed hominis tan- 
tummodo, credidit genitricem.' E}mt, 
97. c. 1. Where plainly genilrix Dei 
is translated fxriTr)^ ®sov and ©eotoko? is 
added by Ephraim out of custom in the 
subject, being otherwise not at all in Leo's 
words. It is therefore certain that first 
in the Greek Church they termed the 
blessed Virgin ©eotoko?, and the Latins 
from them Dei genitrix, and mater Dei, and 
the Greeks from them again f^nrri^ Gsov, 
upon the authority of Leo, not taking no- 



tice of other Latins, who styled her so 
before him. 

* ' Non fequanda estmulieribus cunctis 
quae genuit majestatem.' Auctor lib. de 
singular. Clericorum. 

t • Elisabet et Zacharias nos docere 
possunt quanto inferiores simt B. Mariee 
matri Domini sanctitate, quae conscia in 
se habitantis Dei libera proclamat, Ecce 
ergo ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes genera- 
tioues.' S. Hier. adv. Pelag. lib. i. col. 831. 

I ' Absit ut quisquam S- Mariam di- 
vinae gratiae privilegiis, ut speciali gloria, 
fraudare conetur.' 

§ 'H Mapla h 'rijuti, o Kwfio? TFposrKWiia-Boii. 
'Ev rifxn 'io-rai Ma^ia, 6 Se Uarh^, xa] Ttof, 
at] ayicv rivsiJ^a 7rf05-HW£tV9a;. T>jv Maplav 
/ufiSsi? tt^oj-kuvei'tw. S. Epiphan. Hares 79. 
^. 7. El Jta^XiVrn h Mapi'a, Kai ayla, Hal 
mifA.niiA.kvn, aXX' ovk eIc to nr^oa-xvyzHa-^ai,. 
Ibid. '"HfXiiQ SI Toov fxh c^a}/j.BVMV SeoXoj/ou/wHv 
ol^iV TMV Si av2;^ct}7roov rovg Iv a^srri 5ia- 

juovov Se tov tmv oXoiv TVf^oay.hvovfji.iv Seov ital 
Trarspct, nal rov e>iBivov ys "koyov, nai to 
'rrava.yiov Ttvtvy.a. Theod. Therupeut. Serm, 
2. p. 302. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



273 



For being we are partakers of flesh and blood," we could ex- 
pect no redemption but by him who " likewise took part of the 
same." (Ibid. 14.) We could look for no Redeemer, but such 
a one who by consanguinity was our brother.* And being 
there is but one Mediator between God and man, the man 
Christ Jesus y we cannot be assured that he was the Christ, 
or is our Jesus, except we be first assured that he was a man. 
Thus our Redeemer, the man Christ Jesus, was born of a wo- 
man, that he might redeem both men and women ;t that both 
sexes might rely upon him, who was of the one, and from 
the other. 

Secondly, It was necessary we should believe our Saviour 
conceived and born of such a woman as was a most pure and 
immaculate virgin. For as it behoved him in all things to be 
made like unto us ; so in that great similitude a dissimilitude 
was as necessary, that he should be without sin." (Heb. iv. 
15.):!: Our Passover is slain, and behold the Lamb that taketh 
away the sins of the world ; but the lamb of the passover must 
be without blemish. Whereas then we draw something of cor- 
ruption and contamination by our seminal traduction from 
the first Adam ; our Saviour hath received the same nature, 
without any culpable inclination, because born of a virgin, 
without any seminal traduction. Our High-priest is " sepa- 
rate from sinners," (Heb. vii. 26.) not only in the actions oJ 
his life, but in the production of his nature. For as Levi was 
in the loins of Abraham,§ and paid tithes in him, and yet 
Christ, though the son of Abraham, did not pay tithes in him, 
but receive them in Melchizedeck : so though we being in the 
loins of Adam, may be all said to sin in him ; yet Christ, who 
descended from the same Adam according to the flesh, was not 
partaker of that sin, but an expiation for it. For he which is 
contained in the seminal virtue of his parent, is some way under 



* Under that notion did the ancient 
Jews expect him, as appeareth by the Tar- 
gum, Cantic.viii. 7 . kd'pq "b^nx K2m N'-nnm 

nab K2r2j; «nn xriX When the Messias shall 
reveal himself , the sons of Israel shall say 
unto him, Thou shult be unto us a brother, 

t • Hominis liberatio in utroque sexix 
debuit apparere. Ergo, quia virum opor- 
tebat suscipere, qui sexus honorabilior 
est, conveniens erat ut foeminei sexus 
liberatio hiuc appareret, quod ille vir de 
foemina natus est.' S. August. Qutsst. lib. 
Ixxxiii. q. 11. ' Nolite vos ipsos contem- 
nere, viri, filius Dei virura suscepit : no- 
lite vos ipsas coiitemnere, foemiuse, filius 
Dei natus ex foemina est.* Idem de 
Agone Christiano, c. xi. §. 12. 

t ' Non eum in peccatis mater ejus 
in utero aluic, quem Virgo concepit, Virgo 
peperit.' S. Aug LSt. Tract. 4. in loan. 



10. ' Ergo ecce Agnus Dei. Non ha- 
beat iste traducem de Adam ; carnem 
tantum sumpsit de Adam, peccatum non 
assumpsit.' Ibid. ' Verbum caro factum 
in similitudine carnis peccata omnia 
nostra suscepit, nullum reatus vitium 
ferens ex traduce praevaricationis exor- 
tum.' loan. IV. Epist. ad Constantintuu. 

§ ' Levi in Jumbis Abrahae fuit, secun- 
dum concupiscentiamcarnalem; Ghristus 
autem, secundum solam substantiam cor- 
poralem. Cum enim sit in semine et 
visibilis corpulentia et invisibilis ratio, 
utrumque cucurrit ex Abraham, vel etiam 
ex ipso Adam, usque ad corpus Marice, 
quia et ipsum eo modo conceptum et ex- 
ortum est : Christus autem visibilem car- 
nis substantiam de carne Virginis sump- 
sit ; ratio vero conceptionis ejus non a 
semine virili, sed Jonge aliter ac desuper 
venit.' 5. August, de Gen. ad lit. 1. x.c. 1^0. 



274 



ARTICLE III. 



his natural power, and therefore may be in some manner con- 
cerned in his actions : but he who is only from him by his na- 
tural substance according to a passive or obediential power, 
and so receiveth not his propagation from him, cannot be so 
included in him, as to be obliged by his actions, or obnoxious 
to his demerits. 

Thirdly, It w^as necessary that we should believe Christ 
born of that person, that Virgin Mary which was espoused unto 
Joseph, that thereby we might be assured that he was of the 
family of David. For whatsoever promises were made of the 
Messias, were appropriated unto him. As the seed of the woman 
was first contracted to the seed of Abraham, so the seed of Abra- 
ham was next appropriated to the Son of David. He was to '* be 
called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God was to give unto 
him the throne of his father David." (Luke i. 32.) When Jesus 
asked the Pharisees, " What think ye of Christ ? whose son is 
he? they said unto him. The son of David." (Matt. xxii. 42.) 
When Herod demanded of the chief priests and scribes, " where 
Christ should be born ; they said unto him, In Bethlehem of 
Judea," (Matt. ii. 4, 5.) because that was ^' the city of David," 
whither Joseph went up with Mary, his espoused wife, because 
he was of the house and lineage of David," (Luke ii. 4.) 
After John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, was born, 
Zacharias blessed the Lord God of Israel, who had raised up 
a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David." 
(Luke i. 69.) The ** woman of Canaan," the *' blind men sitting 
by the way-side," and those other " blind that follow^ed him," 
cried out, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David." 
(Matt, XV. 22. XX. 30. ix. 27.) The very children, out of whose 
mouths God perfected praise, were " crying in the temple, and 
saying, Hosannah to the Son of David." (Matt. xxi. 15.) And 
when the blind and dumb both spake and saw, all the peo- 
ple were amazed, and said, Is not this the Son of David ?" 
(Matt. xii. 23.) Thus by the public and concurrent testi- 
monies of all the Jews, the promised Messias was to come of 
the house and lineage of David ; for ** God had sworn with an 
oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh 
he would raise up Christ to sit upon his throne." (Acts ii. 30.)* 
It was therefore necessary we should believe that our Saviour 
** was made of the seed of David according to the flesh 
(Rom. i. 3.) of which we are assured, because he was born of 
that Virgin Mary who descended from him, and was espoused 
unto Joseph, who descended from the same, that thereby his 
genealogy might be known. 

The consideration of all which will at last lead us to a clear 

* ' Atqui hinc magis Christum intelligere debebis ex David deputatum car- 
nali genere, ob Marize Virginis censum. De hoc enim promisso juratur in Psalmo 
ad David, Ex JrucH ventris tui collocabo super thromim tuum.' Tertull. 1. iii. adv. 
Marciomm, c. ^0. 



BORN OF THE VIRGIN MARY. 



275 



explication of this latter branch of the Article, whereby every 
Christian may inform himself what he is bound to profess, 
and being informed, fully express what is the object of his 
faith in this particular, when he saith, I believe in Jesus Christ 
who was born of the Virgin Mary. For hereby he is conceived 
to intend thus much : I assent unto this as a most certain and 
infallible truth, that there was a certain woman, know^n by the 
name of Mary, espoused unto Joseph of Nazareth, which before 
and after her espousals was a pure and unspotted virgin, and 
being and continuing in the same virginity, did, by the imme- 
diate operation of the Holy Ghost, conceive within her w^omb 
the only-begotten Son of God, and, after the natural time of 
other women, brought him forth as her first-born son, conti- 
nuing still a most pure and immaculate virgin; whereby the 
Saviour of the World w^as born of a woman under the Law, 
without the least pretence of any original corruption, that he 
might deliver us from the guilt of sin ; born of that Virgin 
which was of the house and lineage of David, that he might 
sit upon his throne, and rule for evermore. And in this lati- 
tude I profess to believe in Jesus Christ, born of the 
Virgin Mary. 



ARTICLE IV. 

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, ivas crucified, dead, and buried. 

This Article hath also received some accession in the parti- 
cular expressions of Chrisfs humiliation. For the first word 
of it, now generally speaking of his passion, in the most an- 
cient Creeds was no way distinguished from his crucifixion ; 
for as we say, suffered and crucified, they only crucified under 
Pontius Pilate :* nor was his crucifixion distinguished from 



* 'Crucifixus sub Pontio Pilato, et 
sepultus.' Ruffin. in Symb. §, 16. Cassi- 
anus de incarn. Doinvii, I. vi. c. 4. ' Cre- 
dimus in eum qui sub Pontio Pilato cru- 
cifixus estet sepultus.' S. August, de Fide 
et Symb. c. v. §. 11. et de Trinitat. I. i. c. 
14. ' Caput nostrum Christus est, cru- 
cifixum et sepultum, resuscitatum as- 
cenditin coelum.' Idem, in Psal. cxxxii. 
' Qui sub Pontio Pilato crucifixus est et 
sepultus.' Mar. Taurin. CJirysol. Euseb. 
Gallic, de Symb. Horn. ii. p. br>i. Tov ett; 
IToVTtou njXttTOLi s-Tayga-'S'ivTa, Ta.ifVjra.. ' Qui 
sub Pontio Pilato crucifixus et sepultus.' 
MSS. Armach. And besides these, a 
witness without exception, Leo the Great : 
' Unigenitum Filium Dei crucifixum et 
sepultum, omnes etiam in Sjmbolo confi- 



temur.' Epist. x. c. 5. Afterwards the 
Passion was expressed : ' Passus sub 
Pontio Pilato, crucifixus et sepultus.' 
Etherius Uxam. And the Death: ' Pas- 
sus sub Pontio Pilato, crucifixus, mortuus, 
et sepultus.' Auctor lib. de Symb. ad 
Cutechnm. §. 6. Not but both these were 
expressed before in the rule of faith by 
TertuUian, but without particular men- 
tion of the crucifixion. Adv. Prax. c. "2. 
' hunc passum, hunc mortuum, et sepul- 
tum:' as Optatus : * Passus, mortuus, et 
sepultus resurrexit.' lib. 1. c. 1. ' Passus, 
sepultus, et tertia die resurrexit.* Capital. 
Caroli 82. And generally the ancients 
did understand determinately his cruci- 
fying, by that more comprehensive name 
of his suffering. For as Marcellus and 

2 



276 



ARTICLE IV. 



his death, but where we read, crucified, dead, and buried, they 
only, crucified and buried. Because the chief of his sufferings 
were on the cross, and he gave up the ghost there ; therefore 
his whole passion and his death were comprehended in his 
crucifixion. 

But again, being he suffered not only on the cross; being 
it was possible he might have been affixed to that cursed tree, 
and yet not have died ; therefore the Church thought fit to 
add the rest of his sufferings, as antecedent, and his death, as 
consequent to his crucifixion. 

To begin then with his passion in general. In those words, 
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, we are to consider part as 
substantial, part as circumstantial. The substance of this 
part of the Article consisteth in our Saviour's passion, he suf- 
fered: the circumstance of time is added, declared by the pre- 
sent governor, under Pontius Pilate. 

Now for the explication of our Saviour's passion, as dis- 
tinct from those particulars which follow in the Article, more 
I conceive, cannot be required, than that we shew, who it was 
that suffered, how he suffered, what it was he suffered. 

First, If we would clearly understand him that suffered in 
his full relation to his passion, we must consider him both in 
his office, and his person; as Jesus Christ, and as the onli/- 
begotten Son of God. In respect of his office, we believe that he 
who was the Christ did suffer ; and so we make profession to 
be saved by faith in a suffering Messias. Of which that we 
may give a just account, first, We must prove that the pro- 
mised Messias was to suffer : for if he were not, then by pro- 
fessing that our Jesus suffered, we should declare he was not 
Christ. Secondly, We must shew that Jesus, whom we believe 
to be the Messias, did really and truly suffer : for if he did not, 
then while we proved the true Messias was to suffer, we should 
conclude our Jesus was not that Messias. Thirdly, It will be 
farther advantageous for the illustration of this truth, to mani- 
fest that the sufferings of the Messias were determined and 
foretold, as those by which he should be known. And fourthly, 
It will then be necessary to shew that our Jesus did truly suf- 
fer whatsoever was determined and foretold. And more than 
this cannot be necessary to declare who it was that suffered, in 
relation to his office. 

For the first of these, that the promised Messias was to suf- 
fer, to all Christians it is unquestionable ; because our Saviour 
did constantly instruct the apostles in this truth, both before 
his death, that they might expect it, (Mark ix. 12.) and after, 
that they might be confirmed by it. (Luke xxiv. 26. 46.) 



St. Cyril have a-rav^a>6ivra. nal ra^ivra, 
Eusebius and tte Nicene Council to the 
same purpose, have TraQovTo. only in their 
Creeds. As Clemens Alex. Foidag. 1. ii. c. 



3. Tr,V Elf ©£0V •BTt'c-TlV, £1? TTa&OVTa OfAOKO^ 

yiav. Which was farther enlarged after- 
wards by the Council of Constantinople 
into iJTaypw&EVTajXai Tta^ovTci., koI ra^'tura,. 



SUFFERED. 



277 



And one part of the doctrine which St. Paul disseminated 
through the world was this, " that the Christ must needs have 
suffered." (Acts xvii. 3.) 

But because these testimonies will satisfy only such as be- 
lieve in Jesus, and our Saviour himself did refer the disbelieving 
Jews to the Law and the Prophets, as those who testified of 
him ; we will shew from thence, even from the oracles com- 
mitted to the Jews, *' how it was written of the Son of man, 
that he must suffer many things,'' (Mark ix. 12.) and "how 
the Spirit of Christ which was in the prophets testified before- 
hand the sufferings of Christ." (1 Pet. i. 11.) 

The fifty-third chapter of Isaiah is beyond all question a sad, 
but clear description of a suffering person : " a man of sor- 
rows and acquainted with grief," " oppressed and afflicted," 
"wounded and bruised," "brought to the slaughter," and 
" cut off out of the land of the living." But the person of 
whom that chapter treateth was certainly the MessiaSy as we 
have formerly proved by the confession of the most ancient 
Jews, and may farther be evidenced both from them and from 
the place itself.''^ For surely no man's soul can be " made an 



* Page 131, we shewed by the autho- 
rity of the Targum, the Bereshith Rab- 
ba, and the Midrash upon Ruth, and by 
the confession of Solomon Jarchi and 
Moses Alshech, that the ancient Rab- 
bins did interpret that chapter of the 
Messias : which might seem a sufficient 
acknowledgment. But because this is 
the most considerable controversy be- 
tween us and the Jews, it will not seem 
unnecessary to prove the same truth by 
further testimonies. In the Talmud Cod. 
Sanhedrin, to the question, What is the 
name of the Messias ? it is answered, XTivn 
the leper. And the reason of the name 
is there rendered, nnx^U* because it is 
spoken in this, Isa. liii. 4. " Surely he 
hath borne our griefs, and carried our sor- 
rows : yet we did esteem him stricken," 
i. e. And because j;33n is used 

of the leprosy, Levit. xiii. l3. therefore 
from yi32 they concluded his name to 
be a leper, and consequently did inter- 
pret that place of the Messias. In the 
Pesikta it is written, nm'i nn'n K-^nn 
IT'U^Dn ' God produced the soul of the Mes- 
sias, and said unto him. Wilt thou re- 
deem my sons after six thousand years 1 
He answered, I will. Wilt thou bear the 
chastisements, to take away their sinsl 

KU'D Kin is-^bn n'-nan Ninn as it is 

written, Isa. liii. 4. Surely he hath 
borne our griefs 1" And he answered, I 
will bear them with joy.' Which is a 
clear testimony, considering the opinion 
of the Jews, that all souls of men were 
created in the beginning, and so the 
soul of the Messias to suflfer for the 



rest. The shift of the Jews, turning 
these expressions oflF from the Messias, 
and attributing of them to the people as 
to one, is something ancient : for we 
find that Origen was urged with that 
exposition, in a disputation with the 
Jews : lAk[x\v[xa.i 5s ttote Iv tivi 'tt^o^ rovf 

TaT? TTfo^nreiaif TaCrctn; ^^ns-a/xevo;' l^' oZ; 

TTsfi evog rov oXov mX yivofxivov Iv Jjaa-ffopa 
xai TrXrij/EVTO?, I'va ttoXXoj Tt^oa-h'KvTiii y'ivxvra.1 
'UJ^o^ka-ii rov iTrsyTra^Qat 'lov^aiou; To~f 
TToXXoT; eQv£iti. adv. Cels. 1. i. c. 55. Thus 
the Jew interpreted those places, Isa. Ui. 
14. " His visage was so marred more than 
any man," lii. 15. " that which had not 
been told them, they shall see," liii. 3. 
" a man of sorrows and acquainted with 
grief ;" and applied them to the people 
of Israel in their dispersions. But Ori- 
gen did easily refute him, by retorting 
other places of the same prophecy ; as 
liii. 4. " Surely he hath borne our griefs, 
and carried our sorrows," ver. 5. " He 
was wounded for our transgressions, he 
was bruised for our iniquities, and with 
his stripes are we healed :" la<pooi yag, 
says he, ol Iv raf? afxa^riaii ytvofxivoi, not 
laQevTB?, Ik toZ tov iMrn^a. irsTTovQivat, snr' 
a'OJo rou Xaou IxbIvov, etrs Kol ol awo tSsv 19- 
vuv, raZra Xsyova-t. Ibid. But especially 
he confounded the Jew with those words 
of the 8th verse, '* He was cut off out 
of the land of the living, for the trans- 
gressions of my people was he stricken 
MaXttTTtt 5e l^o^ctfxiv fiXt'^siv aTTo nrnt <^aa"Xou- 
Xl^sa;; to, 'Awo to5v avofjtiSiy rov "KctA 



278 



ARTICLE IV. 



offering fov our sins," but our Saviour's : nor hath God "laid 
on any man the iniquity of us all/' but on our Redeemer. 
*' Upon" no person but the Messias ** could the chastisement 
of our peace" be ; nor with any stripes could we be healed'* 
but his. It is sufficiently then demonstrated by the prophet, 
that the suffering person whom he describes was to be the 
Christ, in that hectare our griefs," and carried our sorrows." 

This prediction is so clear, ever since the serpent was to 
bruise the heel of the woman's seed," that the Jews, who were 
resolved to expect a Messias which should be only glorious, 
have been enforced to invent another, which should suffer. 
And then they answer us with a distinction of their own inven- 
tion ; that a Messias was to redeem us, and a Messias was to 
suffer for us : but the same Messias was not both to redeem us 
and to suffer for us. For they say that there are two several 
persons promised under the name of the Messias ;^ one of the 
tribe of Ephraim, the other of the tribe of Judah; one the son 
of Joseph, the other the son of David ; the one to precede, 
fight, and suffer death, the other to follow, conquer, reign, and 
never to die. If then our Saviour were a Christ, we must con- 
fess he was a suffering Messias, and, consequently, according 
to their doctrine, not a Saviour. For if he were the son of 
David, then, say they, he was never to die ; or if he ever died, 
he was not that Messias which was promised to sit upon the 
throne of David. And while we confess our Saviour died, and 
withal assert his descent from the house of David, we do, in 
their opinion, involve ourselves in a contradiction. 

But this distinction of a double Messias, is far from prevail- 
ing over our belief : first, because it is in itself false, and there- 
fore of no validity against us ; secondly, because it was first 
invented to counterfeit the truth, and so very advantageous 
to us. 



fAov Hif Quvarov. Ei ya^ o "haoq Kara 

txtlvovq nla-h ol 'n'fo<priT£vo/xsvoi, 'TtSoq a<no riv 
avofA-iMV Tov "kaov tou ©sou "kiyZTai ri^Bai Et; 
^avarov ovrog, bI y,h 'in^oq obv Trapa, tov Xaov 
Tov Qeou ; t;'j S' oZrog, el (xh ^ln(7ovi X^ia-Toq ; 
Ibid. 

* So indeed the Jews expected a dou- 
ble Messias, one ?)DV p IT'tt'D Messias the 
son of Joseph, the other in n'^U'D Mes- 
sias the son of David. See the Targum 
expressly upon Canticles, iv. 5. ^-nn 

D"'"i3K m Two are thy deliverers which 
shall deliver thee, Messias the son of David, 
and Messias the son of Ephraim : and in 
the same manner, chap. vii. 3. This, 
that paraphrast, nothing so ancient as 
the rest, is conceived to have taken out 
of the Talmi-.d in Massecheth Succa, 
where cap. 5. inscribed b-bnn, God saith 
to Messias the son of David, nD bnv 
tt'pao nriK Ask what thou wilt (according 



to the second Psalm), and I will give it 
thee. ain^TT ^vr p n-trttb TMcriM/ Who 
seeing the Messias the son of Joseph which 
was slain, asked of God nothing but life. 
Thus from the Talmud and the latter 
Targum, the Rabbins have generally 
taught a double Messias, one the son of 
David, the other of Joseph. As Solomon 
Jarchi, Isa. xxiv. 18. Zech. xii. 10. Aben 
Ezra, Zech. ix. 9. Malach. iii. 1. Kimchi, 
Zech. xii. 10. whom the latter Jews con- 
stantly follow. And this Marcion the 
heretic seems to have learned of the 
Jews, and to have taught with some al- 
teration in favour of his own opinion : 
' Constituit Marcion alium esse Christum, 
qui Tiberianis temporibus a Deo quon- 
dam ignoto revelatus sit in salutcm om- 
nium gentium ; alium, qui a Deo cieatoie 
in restitutionem Judaici status sit defrt'- 
natus, quandoque venturus.' Terttiic. cuv. 
Marcion. 1, iv. c. 6. 



SUFFERED. 



279 



That it is in itself false, will appear, because the Scriptures 
never mention any Messias of the tribe of Ephraim, neither was 
there ever any promise of that nature made to any of the sons 
or offspring of Joseph. Besides, as we acknowledge but one 
Mediator between God and man, so the Scriptures never men- 
tion any Messias but one. Under whatsoever title he is repre- 
sented to us, there can be no pretence for a double person. 
Whether the '* seed of the woman, or the seed of Abraham," 
whether ** Shiloh," or the ^' son of David," still one person 
promised : and the style of the ancient Jews before our Sa- 
viour was, not they, but he, which is to come.^ The question 
which was asked him, when he professed himself to be Christ, 
was, whether it was he which was to come, or whether they were 
to look for another^ Not that they could look for him, and 
for another also. The objection then was, that Elias was not 
yet come, and therefore they expected no Messias till Elias 
came. Nor can the difference of the Messias's condition be 
any true reason of imagining a double person, because in the 
same place the prophets, (Zech. ix. 9. Isa. ix. 6.) speaking of 
the same person, indifferently represent him in either condi- 
tion. Being then, by the confession of all the Jews, one Mes- 
sias was to be the son of David, whom Elias was to precede; 
being by the tenor of the Scriptures there was never promise 
made of more Christs than one, and never the least mention 
of the tribe of Ephraim with any such relation ; it followeth, 
that that distinction is in itself false. 

Again, that the same distinction, framed and contrived 
against us, must needs be in any indifferent person's judgment 
advantageous to us, will appear, because the very invention of 
a double person is a plain confession of a twofold condition; 
and the different relations, which they prove not, are a con- 
vincing argument for the distinct economies, which they deny 
not. Why should they pretend to expect one to die, and an- 
other to triumph, but that the true Messias was both to tri- 
umph and to die, to be humbled and to be exalted, to put on 
the rags of our infirmity before the robe of majesty and im- 
mortality? Why should they tell of one Mediator to be con- 
quered, and the other to be victorious, but that the serpent was 
to bruise the heel of the seed of the woman, and the same seed 
to bruise his head? Thus, even while they endeavour to elude, 
they confirm our faith; and, as if they were still under the 
cloud, their error is but as a shadow^ to give a lustre to our truth. 
And so our first assertion remaineth firm ; the Messias was to 
suffer. 

Secondly, that Jesus, whom we believe to be Christ, did 
suffer, we shall not need to prove, because it is freely confessed 
by all his enemies. The Gentiles acknowledged it; the Jews 
triumphed at it. And we may well take that for granted, which 



280 



ARTICLE IV. 



is so far from being denied, that it is objected. If hunger and 
thirst, if revilings and contempt, if sorrows and agonies, if 
stripes and biift'etings, if condemnation and crucifixion, be suf- 
ferings, Jesws suffered. If the infirmities of our nature, if the 
weight of our sins, if the mahce of man, if the machinations of 
Satan, if the hand of God could make him suffer, our Saviour 
suffered. If the annals of times, if the writings of his apostles, 
if the death of his martyrs, if the confession of the Gentiles, 
if the scoffs of the Jews, be testimonies, Jesus suffered. Nor 
was there ever any wbich thought he did not really and truly 
suffer, but such as withal irrationally pretended he was not 
really and truly man.* 

Thirdly, to come yet nearer to the particular acknowledg- 
ment of this truth, we shall further shew that the promised 
Messias was not only engaged to suffer for us, but by a certain 
and express agreement betwixt him and the Father, the mea- 
sure and manner of his sufferings were determined, in order to 
the redemption itself which was thereby to be wrought; and 
what was so resolved, was before his coming in the flesh re- 
vealed to the prophets, and written by them, in order to the 
reception of the Messias, and the acceptation of the benefits to 
be procured by his sufferings. 

That what the Messias was to undergo for us was predeter- 



* Those which were called by the 
Greeks Aox^jrat and <Pa.vra!ria(rral, who 
taught that Christ was man only putative, 
and came into the world only in phanta- 
srnate, and consequently that he did only 
putatiie pati. These were called Aonnrctl, 
not from their author, but from their opi- 
nion, that Christ did all things only I? 
S'oxiij-si, in appearance, not reality. As 
Clemens Alexandrinus : Txv a\§ic-£ujv al 

Ttti, ioq h tSv AoKnTitv. Strom. 1. vii. c, 17. 
fin. viz. 0? SoxricrEt Xfto'TOV 7ri<pavt^ct)S'^ai 
vTrixaBov. Id. 1. vi. ' Neque in phantasia, 
id est, absque came, sicut Valentinus 
asserit, neque de thesi, putative imagi- 
natum, sed verum corpus/ Gennad. de 
Eccl. Dogm. c. 2. Where, for de thesi, I 
suppose we should read S'uxnjs;. The 
original of this train of heretics is to be 
fetched from Simon JMagus, whose asser- 
tion was : ' Christum nec venisse, nec a 
Judseis quicquam pertulisse.' S. August. 
Hares. 1. Wherefore making himself the 
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, he affirmed, 
' se in Filii persona putative apoaruisse,^ 
and so that he suffered as the Son 
amongst the Jews : aXj^-^e/ct fxh TTSTrov^ivai 
ttXXtt Soxi^sTEj fxovov. Damasc. de Hceres. 
Now what Simon Magus said of himself, 
when he made himself the Son, that those 
who followed affirmed of Christ. As 
Saturninus, who taught : ' Christum in 



substantia nou fuisse, et phantasmate 
tantum quasi passura fuisse.' Tertull. de 
Frcssc. adv. HcEret. c. 46. Vide Epiph. 
7nutilum, Hcer. 23. §. 1. And Basilides, 
who delivered : aJvai rlv XjIsttcv <pavTag-ia,y 
iv tS <palvs:r'bAi, /uh sTvaj av&jwTrov, fxij^s 
aapKo, Bl\ri<psvai. — ovp(l ^IriO-oiv <pa.s-}ia:y TTETTOV- 
^ivai, aXXa lifACuva tov K.v^tiVa7ov, S. Epi- 
phau. Hcer. 24. §. 3. 'A Judzeis non 
credunt Christum crucifixum, sed Simo- 
nera Cyrenensem, qui angariatus sustulit 
crucem ejus.' S. August. Her. 4. Thus 
the Valentinians, particularly Marcus, 
the father of the Marcosian heretics : 
' Marcus etiam nescio quis Ha;resim con- 
didit, negans resurrectionem carnis, et 
Christum non vere, sed putative, passum 
asseverans.' S. August. Hver. 14. Thus 
Cerdon : ' Christum in substantia carnis 
negat, in phantasmate solo fuisse pro- 
nunciat, nec omnino passum, sed quasi 
passum,' Tertull, Prcssc. c. 51. ' Christum 
ipsum neque natum ex fosmina, neque 
habuisse carnem, nec vere mortuum, vel 
quicquam passum, sed simulasse passi- 
onem.' S. August. Hcrr. 21. And the 
Manichees, who taught : ' Christum non 
fuisse in carne vera, sed simulatam spe- 
ciem carnis ludificandis humanis sensibxjs 
pr?sbuisse ; ubi uon solum mortem, verum 
etiam resurrectionem mentiretur.' Idem, 
Hc£r.4:6. "Whom thereforeVincentius Liri- 
nensis calls phantcusiic prcedicatorc$, c 20. 



SUFFERED. 



281 



mined and decreed, appeareth by the timely acknowledgment 
of the Church unto the Father : " Of a truth, against thy holy 
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pon- 
tius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were 
gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy 
counsel determined before to be done/' (Acts iv. 27, 28.) For 
as when the two goats were presented before the Lord, that 
goat was to be oflPered for a sin-offering, upon w^hich the lot of 
the Lord should fall; and that lot of the Lord was lift up on 
high in the hand of the high-priest, and then laid upon the 
head of the goat which was to die : (Lev. xvi. 8.) so the hand 
of God is said to have determined what should be done unto 
our Saviour, whose passion was typified by that sin-offering. 
And well may we say that the hand of God, as well as his 
counsel, determined his passion, because he was delivered by 
the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God." (Acts 
ii. 23.) 

And this determination of God's counsel was thus made upon 
a covenant or agreement between the Father and the Son, in 
which it was concluded by them both what he should suffer, 
what he should receive. For beside the covenant made by 
God and m-an, confirmed by the blood of Christ, we must con- 
sider and acknowledge another covenant from eternity, made 
by the Father with the Son. Which partly is expressed by the 
prophet, ** If he shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall 
see his seed, he shall prolong his days;" (Isa. liii. 10.) partly 
by the apostle, "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the 
book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God." (Heb. x. 7.) 
In the condition of making his soul an offering for sin," we 
see propounded whatsoever he suffered ; in the acceptation, 
*' Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," we see undertaken what- 
soever was propounded. The determination therefore of our 
Saviour's passion was made by covenant of the Father who 
sent, and the Son who suffered. 

And as the sufferings of the Messias were thus agreed on by 
consent, and determined by the counsel of God ; so they were 
revealed by the Spirit of God unto the prophets, and by them 
delivered unto the Church ; they were involved in the types, 
and acted in the sacrifices. Whether therefore we consider 
the prophecies spoken by God in the mouths of men, they 
clearly relate unto his sufferings by proper prediction ; or whe- 
ther we look upon the ceremonial performances, they exhibit 
the same by an active representation. St. Paul's apology was 
clear, that he said none other things but those which the 
prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should 
suffer." (Acts xxvi. 22.) The prophets said in express terms, 
that the Messias, whom they foretold, should suffer : Moses 
said so in those ceremonies which were instituted by his mi- 
nistry. When he caused the Passover to be slain, he said that 



282 ARTICLE IV. |. 

Shiloh was the Lamb slain before the foundations of the World. 
Wlien he set the brazen serpent up in the wilderness, he said, 
the So?i of man should be lifted up upon the cross. When he 
commanded all the sacrifices for sin, he said, without effusion 
of blood there was no remission, and therefore the Son of God 
must die for the sins of men. When he appointed Aaron to 
go into the Holy of Holies on the day of atonement, he said, 
Christ, our High-priest, should never enter through the veil 
into the highest heavens, to make expiation for us, but by his 
own blood. If then we look upon the fountain, the eternal 
counsel of the will of God ; if we look upon the revelation of 
that counsel, either in express predictions, or ceremonial re- 
presentations, we shall clearly see the truth of our third asser- 
tion, that the sufferings of the promised Messias were prede- 
termined and foretold. 

Now all these sufferings which w^ere thus agreed, determined, 
and revealed, as belonging to the true Messias, were undergone 
by that Jesus of Nazareth, whom we believe to be the true 
Christ. Never was there any suffering type which he outwent 
not, never prediction of any passion which he fulfilled not, 
never any expression of grief and sorrow which he felt not. 
When the appointed time of his death approached, he said to 
his apostles, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things 
that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man 
shall be accomplished." (Luke xviii. 31.) When he delivered 
them the blessed sacrament, the commemoration of his death, 
he said, " Truly the Son of man goeth as it was determined." 
(Luke xxii. 22.)^ After his resurrection, he chastised the dul- 
ness of his disciples, who were so overwhelmed with his pas- 
sion, that they could not look back upon the antecedent pre- 
dictions ; saying unto them, " O fools, and slow of heart to 
believe all that the prophets have spoken ! Ought not Christ 
to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory V 
(Luke xxiv. 25, 26.) After his ascension, St. Peter made this 
profession before the Jews, who had those prophecies, and saw 
his sufferings, " Those things which God before had shewed 
by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he 
hath so fulfilled." (Acts iii. 18.) Whatsoever therefore was 
determined by the counsel of God ; whatsoever was revealed 
by the prophets concerning the sufferings of the Messias, was 
all fulfilled by that Jesus whom we believe to be, and worship 
as, the Christ. Which is the fourth and last assertion pro- 
pounded to express our Saviour's passion in relation to his 
office. 

Having considered him that suffered in his office, we are next 
to consider him in his person. And being in all this Article 
there is no person expressly named or described, we must look 
back upon the former, till we find his description and his name. 

* Kara to ii^nrfiisvov. 



SUFFERED. 



283 



Tho Article immediately preceding leaves us in the same sus- 
pension ; but for our satisfaction refers us to the former, where 
we find him named Jesus, and described the onli/ begotten Son 
of' G od. 

Now this Son of God we have already shewn to be therefore 
truly called the only -begotten, because he was from all eternity 
generated of the essence of the Father, and therefore is, as the 
eternal Son, so also the eternal God. Wherefore by the im- 
mediate coherence of the Articles, and necessary consequence 
of the Creed,* it plainly appeareth, that the eternal Son of 
God, God of God, very God of very God, suffered under Pon- 
tius Pilate^ was crucified, dead and buried. For it was no other 
person who suffered under Pontius Pilate, than he who was born 
of the Virgin Mari/ ; he who was born of the Virgin Mary, was 
no other person than he who was conceived by the Floly Ghost ; 
he who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, was no other person 
than our Lord; and that our Lord no other than the only Son 
of God ; therefore by the immediate coherence of the Articles 
it followeth, that the only Son of God, our Lord, suffered under 
Pontius Pilate. That Word which was in the beginning, which 
then was with God, and was God, in the fulness of time being 
made flesh, did suffer. For the princes of this world '* cruci- 
fied the Lord of glory ;" (1 Cor. ii. 8.) and " God purchased 
his Church with his own blood." (Acts xx.28.)t That person 
who was begotten of the Father before all worlds, and so was 
really the Lord of glory, and most truly God, took upon him 
the nature of man, and in that nature being still the san^e per- 
son which before he was, did suffer. When our Saviour fasted 
forty days, there was no other person hungry, than that Son of 
God who made the world : when he sat down weary by the 
well, there was no other person felt that thirst, but he who was 
eternally begotten of the Father, the fountain of the Deity : 
when he was buffeted and scourged, there was no other person 
sensible of those pains, than that eternal Word which before 
all worlds was impassible : when he was crucified and died, 
there was no other person which gave up the ghost, but the 
Son of him, and so of the same nature with him, " who only 
hath immortality." (1 Tim. vi. 16.) And thus we conclude 
our first consideration propounded, viz. Who it was that suf- 
fered : afiirming that, in respect of his office, it was the Mes- 
sias ; in respect of his person, it was God the Son, 

But the perfect probation and illustration of this truth re- 
quireth first a view of the second particular propounded. How, 
or in what he suffered. For while we prove the person suffering 
to be God, we may seem to deny the passion, of which the per- 

* This is that inseparabilis coimexio in auctoritas, et Apostolus tradidit, dicens, 

the Creed, which Cassianus urgeth so Si enim cognovissent, nunquam Domiaum 

much against Nestorius, De Incarn. 1. vi. gloriae crucifixissent.' Vigil, adven. £u- 

t ' Dominura passum symboli tenet iych. 1. ii. §. 8. 



284 



ARTICLE IV. 



fection of the Godhead is incapable. The divine nature is of 
infinite and eternal happiness, never to be disturbed by the least 
degree of infelicity, and therefore subject to no sense of misery. 
Wherefore while we profess that the Son of God did suffer for 
us, we must so far explain our assertion, as to deny that the 
divine nature of our Saviour suffered. For being the divine 
nature of the Son is common to the Father and the Spirit, if 
that had been the subject of his passion, then must the Father 
and the Spirit have suffered. Wherefore as we ascribe the 
passion to the Son alone, so must we attribute it to that nature 
which is his alone, that is, the human. And then neither the 
Father nor the Spirit will appear to suffer, because neither the 
Father nor the Spirit, but the Son alone, is man, and so capa- 
ble of suffering. 

Whereas then the humanity of Christ consisteth of a soul 
and body, these were the proper subject of his passion; nor 
could he suffer any thing but in both or either of these two. 
For as the Word was made flesh,'' (John i. 14.) though the 
Word was never made* (as being in the beginning God), but 
the flesh, that is, the humanity, w^as made, and the Word as- 
suming it became flesh : so saith St. Peter, '* Christ suffered 
for us in the flesh,'' (1 Pet. iv. 1.) in that nature of man which 
he took upon him : and so God the Son did suffer, not in that 
nature in which he was begotten of the Father before all worlds, 
but in that flesh which by his incarnation he became. For he 
was *' put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the Spirit;" 
(1 Pet. iii. 18.)t suffered in the weakness of his humanity, but 
rose by the powder of his Divinity. As he was made of the 
seed of David, according to the flesh," (Rom. i. 3.)in the lan- 
guage of St. Paul ; so was he put to death in the flesh," in 
the language of St. Peter : and as he was ** declared to be the 
Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness ;" 
(Rom. i. 4.) so was he " quickened by the Spirit." Thus the 
proper subject and recipient of our Saviour's passion, which be 
underw^ent for us, was that nature w^hich he took from us. 

Far be it therefore from us to think, that the Deity, which 
is immutable, could suffer; which only hath immortality, could 
die. The conjunction with humanity could put no imperfec- 
tion upon the Divinity ; nor can that infinite nature by any 
external acquisition be any way changed in its intrinsical and 
essential perfections. J If the bright rays of the sun are thought 



* 'O Xoyo? <raff lyivero, I'va na) 6 \cyo; 
at) ? Xoj/oj, na] a-afna. B)(^n o Xoycf Iv fi to 
fra&o? nai rev ^avarov avs^s^etro, ev y-o§<^n 
av^^ooTrivr, ra<pov Jtat a Joy l7r<|3i?. 

S. Athanas. de Incarn. Dom. 1. i. c. 12. 

t 'Adeo salva est utriusque proprietas 
substantiae, ut et Spiritus res suas egerit 
in il/o, id est, virtutes et opera et signa, 
et caro passiones suas functa sit, esuriens 



sub Diabolo, sitiens sub Samaritide, flens 
Lazarum, anxia usque ad mortem, de- 
nique et mortua est.' TertulL advers. 
Prax. c. 27. Clemens Alexandr. Ptsdag. 1. i. 
c. 5. ^ ^ ^ 

I To ya,§ (pvrei a<p$reipro)i net] avaWoixroi 
aBi ToiouTov Iff-TiV Oil a-vvet'K'koiovfjiBvoy rn ra- 
wsiv^ (pvaBi, orav Iv luiiyn nara, olxmofxiav 
yivrirm, Gi'eg. Nyssen, Epist. ad Eustath. 



SUFFERED. 



285 



to insinuate into the most noisome bodies without any pollu- 
tion of themselves, how can that spiritual essence contract the 
least infirmity by any union with humanity?* We must nei- 
ther harbour so low an estimation of the divine nature, as to 
conceive it capable of any diminution ; nor so mean esteem of 
the essence of the Word, as to imagine it subject to the suf- 
ferings of the flesh he took ; nor yet so groundless an estima- 
tion of the great mystery of the incarnation, as to make the 
properties of one nature mix in confusion with another. These 
were the wild collections of the Arian and Apollinarian here- 
ticsjf whom the Church hath long since silenced by a sound 
and sober assertion. That all the sufferings of our Mediator 
were subjected in his human nature. 

And now the only difficulty will consist in this, how we can 
reconcile the person suffering, with the subject of his passion ; 
how we can say that God did suffer, when we profess the God- 
head suffered not. But this seeming difficulty will admit an 
easy solution, if we consider the intimate conjunction of the 
divine and human nature, and their union in the person of the 
Son. For thereby those attributes which properly belong unto 
the one, are given to the other ; and that upon good reason.J 
For being the same individual person is, by the conjunction of 
the nature of God and the nature of man, really and truly both 
God and man ; it necessarily followeth, that itis true to say, Go^/ 



tTve? to, ircLvra. TrXnpoDirttj, ncti a'ooixkroDV 

wXeov h aa-uifxaroi; rou Qeov Suva^ocij ovt aV 
Wa^ot TJjv ovtriav, out av ^Xa.$Sir) <ru}/ua.ro^ 
aa-aifxaroot; iirct(^a:[ji.k\r\. Euseb. Demon, 
Evang. 1. iv. c. 13. 

t This danger is the rather to be un- 
folded, because it is not generally under- 
stood. The heresy of Arius, as it was 
condemned by the Council of Nice, is 
known to all. But that he made the na- 
ture of the Word to suffer in the flesh, is 
not so frequently or plainly delivered. 
This Phoebadius (the first of the Latin 
Church who wrote against the Arians) 
charged them with : ' Duplicem hunc 
statum, non conjanctum sed confusum, 
vultis videri ; ut etiam unius vestrum, id 
est Epistola Potami, quae ad Orientera 
et Occidentem transmissa est, qua asse- 
rit, carne et spiritu Christi coagulatis per 
sanguinem Marias, et in unum corpus re- 
dactis, passibilem Deum factum. Hoc 
ideo, ne quis ilium ex eo crederet, quern 
impassibilera satis constat.' Lib. adv. 
Arianos, c. 7. And again : ' Non ergo 
est spiritus caro, nee caro spiritus, quod 
isti volunt egregii Doctores, ut factus sit 
scilicet Dominus et Deus noster ex hac 
substantiarum permixtione passibilis. 
Ideo autem passibilem volunt dici, ne ex 
impassibili credatur.' cap. 8. Marriv owv 



'A^siavot <paLVTa^ovrat, a-a^Ka fxovnv v7roTi2re- 
fASVOi a)/ii\ti<pivai Tcv 2ajT>5fa, rhv S'g rov 'tta- 
^ov<; vons-iv bttI Try ana^n &£<3T»Ta ava<}>£. 
fovTEf a^s^i'j. S. Athan. lib. de Incurn. 
Dom. 1. i. c. 15, Of this St. Hilary is to 
be understood : ' Sed eorum omnis hie 
sensus, ut opinentur metum mortis in Dv"i 
Filium inoidisse, qui asserunt non de 
ajternitate prolatum, neque de infinitate 
paternae substantias exstitisse, sed ex 
nullo ilium qui omnia creavit effectum ; 
ut assumptus ex nihilo sit, et cceptus ex 
opere, et confirmatus ex tempore. Et 
ideo in eo doloris anxietas, ideo spiritus 
passio cum corporis passione.' Com. in 
Matt. c. SI. ^. 3, Where clearly he ar- 
gues agaiust the Arians. The right un- 
derstanding whereof, is the only true way 
to reconcile those harsh sayings of his, 
which so troubled the Master of the Sen- 
tences, and the whole Schools ever since. 

I ' Per indissolubilem unitatem Verbi 
et carnis, omnia quae carnis sunt adscri- 
buntur et Verbo, quomodo et quaj Verbi 
sunt praedicantiir in carne.' Orig. in Ep. 
ad Rom. 1. i. c. 1. Aia Tijv ix-^iBn horn'ra. 

€o,ol.EV)5J S£(0T»1T0?, <*VTl|U£9iVTaTa{ 0V3,<-taTa* 

ooTTS y.a,l TO avQpaiwJVov rw Bsix, nal ro SiTor 
roo avbpxTrlv'j}, x.a,rovofA,a^Ba-^ai. Greg- Nyss, 
Ep. ad Theoph. Xefi /xkvroi slUvai, oj; h ivco- 
o-tj xotva TToiii TO. hofACLra., Theodoret, Dial, 
3. c. 17. 



286 



ARTICLE IV. 



is man, and as true, A man is God ; because in this particular, 
he which is man is God, and he which is God is man Again, 
being by reason of the incarnation it is proper to say, God is 
matif it followeth unavoidably, that whatsoever necessarily be- 
longeth to the human nature, may be spoken of God ; otherwise 
there would be a man to whom the nature of man did not be- 
long, which were a contradiction. And being by virtue of the 
same incarnation it is also proper to say, A man is God, by the 
same necessity of consequence we must acknowledge, that all 
the essential attributes of the divine nature may truly be spoken 
of that man ; otherwise there would be one truly and properly 
God, to whom the nature of God did not belong, which is a 
clear repugnancy. Again, if the properties of the divine na- 
ture may be truly attributed to that man which is God, then 
may those actions which flow from those properties, be attri- 
buted to the same. And being the properties of the human 
nature may be also attributed to the eternal Son of God, those 
actions or passions which did proceed from those properties, 
may be attributed to the same Son of God, or God the Son. 
Wherefore as God the Son is truly man, and as man truly pas- 
sible and mortal ; so God the Son did truly suffer, and did truly 
die. And this is the only true communication of properties.* 
Not that the essential properties of one nature are really 
communicated to the other nature, as if the Divinity of Christ 
were passible and mortal, or his humanity of original omnipo 
tence and omaiipresence ; but because the same God th^e Son 
was also the Son of man, he was at the same time both mortal 
and eternal : mortal as the Son of man, in respect of his hu- 
manity ; eternal, as the Son of God, in respect of his Divinity. 
The sufferings, therefore, of the Messias were the sufferings of 
God the Son : not that they were the sufferings of his Deity, 
as of which that was incapable; but the sufferings of his hu- 
manity, as unto which that was inclinable. For although the 
human nature was conjoined to the divine, yet it suffered as 
much as if it had been alone ; and the divine as little suffered, 
as if it had not been conjoined : because each kept their re- 
spective properties distinct, without the least confusion in their 
most intimate conjunction. From whence at last the person 
suffering is reconciled to the subject of his passion : for God 
the Son being not only God, but also man, suffered, though not 
in his Deity, by reason of which he is truly God ; yet in his 
humanity, by which he who is truly God, is as truly man. And 
thus we conclude our two first disquisitions : Who it was that 
suffered ; in respect of his office, the Messias, in respect of his 
person, God the Son : How it was he suffered ; not in his 
Deity, which is impassible, but in his humanity, which he as- 
sumed, clothed with our infirmities. 

* Called by the Schools ordinarily communicatio idiomatum, by the ancient 
Greek divines 'avtjSoitis, and sometimes ^ hvrifj.ira.s-ras-i(;. 



SUFFERED. 



287 



Our next inquiry is. What this God the Son did suffer, as the 
Son of man ; not in the latitude of all his sufferings, but so far 
as they are comprehended in this Article : which first prescind- 
eth all the antecedent part, by the expression of time under 
Pontius Pilate, who was not governor of Judea long before our 
Saviour's baptism ; and then takes off his concluding passion, 
by adding his crucifixion and his death. Looking then upon 
the sufferings of our Saviour in the time of his preaching the 
Gospel, and especially before his death, we shall best under- 
stand them, by considering them in relation to the subject or 
recipient of them. And being we have already shewed his pas- 
sion was wholly subjected in his human nature, being that 
nature consisteth of two parts, the soul and body ; it will be 
necessary to declare what he suffered in the body, what in 
the soul. 

For the first. As we believe the Son of God took upon him 
the nature of man, of which the body is a part; so we acknow- 
ledge that he took a true and real body, so as to become flesh 
of our flesh, bone of our bone. This body of Christ, really and 
truly human, was also frail and mortal, as being accompanied 
with all those natural properties which necessarily flow from 
the condition of a frail and mortal body: and though now the 
same body, exalted above the highest heavens, by virtue of its 
glorification, be put beyond all possibility of passion ; yet in 
the time of his humiliation, it was clothed with no such glorious 
perfection; but as it was subject unto, so it felt, weariness, 
hunger, and thirst. Nor was it only liable to those internal 
weaknesses and natural infirmities, but to all outward injuries 
and violent impressions. As all our corporal pain consists in 
that sense which ariseth from the solution of that continuity 
which is connatural to the parts of our body ; so no parts of 
his sacred body were injuriously violated by any outward im- 
pression, but he was truly and fully sensible of the pain arising 
from that violation. Deep was that sense, and grievous was 
that pain which those scourges produced, when the ploughers 
ploughed upon his back, and made long their furrows (Psalm 
cxxix. 3.) the dilaceration of those nervous parts created a most 
sharp and dolorous sensation. The coronary thorns did not 
only express the scorn of the imposers, by that figure into 
which they were contrived, but did also pierce his tender and 
sacred temples to a multiplicity of pains, by their numerous 
acuminations. That spear directed by an impertinent malice, 
which opened his side, though it brought forth water and 
blood, caused no dolorous sensation, because the body was then 
dead ; but the nails which pierced his hands and feet, made 
another kind of impression, while it was yet alive and highly 
sensible. Thus did the body of the Son of man truly suffer the 
bitterness of corporal pains and torments inflicted by violent 
external impressions. 



288 



ARTICLE IV. 



As our Saviour took upon him both parts of the nature of 
man, so he suffered in them both, that he might be a Saviour 
of the whole.* In what sense the soul is capable of suffering, 
in that he was subject to animal passion. Evil apprehended to 
come tormented his soul with fear, which was as truly in him 
in respect of what he was to suffer, as hope in reference to the 
recompense of a reward to come after and for his sufferings. 
Evil apprehended at present tormented the same with sadness, 
sorrow, and anguish of mind. So that he was truly represented 
to us by the prophet, as " a man of sorrows, and acquainted 
with grief;" (Isa. liii. 3.) and the proper subject of that grief 
he hath fully expressed, who alone felt it, saying unto his dis- 
ciples, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." 
(Matt. xxvi. 38.) 

We ought not, therefore, to question whether he suffered in 
his soul or no ; but rather to endeavour to reach, if it were pos- 
sible, the knowledge how far, and in what degree, he suffered ; 
how bitter that grief, how great that sorrow and that anguish 
was. Which though we can never fully and exactly measure ; 
yet we may infallibly know thus much, both from the expres- 
sions of the Spirit of God, and from the occasion of his suffer- 
ings, that the griefs and sorrows which he felt, and the anguish 
which he underwent, were most incomparably far beyond all 
sorrows of which any person here was sensible or capable. 

The evangelists have in such language expressed his agony, 
as cannot but raise in us the highest admiration at the bitter- 
ness of that passion. He began to be sorrowful," saith St. 
Matthew (xxvi. 37.) " He began to be sore amazed," saith 
St. Mark (xiv. 33.) " and to be very heavy," say both : (Ibid.) 
and yet these words in our translation come far short of the 
original expression, f which render him suddenly, upon a pre- 



* ' Qui suscepit animam, suscepit ani- 
mae passion em.' S, Ambros. de Fide, 1. ii. 
c. 3. 

t 'J'he words in the original are three, 
y^v7rBi<rQai , IxS-a^jSeTfrflaj, and ahrifxovs'iv. Av- 
Trsia-^rai the first is of a known and ordi- 
nary signification, but in this case it is to 
be raised to the highest degree of its pos- 
sible significancy, as appears by the 
words which follow, TrsplXuTrcglj-Tiv h 
fA,ou. For, as the ancient grammarians 
observe,?) ttb^I TrpoSstrt? lm'Ta<rjv SuXo?, and 
again, ri tte^i Tr^oSea-n; Xa.fA.Ba.vSTai avrl 
vTrsp Kara hoyov vTre^Qiasooi; xal Trspirrorri- 
vog: and therefore Trs^lXvTiog of itself must 
signify a manpossessed with an excessive grief ; 
as in ^schylus Eumenid. 161. TtifiQa^v 
Kguo?, that is, according to the scholiast, 
UTefia-a-ZgSct^v. But beside this Greek nota- 
tion, here is to be observed a reference to 
the words of David, Psal.xlii.5. 'ivart 'nrsgi- 
XfTTof elh 1^°^ 3 ^nnimrrrno. So that it 
doth not only signify an excess of sorrow 



surrounding and encompassing the soul ; 
but also such as brings a consternation and 
dejection of mind, bowing the soul under 
the pressure and burden of it. And if 
neither the notation of the word, nor the 
relation to that place in the Psalms, did 
express that sorrow, yet the following part 
of our Saviour's words would sufficiently 
evidence it, Savarou, it was a sorrow 
which like "the pangs of death compassed" 
him, and like " the pains of hell got hold 
upon" him, Psalm cxvi. S. The second 
word used by St. Mark alone is l^tQajW^ET- 
cr&at, which with the vulgar Latin is fa- 
vere, but in the language of the Greeks 
bears a higher sense. @a,fA,Qo<; a-nu.a'\,vn Thi 
iH.'jT'Kn^^v , says Etymologus : and Hesy- 
chius, @afxZoq- ^avfj-a, ix7rX»)f i?. Gloss. Vet. 
©afxQog, stupor. Philoponus, preserved 
by Eustathius M. ©a,M.Co? /mev h exTrXn- 
^K' 9a|u€o? 51 ya.r o^eTav tutiv 6 BKir'kaysit;. 
From whence the verb &a.(aSeiv, in termi- 
nation active, in signification passive. 



SUFFERED. 



28g 



sent and immediate apprehension, possessed with fear, horror, 
and amazement, encompassed with grief, and overwhelmed 
with sorrow, pressed down with consternation and dejection of 
mind, tormented with anxiety and disquietude of spirit. 

This he first expressed to his disciples, (Matt. xxvi. 38, 39. 
Mark xiv. 34, 35.) saying, My soul is exceeding sorrowful;" 
and lest they should not fully apprehend the excess, adding, 
" even unto death," as if the pangs of death had already en- 
compassed him, and, as the Psalmist speaks, (cxvi. 3.) " the 
pains of hell had got hold upon him.''^ He " went but a little 
farther" before he expressed the same to his Father, falling on 
his face and praying, even with strong crying and tears, unto 
him that was able to save him from death." (Heb. v. 7.) Nor 
were his cries or tears sufficient evidences of his inw^ard suffer- 
ings, nor could the sorrows of his breast be poured forth either 
at his lips or eyes ; the innumerable pores of all his body must 
give a passage to more lively representations of the bitter an- 
guish of his soul; and therefore while he prayed more ear- 
nestly," in that agony " his sweat was as it were great drops of 
blood falling down to the ground." (Luke xxii. 44.) As the 
Psalmist had before declared, " I am poured out like water^ 
and all my bones are out of joint : my heart is like wax, it is 
melted in the midst of my bowels." (Psal. xxii. 14.) The heart 



■percuhnm esse, in Homer 11. A. 199. ©a/u- 
€>j<rev 5' ^A-xj.'Kzvq, where it is the observa- 
tion of Eustathius : To IQa^onsrav lye»ynri- 

/tx£5' "OjU-Ji^cv but not universally true. 
For (as to our purpose) we have both the 
use and sense of this word in the Old 
Testament. As 1 Sara. xiv. 15. T:J"im 
VnKn, Jt^ti £9ajfcCo»3-£v h yn, "and the earth 
quaked." And Psalm xlviii. o. in^, 
Aquila Iba.fx'^nQno-a.v, Svmmachus l^iTrXi- 
yns-av, as Psal. xxxi. '22. 'Ej^i 51 sTwa Iv t? 
lx5-Ta5-£{ fxov, Aquila ^a.fx^n!:rsi , Symma- 
chus IxTrXn^st. 'J'he like is also in the pas- 
sive termination ; as Daniel expresses his 
fear in a vision, sQc.fx"r)$!r,v, aal iri-KtM Itti 
Tr^oVa-'TTov [MOV, Dan. viii. 17. and the 
wicked are described by the Wise Man, 
6a.fj(.Qovfxivoi Jsivij, xai hoaXfxas-iV iKTa^ars-o- 
fxzvoi, Sap. xvii. 3. From whence it ap- 
peareth, that 6a/xQsirQai of itself signifieth 
a high degree of fear, horror, and amaze- 
ment. Gloss. Vet. 6afxBoZfxa.i, obstupeo, 
stnpeo, pavesco. And by the addition of 
the preposition the signification is aug- 
mented. "Ex.^a.fxBo^, EKTrXvuTc^, Hesych. 
passively ; Qn^iov <po&e^ov nctl BA.6:ifu.Bov, Dan. 
vii. 7. actively, i. e. ixTrXuxTixov. Such an 
augmentation in this word is justifiable 
by that rule left us in Eustathius, ad 
Iliad. E. 'H I ^ 7r^o&E3-ic ov (Mm rhv 
JnXoT <rpf Esrtv, aXXi v-^oi}fxx TToXXaxtf <Tnfxai- 
vei. Of which he gives an example in 



Exvo^ui'oej, used by Aristophanes in Vluto, 
9Q2. though not named by him. And. 
again, ad Iliad. N. 'h e ^ rr^i^Bs-i; lirlraTiv 
5nXc~, o-sroiav xai to fxaXts-ra. ^EK^afxQsXs-Qai 
therefore is /uaXdrTa Sra/x^sTs-^ai, to be sur- 
pnned icith horror in the highest degree, 
even unto stupefaction. Gloss. Vet. 'Ek^a/ji' 
Qovfxat, obstupesco. The third word is 
'aSji/xoveiv, Vulg. Lat. tcedere in St. Mark, 
mcfstus esse in St. Matthew : but it hath 
yet a farther sense. 'A5»i,aovS, «x>jJi5D, 
ayxviM, says Hesychius. 'aS'^^uovS, to Xi'av 
\v7rovfxai, Suidas. It signifieth therefore 
grief and anguish in excess, as appeareth 
also by the origination of it. For, as Eusta- 
thius observes : ToS a^r./xpnTv tt^xtotwcjov 
a^hfX'jTv a5>;,acy^?, o £X Xy?zr>;j ooq clct xat tjvo; 
nojzv, 0? a5o; \iy£ra.i, a.'/cL7rs7rra}y,oc^. Iliad. A. 
From aSaS a^ri'o) aS>';,ua)y, from a^hfAXV aJu- 
fxo\Z. It hath therefore in it the signifi- 
cation of a^r.v or Xi'av, Satiety, or extremity. 
From whence it is ordinarily so ex- 
pounded, as if it contained the conse- 
quence of the greatest fear or sorrow, 
that is, anxiety of mind, disquietude, and 
restlessness. 'a5>1|CcovsTv, aX^civ y.ai a'rro^iXv, 
a.fjLri'^a.na , Etymol. As Antony is ex- 
pressed by Plutarch, after the loss of 
8,000 men, being in want of all things 
necessary for the rest : KXcOTraTgav m^is- 

[MZ^l, Koi SpaSnVOUS-n? ttSriWOVETv ^Xu£. c, 51. 

So where the Heb. DOlttTl is by the LXX. 
translated EXTrXayrf;, by Symmachus it is 
rendered aSw|Wov?f, Eccles. vii. 16. 

U 



290 



ARTICLE IV. 



of our Saviour was as it were melted with fear and astonish- 
ment, and all the parts of his body at the same time inflamed 
with anguish and agony ; well then might that melting produce 
a sweat, and that inflamed and rarified blood force a passage 
through the numerous pores. 

And as the evangelists' expressions, so the occasion of the 
grief, will manifest the height and bitterness thereof : For God 
" laid on his own Son the iniquities of us all (Isa. liii. 6.) 
and as we are obliged to be sorry for our particular sins, so was 
he grieved for the sins of us all. If then we consider the per- 
fection and latitude of his knowledge; he understood all the 
sins of men for which he suffered, all the evil and the guilt, all 
the offence against the majesty, and ingratitude against the 
goodness of God, which was contained in all those sins. If we 
look upon his absolute conformity to the will of God ; he was 
inflamed with most ardent love, he was most zealous of his glory, 
and most studious to preserve that right which was so highly 
violated by those sins. If we look upon his relation to the 
sons of men ; he loved them all far more than any did them- 
selves, he knew those sins were of themselves sufficient to bring 
eternal destruction on their souls and bodies ; he considered 
them whom he so much loved, as lying under the wrath of God, 
whom he so truly w^orshipped. If we reflect upon those graces 
which were without measure diffused through his soul, and 
caused hiai with the greatest habitual detestation to abhor all 
sin ; if we consider all these circumstances, we cannot wonder 
at that grief and sorrow. For if the true contrition of one" 
single sinner, bleeding under the sting of the Law only for his 
own iniquities, all which notwithstanding he knoweth not, 
cannot be performed without great bitterness of sorrow and 
remorse ; what bounds can we set unto that grief, what mea- 
sures to that anguish, which proceedeth from a full apprehen- 
sion of all the transgressions of so many millions of sinners? 

Add unto all these present apprehensions, the immediate 
hand of God pressing upon him all this load, laying on his 
shoulders at once a heap of all the sorrow^s which can happen 
unto any of the saints of God ; that he, being touched with 
the feeling of our infirmities,'' (Heb. ii. 17, 18.; might become a 
*' merciful high-priest, able and loilUng to succour them that 
are tempted." (Heb. iv. 15.) Thus may we behold and see if 
there be any sorrow like unto that sorrow which was done unto 
him, wherewith the Lord afflicted him in the day of his fierce 
anger." (Lam. i. 12.) And from hence we may and must con- 
clude, that the Saviour of man, as he took the whole nature of 
man, so he suftered in whatsoever he took : in his body, by 
internal infirmities and external injuries ; in his soul, by fears 
and sorrows, by unknown and inexpressible anguishes. Which 
shews us fully (if it can be shewn) the third particular pro- 
pounded, what our Saviour suffered. 



SUFFERED, 



291 



That our Saviour did thus suffer, is most necessary to be- 
lieve. First, that thereby we may be assured of the verity of 
his human nature. For if he were not man, then could not man 
be redeemed by him ; and if that nature in which he appeared 
were not truly human, then could he not be truly man. But 
we may be well assured that he took on him our nature, when 
we see him subject unto our infirmities. We know the God- 
head is of infinite perfection, and therefore is exalted far above 
all possibility of molestation. When therefore we see our Sa- 
viour truly suffer, we know his divine essence suffered not, and 
thence acknowledge the addition of his human nature, as the 
proper subject of his passion. - And from hence we may infal- 
libly conclude, surely that Mediator between God and man was 
truly man, as we are men, who when he fasted was an hungred, 
when he travelled was thirsty and weary as we are, who being- 
grieved wept, being in an agony sweat, being scourged bled, 
and being crucified died. 

Secondly, It was necessary Chnst should suffer for the re- 
demption of lapsed men, and their reconciliation unto God ; 
which was not otherwise to be performed than by a plenary 
satisfaction to his will. He therefore was by all his sufferings 
made an expiation, atonement, and propitiation, for all our 
sins. For salvation is impossible unto sinners without remis- 
sion of sin ; and remission, in the decree of God, impossible 
without effusion of blood. Our redemption therefore could 
"not be wrought but by the blood of the Redeemer, but by a 
Lamb slain, but by a suffering Saviour. 

Thirdly, It behoved Christ to suffer, that he might purchase 
thereby eternal happiness in the heavens both for himself the 
head, and for the members of his body. " He drank of the brook 
in the way, therefore hath he lift up his head." (Psal. ex. 7.) 

Ought not Christ to suflrer,and so to enter into his own glory?" 
(Luke xxiv. 26.) And doth he not by the same right by which 
he entered into it, confer that glory upon us? The recompense 
of the reward was set before him, and through an intuition of 
it he cheerfully underwent whatsoever was laid upon him. He 
must therefore necessarily suffer to obtain that happiness, who 
is therefore happy because he suffered. 

Fourthly, It was necessary Christ should suffer, that we might 
be assured that he is truly affected with a most tender com- 
passion of our afflictions. For this end was he subjected to 
misery, that he might become prone unto mercy ; for this pur- 
pose was he made a sacrifice, that he might be a compassionate 
high-priest : and therefore was he most unmerciful to himself, 
that he might be most merciful unto us. 

Fifthly, It was necessary the Son of man should suffer, 
thereby to shew us that we are to suffer, and to teach us how 
we are to suffer. For ^' if these things were done to the green 
tree, w^hat shall be done to the dry?" (Luke xxiii. 31.) Nay, 

u 2 



299 



ARTICLE IV. 



if God spared not his natural, his eternal, his only-begotten 
Son ; how shall he spare his adopted sons, who are best known 
to be children because they are chastised, and appear to be in 
his paternal affection because they lie under his fatherly correc- 
tion? We are therefore heirs, only because co-heirs with Christ ; 
and we shall be kings, only because we shall reign together 
with him. It is a certain and infallible consequence, 'Mf Christ 
be risen, then shall we also rise and we must look for as 
strong a coherence in this other, If Christ hath suffered, then 
must we expect to suffer. And as he taught the necessity of, 
so he left us the direction in, our sufferings. Great was the 
example of Job, but far short of absolute perfection : the pat- 
tern beyond all exception is alone our Saviour, who hath taught 
ns in all our afflictions the exercise of admirable humility, 
perfect patience, and absolute submission unto the will of God. 

And now we may perceive the full importance of this part of 
the Article, and every Christian may thereby understand what 
he is to believe, and what he is conceived to profess, when he 
makes this confession of his faith, he suffered. For hereby 
every one is obliged to intend thus much : I am really per- 
suaded within myself, and do make a sincere profession of this 
as a most necessary, certain, and infallible truth, that the only-^ 
begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father, and of the same 
essence with the Father, did for the redemption of mankind 
really and truly suffer; not in his Divinity, which was impas- 
sible, but in his humanity, which in the days of his humiliation 
was subject unto our infirmities : that as he is a perfect Re- 
deemer of the whole man, so he was a complete sufferer in the 
whole; in his body, by such dolorous infirmities as arise in- 
ternally from human frailties, and by such pains as are inflicted 
by external injuries; in his soul, by fearful apprehensions, by 
unknown sorrows, by anguish inexpressible. And in this lati- 
tude and propriety I believe our Saviour suffered. 



Under Pontius Pilate, 

After the substance of this part of the Article, consisting 
in our Saviour's passion, he suffered, followeth the circumstance 
of time, declared by the present governor, under Pontius Pilate, 
Which though the name of a stranger to the commonwealth of 
Israel, and the Church of Christ, is well preserved to eternal 
memory in the sacred articles of our Creed. For as the Son 
of God by his determinate counsel, was sent into the world to 
die in the fulness of time, so it concerns the Church to be as- 
sured of the time in which he died. And because the ancient 
custom of the world was, to make their computations by their 
governors, and refer their historical relations to the respective 
times of their government ; therefore that we might be properly 
assured of the actions of our Saviour which he did, and of his 



UNDER PONTIUS PILATE, 



293 



sufferings (that is, the actions which others did to him), the 
present governor is named in that form of speech which is 
proper to such historical or chronological narrations, when we 
affirm that he suffered under Pontius Pilate.''^ 

And because he not only suffered under him as the present 
governor, but also was arraigned and condemned by him as a 
judge; therefore it will be necessary for the illustration of the 
manner, and confirmation of the truth of our Saviour's suffer- 
ings, to declare what hath been left and delivered to our know- 
ledge, both concerning his person and his office. 

For the first, we find him described by two names : nor is 
any other name of his extant, although, according to the ge- 
neral custom of the Romans,t he should have three. The first 
of these two is Pontius,X the name descended to him from the 



* 'Ewt ITovTioy TliKaTov. Which words 
are capable of a double construction. 
First, as they are used by St. Paul, 1 
Tim. vi. 13. 'ina-vj, rov fxa^rv^ria-avroi stti 
tlovriov mXaTOu rrtv iutXhi ofj.o'koyia.v, ' ' Who 
before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good 
confession ;" that is, standing before him, 
as before a judge. As the same person, 
Matt, xxviii. 14. Kai lav axouj-S^ rovro 
iiri rov hysfxovog, If this come to be tried be- 
fore the procurator. Thus Festus pro- 
pounded it to St. Paul, Acts xkv. 9. S-e- 
XEif KfivBs-^ai Itt' ifxov ; and St. Paul an- 
swered in the same propriety of speech, 
em rov <^r]fjt,aroi; Kala-a,^o(; ka-rdg Ei^t. Thus 
Christ tells his apostles, Mark xiii. 9. 
i'jrl frys/xov'jov xai Sas-iXioov (rraBr,<re<TBs. And 
in this sense Ittj is often used by the 
Greeks. Secondly, sttI UiXarov is under 
Pilate, that is, in the time of his govern- 
ment, when and while he was procurator 
of Judea ; as Itt' afp^iepssDV "Am xal Ka'i- 
Luke iii. 2. and Im 'AQiada^ rov ap- 
^lepeoog, Mark ii. 26. Which is also ac- 
cording to the custom and language of 
the Greeks, as : Ka.rax'Kvs-fx.og IttI Asvyca- 
h'lcovog lyivsro. Marm. Arundel. Ovroi ncrav 
cTTi rov Aao/jci^ovrog s^avatrrcivraiv T^ouoov. 
Plat. Epist. xii. ad Archytam. And Itti 
^ovrov ^aa-iKivovroq, in this hiijg^s reign, is 
the common phrase of Pausanias. Thus 
the Athenians among their nine 'A^x,°'^rsg 
had one who was called 'ETrxvv/xog, be- 
cause his name was used for the deno- 
tation of that year ; and the phrase was 
usually, Im rov ^Siva., or Ittj rov h7va aj_p^:v- 
TOf, as I find it thrice in one place. 'O 
jM.£V ya^ ('l3-oxgaT>!?) im AvTifxa^ov, UXaraiv 

Im 'AfA,smou ysyovBv, l<p' oZ nipiK'kr.g Its- 
X£uT7}c-£y. Laert. in Platone, 1. iii. init. 
In the same manner did the Lacedsemo- 
nians make their historical accounts by 
their Ephori, and the Argivi by the 
priestesses of Juno : 'EttJ XgyWJo? Iv 'A^ysi 
Tors Vivrhnovra ivo~v Jhovto. Irn Ispoj/xhng, 
nai Aiv>ifl-»'oi» e<{)ogou ev lirxorn, hoi noSaJaJgoy 



£ri Ivo fxryag af^ovrog 'ABvvaioig. Thucyd. 
I. ii. c. 2. And as the Greeks thus re- 
ferred all actions to the times of these 
governors, so did the Jews under the 
Roman government, to the procurators 
of Judea ; as appeareth by Josephus, 
who mentioning the first of that office, 
Coponius, presently relates the insurrec- 
tion of Judas Galilseus in this manner : 
Em rovrov (YLMttTooviov^ r\q evrjp FaXiXaiaj, 
'louSa; ovo/oia, Ei'j aTToa-rac-iv lv«ye rovg l7np^a>- 
(mg. de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c. 12. Then 
names his successor Ambivius, £4>' oZ 2a- 
Xwfji.ti \a.fj.via.y Kara.\siTrei : after him Rufus, 
£<{>' ov xat rsXevra, Ka~<rag. Antiq. Jud. 
i. xviii. c. 3. And in the same manner 
in the Creed, va^ovra, km Tlovriov UiXarov, 
our Saviour suffered uiider Pontius Pilate, 
that is, at the time when he was procu- 
rator of Judea ; as Ignatius fully ; h 
Kai^S rng hyifxaviaq Tlovriov TliKarov. Epist, 
ad Magnesias, c. 11. 

t Pausanias, speaking of the Romans, 
saith : Tpt'a otto'te >; oXiynrra,, nai en Tt'Kkova. 
cvofjiara, IxcLcrr'ji riQsvrat. Achaic. C.7. And 
although Diomedes and Plutarch have 
observed, that even among the Romans 
there were some hoovv/xa, yet the preeno- 
men was never omitted, as Priscian af- 
firmed : ' Ex illo tempore consuetudo te- 
nuit, ut nemo Romanus sit absque prseno- 
mine.' l.ii. p. 577. ed. Putsch. 

^ Pontius and Pilatns were his nomen 
and cognomen, in the same manner as Ju- 
lius and Caesar are described by Suetonius : 
' Non Cfesare et Bibulo, sed Julio et Cas- 
sare, Coss., actum scriberent, bis eundem 
praeponentes, nomine atque cognomine.' 
1. i. c. '20. Thus without a vrcsnomen or 
agnomen, he is only known to us by his 
nomen properly called, and his cognomen. 
The nature of which two is thus described 
by the ancients : ' Nomen proprium est 
gentilitium, id est, quod originem gentis 
et familiee declarat, ut Fortius, Cornelius ; 
cognomen est quod uniuscuj usque pro- 



294 



ARTICLE IV. 



original ot his family, which was very ancient; the second Pi- 
latus, as a cognominal addition distinguishing from the rest 
descending from the same original. 

He was by birth a Roman ; by degree of the equestrian order, 
sent by Tiberius the emperor to be a governor of Judea. For 
about threescore years before our Saviour's birth, the Jews by 
Pompey the Great were made tributary to the Romans. And 
although during the life of Hircanus the high-priest, the reign 
of Herod and his son Archelaus, the Roman state suffered the 
Jews to be ruled by their own laws and governors ; yet when 
Archelaus was banished by Augustus, they received their gover- 
nors from the Roman emperor, being made a part of the province 
of Syria,* belonging to his care. In the life of Augustus there was 
a succession of three, Coponius, Ambivius, and Rufus. At the 
beginning of the reign of Tiberius, they were governed by Va- 
lerius Gracchus, and at his departure by Pontius Pilate. 

The office which this Pilate bare was the Procuratorship 
of Judea, as is most evident out of the history both of the Ro- 
mans.f from whom he received his authority, and of the Jews, 



prium, et nominibus gentilitiis subjungi- 
tur, ut Cato, Scipio.' Diomedes de Orat. 
1. i. p. 306. < Nomen quod familiee ori- 
ginem declarat, ut Coruelius ; cognomen, 
quod nomini subjungitur, ut Scipio.' Cha- 
risius, 1. ii. p. 126. The first of these 
Dionysius calls crvyysviy.ov nai 'jrar^oaw- 
fxium, Plutarch o'x.wf n yv/ovg xoivov and noi- 
vov aTTo a-vyytniai;' the second he calls wpo- 
ff-iiyo^iKov 1^ ETTiSriTou. Thus Pimtiusv,-a.s his 
nomen gentis or gentilithim, and Piiatushis 
cognomen. As therefore Pontius Aquila, 
Pontius Cominius, Pontius Herennius, 
Pontius Paulinus, &c. so also Pontius Pi- 
latus. Wherefore in vain have some of 
the ancients endeavoured to give an ety- 
mology of these names, as they do of 
Greek and Hebrew names in Scripture, 
and think thereby to express the nature or 
actions of them that bare the names. As 
Isidorus Hispal. Orig. \. vii. c. 10. ' Pon- 
tius, Declinans concilium, utique Judse- 
orum : accepta enim aqua lavit manus 
suas, dicens, Innorens ego nim a sanguine 
hiijusjusti.' And Eutychius* patriarch of 
Alexandria, deduced Pontius from an 
island called Ponta, near to Rome. And 
St. Jerome : ' Quod significat nomen Pi- 
lati, i. e. Malleatoris, i. e. qui domat fer- 
reas gentes.' ad JSIatt. xv. ' Pilatus, Os 
viaiieatoris ; quia dum Christum ore suo 
et justificat et condemnat, more mallea- 
toris utrinque ferit.' Isidor. ibid. ' Pon- 
tius, Declinans concilium ; Pilatus, Os TJiaZ- 
leatoris.' S. Hier. denom. Hebraicis, in Lu- 
ca, col. 1479. et rursiis in Aetis, col. 1482. 
Where he lets us understand that these 
etymologies were made from the Hebrew 
language ; and makes an excuse, because 



the letter P is here taken for the Hebrew 
3, to which the Latin F more properly 
answers : ' Sed sciendum est, quod apud 
Hebraios P litera non habetur, nec ullum 
nomen est quod hoc elementum sonet : 
abusive igilur accipienda, quasi per F lit- 
teram scripta sint.' col. 1479. Thus did 
they vainly strive to find an Hebrew ori- 
ginal, and that such a one as should repre- 
sent the conditions oi Pilate; when these 
two names are nothing else but the Ro- 
man nomen and cognomen of that person. 

elg i<na^)(iav. Joseph, de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c 
13. Tr,g 'Ap^eXaov X^'f^j vTrorBXovg 'irpa-ve' 
fxn^s'ic-r,g TV 2ijf(wv. Antiq. Jud. I. xvii.c. 15. 

luring yivofxi'jKV. Ibid. 1. xviii. c 1. 

t Tacitus speaking of the Christians 
' Auctor nominis ejus Christus, qui Tibe. 
rio imperitante per procuratorem Pontium 
Pilatum supplicio afFectus est.' Annal. 1. 
XV. c. 44. And TertuUian, most skilful of 
their laws and customs, speaks thus of our 
Saviour : ' postremo oblatum Pontio Pi- 
lato, SjTriam tunc ex parte Romana pro- 
curanti.' Apologet. c. 21. Whom St. Cy- 
prian follows : ' Hunc magistri eorum — 
Pontio Pilato, qui tunc ex parte Romana 
Syriam procurabat, tradiderunt.' De Idol. 
Van. §. 7. Thus also Josephus for the 
Jews : ITsjUcfj^si; sU 'lov^ctiav BTrirpo'^oi vtto 
TkBs^Uu UiXarof. De Bell. Jud. \. ii. c. 14. 
And Philo : Tlikairoq r,v rxv v'jrkpx.'^v imr^O' 
TTo; aTrohhiyfXEvoi; t?;? 'lov^aiag. De Virtut. 
et legat. ad Caium, p. 589. vol. ii. And 
therefore those words of St. Luke, c. iii. 1. 
hysfj-onvovroq Uovr'iov niXaTOu Trig 'icv^aiag, 
were properly translated by the old inter- 



UNDER PONTIUS PILATE. 



295 



over whom he exercised his dominion. But what was the office 
of a Procurator in those tinies,=^ though necessary for our pre- 
sent purpose, is not so easy to determine, because it was but 
newly introduced into the Roman government. For before the 
dominion of that city was changed from a commonwealth into 
an empire, there was no such public office in any of the pro- 
vinces; and, particularly in Judea, none till after the banish- 
ment of Archelaus, some years after our Saviour's birth. When 
Augustus divided the provinces of the empire into two parts, 
one of which he kept for his own care, and left the other to the 
inspection of the senate ; he sent, together with the President 
of each province, as the governor-in-chief of the province, a 
Procurator, whose office was to take an account of all the tri- 



j)reter, jwocurante Pontic Filuto JuJieam. 
Thus Lucius Dexter ad aiDiuni Christi 28. 
' Pontius Pilatus procurator Judajae a Ti- 
berio mittitur iu Judajam.' And Justin 
Martyr most properly : Tov s-rau^cuBivTa Itt; 
novriou niXaToy, tov ysvo/JCBvov Iv 'lov^aia, sttI 
X^ovoti; Ti$s^iov KctLs-a^oq iTTirpoTTov. Apol. ii. 
p. 60. And again, speaking to the empe- 
rors, by whom the procurators were sent : 
Kai Tli\a.TOv Tou vfxsripov TTctp' 'lov^aioig yevo- 
f/.£vou iTTirpomv. Ibid. p. 78. And again : 
MtT« rou ovofxarog 'incroy Xpis-roS, rov <nau- 
EVTo? Itt* riovTtoi;, tou ysvo/xevov iTriTpoTCou 
Tn? 'icwSat'a?. Dial, cum Tviiph. p. 247. As 
also Eusebius : AwSexaTo.' IviavrS t^c Ti^b- 
^lou |3ao-iX£iaf, iTrl-rfonoq rriq 'lou^aiag vtto Tj- 
Bspiou xaQia-Taraj UtXarog. Hist. Eccl. 1. i. 
c. 10. And St. Jerome's translation of 
his Chronicon : ' Pilatus procurator Ju- 
daeae a Tiberio mittitur.' Thus it appears 
that Pilate of the equestrian order, was 
properly procurator, as that office was or- 
dinarily given to men of that order, as 
Tacitus testifies : ' Cn. Julius Agricola 
utrumque avum procuratorem Caesarum 
habuit, qua equestris nobilitas est.' hi 
vit. Jul. Agric. c. 4. Which is to be un- 
derstood concerning the imperial pro- 
vinces ; for into tbose which were of the 
provinces of the people, the procurators 
sent by Ceesar were of the Liberti. For 
the emperor sent into all the provinces his 
procurators, but with this difference, as 
Dio observes : El? Travra 6,uoia)<; to, IBvk, nri 
T£ kavTou KttJ TO, Toy Ihfxov, Tovt; fxh Ik tcSv 
Xiririoov, tovq e>c tZv aTtiXiv^i^cDV , Tcif^iitH. 
Hist. I. liii. c. 15. 

* The Roman procurator is ordinarily 
in Greek authors expressed by their 'Etti'- 
T^oTTo?, as the Gloss Latino-Greec. Procu- 
rator, 'ETriT^oTro?. But yet they are not of 
the same latitude in their use ; 'ETrtrpoTros 
comprehending the notion of tutor, as well 
us procurator. Hesych. 'Eirir^oiTog, o tt^o- 
CTCLTm ^oDpieov, nal o\t]<; Tni; olxriai; , nai op<pa- 
VMV. Gloss. Vet. 'Eirir^oTTog, procurator, tu. 
tor. 'ETTi'-^oTros therefore was used by the 



Greeks in both notions, whereof -procu- 
rator of the Latins is but one. And in 
the language of the Romans, he is a pro- 
curator which undertakes to manage the 
business of another man. ' Procurator si 
negotium suscipit,' saith Asconius in 
Divin. and Sex. Pompeius, ' Procurator 
absentis nomine actor fit he to whom the 
core of another mmi's estate or affairs was 
committed. Gloss. Vet. 'EvtoX^, Commissum, 
et'EvToXshg, procurator. In correspondence 
to these procurators of the affairs and es- 
tates of private persons, there were made 
such as did take care in every province of 
the imperial revenue; who, in respect of 
the person whom they served, were called 
Frocuralores Casaris, or Augnstales; in 
respect of the countries where they served, 
were termed Procaratores Proviuciales. 
1 heir office is best described bv Dio, Hist. 
1. liii. c. 15. Toy? Ittit^ottou;, ovtchj ya^ Tat 
TB xoiva? TT^oj-o^ov; Ix-Xiyovrag Ka\ irpos-TiTcty- 
fjiiva a-<^io-iv avaXtVxovTttf, ovoy.i^oy.£v. We 
call, says he, these 'ETriTpoVoy?, that is, 
Procaratores, which receive the public re- 
venues, and dispose of them according to 
the commands received from the emperor. 
For they acted in his name, and what was 
done by them was accounted as done by 
the emperor himself. ' Quaj acta gesta 
sunt a Procuratore CjEsaris, sic ab eo 
comprobari ac si a Caisare gesta cssent:' 
Ulpian. 1. i. ff. As we read in Tacitus of 
the emperor Claudius : ' Saepius audita 
vox Principis, paremvim rerum habendam 
a Procuratoribus suis judicatarum, ac si 
ipse statuisset.' Annul. 1. xii. c. 60. And 
in Suetonius ; ' Ut rata essent quje Pro- 
curatores sui in judicando statuerent, a 
Senatu precario exegit.' Claud. Caes. c. 12. 
The proper office therefore of the provin- 
cial procurator was, to receive the imperial 
revenues, and dispose of it as the emperor 
commanded, and to all intents and pur- 
poses to do sucb things as were necessary 
thereunto, with such authority, as if the 
epiperor himself had done them. 



296 



ARTICLE IV. 



bute, and whatsoever was due to the emperor, and to order and 

dispose of the same for his advantage. Neither was there, at 
the first institution of this office, any other act belonging pro- 
perly to their jurisdiction, but such a care and disposal of the 
imperial revenue : which they exercised as inferior and subor- 
dinate to the President, always supreme provincial officer. 

Now Judea being made part of the province of Syria, and 
consequently under the care of the President of that province, 
according to this institution, a particular Procurator was as- 
signed unto it, for the disposing the emperor's revenue. And 
because the nation of the Jews were always suspected of a re- 
bellious disposition against the Roman state, and the President 
of Syria, who had the power of the sword, was forced to attend . 
upon the other parts of the province; therefore the Procurator 
of Judea was furnished with power of life and death,* and so 
administered all the power of the President, which was, as to 
the Jews, supreme. .Which is very observable, as an eminent 
act of the providence of God, by which the full power of 



* This appearetli by Coponius, the first 
proper procurator of Judea, who was 
brought in by Quirinus Preeses of Syria, 
when he came to dispose of the goods of 
Archelaus, and to reduce Judea ioto the 
form of a province, and adjoin it to Syria. 
Of this Coponius Josephus writeth after 
this manner : KuiTrxviig rs alrM (Ku^j^yta)) 
c-uyxaTa7rifX7:ira.i, rayfxaro; riv Ittttsccv, hyr,- 
<r6fxEvo; 'lov^a!u}V Itt* Tra^-iv E^ouWat* iliat be- 
ing of the equestrian order, he was sent icith 
Quirinus to govern the Jews with the supreme 
power. Andq. 1. xviii. c. 1. And yet 
more expressly, as to the time, occasion, 
and extent, of his power : Tr.g ^s'a^x-^"-'^^ 

TTSfjiTTsrai, f^^X^i Tov XTEtVEiy Xa^iv Tra^a rzu 
KaiVa^o; i^ov^Uv. Id. de Bell. Jud. 1. ii. c. 
11. When those parts which were under 
the command of Archelaus were reduced 
into a province, Coponius was sent thither 
by the emperor, and furnished with power 
of life and death. For although, in the 
proconsular provinces, the procurator of 
the emperor had no power but in those 
things which belonged to the exchequer ; 
yet in those provinces which were pro- 
perly pr(£sidales, the Procurator was often 
loco Prcesidis. From whence in the ancient 
inscriptions we read of the same person : 
* Procurator et Prasses Alpium,' ' Procu- 
rator et Praises provinciarum per Orien- 
tem,' ' Procurator et Preeses provinciae 
Sardiuiae.' It was often therefore so, that 
the Procurator did P rasidis partibus fungi ; 
as Ulpian. 1. viii. de oficio Proconsulis : ' In 
provinciam enim Prajsidum provinciarum, 
nee aliter Procuratori Cassaris haec cogni- 
tio injungitur, quam Preesidis partibus in 



provincia fungatur.' And this is very ne- 
cessary to be observed, because a procu- 
rator barely as such, not armed with the 
power of the Prases provincicE, had not the 
power of the sword. As Antoninus to Va- 
lerms : ' Procurator meus, qui vice Prs- 
sidis non fungebatur, exsilii tibi poenam 
nun potuit irrogare.' 1. ix. Cod. de pxnis. 
And to Heliodorus : ' Procurator meus, qui 
vice Proesidis provincisenon fungitur, sicut 
exigere pcenam desertee accusationis non 
potest, ita judicare ut ea inferatur senten- 
tia sua non potest.' 1. iii. C. Ubi Caiisoi. 
This was plain in the case of Lucilius Ca- 
pito, procurator of Asia Minor, who was 
called in question for exceeding his power, 
and deserted therein by Tiberius : ' Pro- 
curator AsijB Lucilius Capito, accusante 
provincia, causam dixit magna cum as- 
severatione Principis, non se jus nisi in 
servitia et pecunias familiares dedisse. 
Qaod si vim Preetoris usurpasset, mani- 
busque militum usus foret, spreta in eo 
mandata sua, audirent socios.' Tacit. An- 
nul. 1. iv. c. 15. And Dio upon the said 
example observes in general, that the 
procurat(jrs had no such power: Ov ya^ 
l|?y TSTs TsTj Ta alro-iipa.To§i>ia p(^?hfxa.Ta 5jot- 
iLoZtri ttXecv ov^sv TToisTv , h Taq VcVOfj(.t<rij(,iva,:; tt^o- 
c-qI'jv^ luXiyBiy, nai TTBfl txv Jjai^opaSv h rs t? 
ayo^a xa; xsTa toLj vcfxovql^is'ov roig l^i-jtiTaig 

^iKi^ea-^a,'.. 1. Ivii. c. 23. But although 
the ordinary procurators had no other 
power, but to dispose of the revenue, and 
determine private causes ; yet he which 
was vice Prccsidis, had the power of the 
Presses : and such a procurator was Pon- 
tius Pilate in Jud^a, as the others who 
preceded him also were. 



UNDER PONTIUS PILATE. 



297 



judicature in Judea was left in the hands of the resident 
Procurator. 

For by this means it carne to pass that Christy who by the 
determinate counsel of God was to die, and by the prediction 
of the prophets was to suiFer in a manner not prescribed by the 
law of Moses, should be delivered up to a foreign power, and 
so suffer death after the customs of that nation to whose 
power he was delivered. The malice of the obstinate Jews 
was high to accuse and prosecute him, but the power of the 
Jews was not so high as judicially to condemn him. For al- 
though the chief priests, and the elders, and the scribes, con- 
demned him to be guilty of death (Mark xiv. 64.) yet they 
could not condemn him to die, or pronounce the sentence of 
death upon him, "but delivered him up unto Pilate:" and 
when he refusing, said unto them, **Take ye him, and judge 
him according to your law," they immediately returned, " It is 
not lawful for us to put any man to death." (John xviii. 30, 31 .) 
The power of life and death was not in any court of the Jews, 
but in the Roman governor alone, as supreme ; and therefore 
they answered him, it was not lawful :"* not in respect of 
the law of Moses, which gave them both sufficient power and 
absolute command to punish divers offenders with death; but 
in relation to the Roman empire, which had taken all that 
dominion from them. Forty years before the destruction of 
Jerusalem, the Jews themselves acknowledge that they lost 
this power; which is sufficient to shew that they had it not 
when our Saviour suffered : and it is as true that they lost it 
twenty years before, at the relegation of Archelaus, and the 
coming of Coponius the Procurator with full power of life and 
death. Wherefore our Saviour was delivered unto Pilate, as 
the supreme judge over the nation of the Jews, that he might 
pronounce the sentence of death upon him. 

But how this judge could be persuaded to an act of so much 
injustice and impiety, is not yet easy to be seen. The nume- 
rous controversies of the religion of the Jews did not concern 
the Roman governors, nor were they moved with the frequent 
quarrels arising from the different sects. Pilate knew well 
" it was for envy that the chief priests delivered him ;" (Matt. 



* I say, therefore, the Jews answered, 
that it was not lawful for them to put any 
man to death, because that power was 
taken out of their hands. For although 
St. Augustin thinks they thought it not 
lawful in respect of the Passover : ' In- 
telligendum est eos dixisse, non sibi li- 
cere interficere quenquam, propter diei 
festi sanctitatem, quern celebrare jam 
coeperant.' Tract, l-i. in loan, and St. 
Cyril be of the same opinion ; yet others 
of the ancients deliver the true cause why 
they apply themselves to Pilate, to be their 



want of power ; as Ammonius most ex- 
pressly, Caten. Patr. in S. loan. c. xviii. p. 
4"27. : T4V0J i'vHXEv alrlv ovk avsTxcv, aXx' Itti 
t;v UiXarov nya-yov ; fxa.'Kia-ra, fji.h to ttoXu 
TYiq a^'X/K; avTuiv Koi Trig l^ova-iag uTnTSfxvBTO, 
XoiTTOv VTTO 'Px'fxaiovg tSv 'nj-fctyfj.arxy -/.Hfxivw 
and upon these words in St. John, ibid. p. 
428. : 'Slg luTrss-ovreg nrtig afyj^g, na-av ya.^ 
VTTo 'Poofjiaiovg, eTttov tovto. So Theophy- 
lact : "AyovciV aurov ilg to 'ur^aircipiov, oh ya^ 
sTp^sv avrol \^ovirlxv aveXg~v, aTS tSv 'rrfa.yfj.a- 
TMV Inh 'PciJfxaUug mifxivocy. Com. in loan,. 
c. 18. And before him St. Chrysostom. 



298 



ARTICLE IV. 



xxvii. 18.) and when ''he had examhied him, he found no 
fiault touching those things whereof thej/ accused him." (Luke 
xxiii. 14.) Three times did he challenge the nation of the 
Jews, Why ? what evil hath he done V Three times did he 
make that clear profession, " I have found no cause of death 
in him." (Ibid. 22.) His own wife, admonished in a dream, 
*' sent unto him, saying. Have thou nothing to do with that 
just man:" (Matt, xxvii. 19.) and when he heard that he 
made himself the Son of God, he was more afraid :" (John xix. 
7, 8.) and yet notwitlistanding these apprehensions and pro- 
fessions, he condemned and crucified him. 

Here we must look upon the nature and disposition of Pilate, 
which inclined and betrayed him to so foul an act. He was a 
man of a high, rough, untractable, and irreconcileable spirit,* 
as he is described by the Jews, and appeareth from the begin- 
ning of his government, when he brought the bucklers stamped 
with the pictures of Csesar into Jerusalem (which was an 
abomination to the Jews), and could neither be moved by the 
blood of many, nor persuaded by the most humble applications 
and submissive entreaties of the whole nation, to remove them, 
till he received a sharp reprehension and severe command from 
the emperor Tiberius. After that, he seized on the Corban, 
that sacred treasury, and spent it upon an aqueduct: nor could 
all their religious and importunate petitions divert his inten- 
tions, but his resolution went through their blood to bring in 
w^ater. When the Galileans came up to Jerusalem, to worship 
God at his own Temple, "he mingled their blood with their 
sacrifices." (Luke xiii. 1.) Add to this untractable and irre- 
concileable spirit, by which he had so often exasperated the 
Jews, an avaricious and rapacious disposition, which prompted 
him as much to please them ; and we may easily perceive what 
moved him to condemn that person to death whom he declared 
innocent. The evangelist telleth us that " Pilate, willing to 
content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and deli- 
vered Jesus to be crucified." (Mark xv. 15.) They accused him 
at Rome, for all the insolences and rapines which he had com- 
mitted, and by this act he thought to pacify them.t 

It was thus necessary to express the person under whom our 
Saviour suffered; first, That we might for ever be assured of 
the time in which he suffered.} The enemies of Christianity 



* So Pbiio testifietli of him : "^Hv ya^ 
'rhv (pvcriv aKctfj^nrrig, nai (j-Bto, tou avQa^ov? 
afxiiXiarog. De Virtut, et Legat. ad Caium, 
p. 590. vol. ii. And again : Ola. oZv iy- 
aorci)? s'X^ciov nai Bapvfxmig av^fooTTog. Ibid. 

t For that which is observed by Philo 
upon the dedication of the shields at the 
iirst entrance into his government, must 
needs be much more true at this time of 
our S;a\iour's passion, vi'hen he had com- 
mitted so many insolences, viz. that he 



feared the Jews should complain of biiu 
to Tiberius : To TEXeu'Tarov tovto ixcCKhtto. 
auTov i^ST^ax^vMS, KaTaJe;VavTa fxh tS ovtj 
ir^iaBtvira.iJ.ivoi ko.) rng aWng ctvrov InrirpoTing 
i^iXiy^ooa-i rag vBpBtg, rag apnayag, rag al- 
xiag, rag iTrvpeiag, rovg aKpirovg nai IffaX- 
X-nXovg (^ovovg, rhv amwrov x,a] a^yaXBoorarnv 
xfxorrira ^tB^sxBovrBg. De Virtut. et Legat, 
ad Caium, p. 590. vol. ii. 

J ' Cautissirae qui Symbolum tradide- 
runt, etiam tempus quo hfec sub Pontic 



UNDER PONTIUS PILATE. 



5299 



began first to unsettle the time of his passion, that thereby 
they might at last deny the passion itself ; and the rest of their 
falsehood was detected by the discovery of their false chro- 
nology.* Some fixed it to the seventh year of the reign of 
Tiberius,t whereas it is certain Pontius Pilate w?is not then 
Procurator in Judea ; and as certain that our Saviour was bap- 
tized eight years after, " in the fifteenth year of the reign of 
Tiberius Csesar." (Luke iii. 1.) Some of the Jews, lest the de- 
struction of Jerusalem might seem to follow upon, and for, our 
Saviour's crucifixion, have removed it near threescore years 
more backward yet, placing his death in the beginning of 
Herod's reign,t who was not born till towards the death of 
the same king. Others have removed it farther yet near twenty 
years,^ and so vainly tell us how he died under Aristobulus, 
above fifty years before his birth in Bethlehem. This they do 
teach their proselytes, to this end, that they may not believe 
so much as the least historical part of the blessed evangelists. 
As, therefore, they deny the time of our Saviour's passion, in 
design to destroy his doctrine ; so, that we might establish the 
substance of the Gospel depending on his death, it was neces- 
sary we should retain a perfect remembrance of the time in 



Pilato gesta sunt designarunt, ne ex aliqua 
parte velut vaga et iucerta gestorum tra- 
ditio vacillaret.' Ruffinus i7i Expos. Symb. 
§. "JO. ' Credimus itaque in eum qui sub 
Pontic Pilato crucifixus est et sepultus. 
Addendum, enim erat Judicis nomen 
propter teraporum cognitionem.' S. Au- 
gust, de Fide et Symb. c. 5. §. 11. ' Pilatus 
Judex erat in illo tempore ab imperatore 
positus in Judea, sub quo Dominus passus 
est ; cujus mentio ad temporis significa- 
tionem, non ad personfe illius pertinet 
dignitatem.' Serm. 131 . de Tempore. 
Irenaeus speaking of St. Paul : ' Evange- 
lizabat Filium Dei Christum Jesum, qui 
sub Pontic Pilato crucifixus est.' 1. v. c. 
12. And to make the more certain cha- 
racter of time, Ignatius added to the name 
of Pilate that of Herod : 'aXaS^S? IutI 
Uovriov TJiXarou ndi 'Epai^ov rer^a^^^^ov mQn- 
"Kaifj^BVov y-zzTEp hfJtZv iv a-a^xt. Epist. ad 
Smyrn. c. 1. 



Not that they thought him taken in one 
year, and crucified in another ; but these 
two unequal numbers signify the same 
year, the lesser number being a period of 
years, which, seven times numbered, 
equalleth the greater. So that their mean- 
ing is, that after seven periods, consisting 
of 532 years, in the year of the world 
3724), Jesus of Nazareth was crucified. 



* So Eusebius detected some of those 
which lived not long before him : Ovkouv 
crac^Sig uTrsXhT^ByKrai to TrXaa-fxa roov kclto. 
rou loorn^og hfxoov vTTOfAvhfxara. ^Qbi; xai 
W^ainv ^lA^B^ooKOTCov, Iv off urgSTOf avTog 6 tJij 
irapaa-n(jieicil>o-£ct}g )(^povo<; rZv in'rr'KaKorctiv uttb- 
"KiyX^^ ''■0 •\'i'^^oq. Hist. Eccles. 1. i. c. 9. 

t 'Etti rng rBra^Tn; S' oZv uTraTslag TiSs^iou, 
>i ykyovBV BTOvg bQ^O[xov tw; ^aa-iXslag avTOv, 
ra -CTEgj TO (TcoTripiov avToig 'rra.Qoq ToXjUij^Bvra, 
TTB^iB^Bi, KaQ' ov ^BiKwrai p^fovov /unS' iTTiardq 
TtM rn 'lot-'Sata TLiXdroq. Euseb. EccL. Hist. 
1. i. c. 9. 

t Divers of the Jews place the passion 
of Christ in the year of their account 3724, 
which is sixty-nine years before our com- 
mon account of the year in which he suf- 
fered. This invention of their own, 
grounded upon no foundation, and backed 
with not so much as the least probability, 
they deliver as a tradition among them, 
continued in this rhyme, 

e. In the year 3724 he of ISfazareth ivas taken, 
And in the year 532 he was crucified on a tree. 

§ Others of the Jews pretend another 
account, viz. that Jesus was born in the 
year 3671, which was the fourth of Jan- 
nseus, and crucified in the year 3707, 
which was the third of Aristobulus ; mak- 
ing him the disciple of R. Josuah the son 
of Perachiah, according to that usual 
phrase of theirs, ismu' n-ms p j/^in" -nna 
D''T» "HU'l Vide Sepher Juchasin. 



300 



ARTICLE IV. 



which he died. Nor need we be ashamed that the Christian 
religion, which we profess, should have so known an Epocha, 
and so late an original. Christ came not into the world in the 
beginning of it, but in " the fulness of time." (Gal. iv. 4.) 

Secondly, It was thought necessary to include the name of 
Pi/ate in our Creed, as of one who gave a most powerful 
external testimony to the certainty of our Saviour's death, and 
the innocency of his life.* He did not only profess, to the 
condemnation of the Jews, that he found nothing worthy of 
death in Christ ; but left the same written to the Gentiles of 
the Roman empire. Two ways he is related to have given 
most ample testimony to the truth : first. By an express written 
to Tiberius, t and by him presented to the senate ; secondly. 
By records written in tables, of all things of moment which 
were acted in his government. X 



• * Nota quod in Pilato et axore ejus, 
justum Dominum confitentibus, Gentilis 
populi testimonium est.' S. Hier, in Matt, 
xxvii. 

t That Pontius Pilate wrote unto Ti- 
berius of the death and resurrection of 
bur Saviour, is testified by TertuUian, 
who was best acquainted with the Roman 
history : ' Ea omnia super Christo Pilatus 
et ipse jam pro sua conscientia Christi- 
anus, Csesari turn Tiberio renunciavit.' 
Apol. c. 21. And again : • Tiberius ergo, 
cujus tempore nomen Christianum in se- 
culum introivit, annunciatum sibi ex Syria 
Paleestina, quae veritatem illius (Christi) 
divinitatis revelarat, detulit ad Senatum 
cum prsrogativa suffragii sui.' Ibid. c. 5. 
This is related by Eusebius out of Tertul- 
lian, in his Ecclesiastical History, I. ii. c. 
2. and referred to the two-and-twentieth 
year of Tiberius in his Chron. ' Pilato de 
Christianorum dogmate ad Tiberium re- 
ferente, Tiberius retulit ad Senatum, ut 
inter caetera sacra reciperetur.' The au- 
thority of this Express is grounded on the 
great reputation of Tertullian (as is ob- 
served also by the author of the CJiroiiicori 
Alexandrinum, who concludes the relation 
with these words, ooq IcTc^ii TSf TLiXXtavof o 
'PiWjuaTc?), and the general custom by 
which all the governors of the provinces 
did give account unto the emperor of all 
such passages as were most remarkable : 
TlaXaiov x.BK^ct.'rnxo'TOi; b^ov; ToTg rxv I6vxv 
a^^ovtri Ttt 'sra^a, ^(pis-i naivorofAOVfASva tZ 
TKV Bac-iXetov afX'iv BTrtupaTovVTi crnfxai'.eiv, if 
fxvHv avTov JfttSiS'^ac-xo; t£v yLvofxhciiV. Euseb. 
EccL. Hist. 1. ii. c. 2. 

:}; The ancient Romans were desirous to 
preserve the memory of all remarkable 
passages which happened in the city : and 
this w^as done either in their Acta Senatus, 
or Acta diurna populi ; which were dili- 
gently made and kept at Rome. In the 



same manner, the governors in the pro- 
vinces took care that all things worthy of 
remark should be written in public tables, 
and preserved as the Actain their govern- 
ment. And agreeably to this custom, 
Pontius Pilate kept the memoirs of the 
Jewish affairs, which were therefore called 
Acta Pi/an", in which an account was given 
of our blessed Saviour ; and the primitive 
Christians did appeal unto them in their 
disputes with the Gentiles, as to amost un- 
doubted testimony. Justin Martyr urged 
them even unto the Roman emperors : 
Kal TdVTa oTi ysyo\s, ^vvacQs /uaSsTv ex rZv 
Im Tlovriov UiXarou yevofA-ivan "Auraiv. Apol. 
ii. p. 76. And again : "On^s ravrxevoiriaev, 
SK rxv im Uovriov ITiXaTOi/ yevofxivaiv 'aktoiiv 
fxa^BTv ^vvaa-Qs. Ibid. p. 84. And in the 
differences between the Christians, they 
were cited by both parties. As the Tes- 
saresdecatits alleged them for their cus- 
tom of the observance of Easter, as Epi- 
phaniustestifieth of them : 'A7roT*v''AXT<»v 

>a.i, Iv of? lfA,(pi^Brai, ru 'srpo oxri y.a'Kav^xi/ 
'Att^iWIxv Toy 2ccrr,^a TTSTTOvS'eyai. Hares. 
50.$. 1. And Epiphanius urgeth the same 
Acta against them, but according to other 
copies : "Etj Sh VJ^ofJii^ ayTly^a<^a. |y. taov 
{lege. "Axt^wv) rijXaToy, Iv Oi'f trrifxalvii, tt^o 
5axa7r£VT£ xaXavSSv 'Att^iWIcuv to Tra^cg 
y£yv>7,crQa.i. Ibid. Though the author of the 
eighth homily in PascJia, under the name 
of St. Chrysostom, agreeth in this reading 
with the Tessaresdecatit(£ : 'O |W.ev p^^fsvoj X£t6' 

OV STta^SV 6 ICDTYi^ CVK vy'-OKTAl' TO, yo,^ VTTO- 

/xvri/J,xra rk utto JliXarov "ZHrfap^SsvTa Koi t«v 
7r^o^tcr/j(.ia.v 'msik')(ti toZ Tlk7')(a.. tcrTO^efTaj 
yol\ on Tn tt^o oktoc xaXavJi-v Att^iWioov 
£7ra0£v 0 icoTT,^. torn, 5. p. 942. these were 
also mentioned in the Acta S. Tarachi, 
Prohi et Andronici, c. 9. * Praeses dixit, 
Inique, non scis, quem invocas, Christum, 
honiinem quidem fuisse factum, sub cua- 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



301 



Thirdly, It behoved us to take notice of the Roman go- 
vernor in the expression of our Saviour's passion, that thereby 
we might understand how it came to pass that Christ should 
suffer according to the Scriptures, The prophets had foretold 
his death, but after such a manner as was not to be performed 
by the Jews, according to whose law and custom, no man 
among them ever so died. Being then so great a prophet 
could not die but in Jerusalem, being the death he was to suf- 
fer was not agreeable to the laws and customs of the Jews ; it 
was necessary a Roman governor should condemn him, that 
so the counsel of the will of God might be fulfilled, by the ma- 
lice of the one, and the customs of the other. 

And now the advantage of this circumstance is discovered, 
every one may express the importance of it in this manner : I 
am fully persuaded of this truth as beyond all possibility of 
contradiction, that in " the fulness of time" God sent his Son ; 
and that the eternal Son of God, so sent by him, did suffer for 
the sins of men, after the fifteenth year of Tiberius the Roman 
emperor, and before his death, in the time of Pontius Pilate 
the Csesarean Procurator of Judea ; who, to please the nation 
of the Jews, did condemn him whom he pronounced innocent, 
and delivered him, according to the custom of that empire, and 
in order to the fulfilling of the prophecies, to die a painful and 
shameful death upon the cross. And thus I believe in Christ, 

that SUFFERED UNDER PoNTIUS PiLATE. 

Was Crucified. 

From the general consideration of our Saviour's passion, 
we proceed to the most remarkable particular, his crucifixion, 
standing between his passion, which it concludeth, and his 
death, which it introduceth. For the explication whereof, it 
will be necessary, at first, To prove that the promised Messias 
was to be crucified, that he which was designed to die for our 
sins was to suffer on the cross ; secondly, To shew that our 
Jesus, whom we worship, was certainly and truly crucified, and 
did suffer whatsoever was foretold, upon the cross; thirdly. 
To discover what is the nature of crucifixion, what peculiarities 
of suffering are contained in dying on the cross. 

That the Messias was to be crucified, appeareth both by 
types which did apparently foreshew it, and by the prophecies 
which did plainly foretell it. For, though all those represen- 
tations and predictions which the forward zeal of some ancient 



todia Pontii Pilati et punitum, cujus ex- 
stant Acta Passionis V These Acta in the 
time of Maximinus were adulterated, and 
filled with many blasphemies against our 
Saviour, as appears by Eusebius, Hist. 
EccU 1. i. c. 9. OIkoZv <ra<|)5? aTTsXiiXej^Jcraj 
TO <rrXa.(r[xa t5v xara tov 2wT«fo? hfxMV 



and : IIXaa-afxEvoi Jrira TIi\arou xai tov 
lairnpoq hfxSn vTro/xm/xara, <7ras-ri{ sfx'n^ea, 
Kara rov X§is-Tov B')^a.<r<t>rfxiag, yvdjfxri rov 
ftst^ovoj Itti Traa-etv ^icLirsfXTTivrai fhv V7r' alrov 
ag^^v. 1. ix. C. 5. 



302 



ARTICLE IV. 



fathers gathered out of the Law and the Prophets,* cannot be 
said to signify so much ; yet in many types was the crucifixion 
of Christ represented, and by some prophecies foretold. This 
was the true and unremoveable " stumbling-block to the Jews," 
nor could they ever be brought to confess the Messias should 
die that death upon a tree to which the curse of the Law be- 
longed :t and yet we need no other oracles than such as are 
committed to those Jews, to prove that Christ was so to suffer. 
A clettrer type can scarce be conceived of the Saviour of 



* The ancient fathers, following the 
steps of the apostles, to prove all the par- 
ticulars of our Saviour's death out of the 
Old Testament, have made use of those 
types and prophecies which did really and 
truly foreshew it ; but together with them, 
partly out of their own conceptions, partly 
out of too much credit to the translations, 
have urged those places which the Jews 
may most easily evade, and we can pro- 
duce but with small or no pretence. As 
for the extending of the hands of Moses, 
they conceive it to be a perfect type ; 
and Barnabas, Epist. c. 12. tells us, that 
the Spirit commanded Moses, that he 
should make the similitude of a cross : 
Ksysi ilq Tnv Kaf^;av Majtrji to nrvevf/.a, I'va 
'STOina-ri tuttcv irrav^oV nai rov jweXXovTO? wa- 
er^iiv but the text assures us no more, 
than that Moses held up his hands, which 
might be without any similitude of a cross. 
And when both were lifted up by Aaron 
and Hur, the representation is not certain. 
And yet, after Barnabas, .Tustin tells us, 
that Moses represented the cross, rag 
p^sTpaj SKari^a; iKiTirka-ctq' Dial. c. Tryph. 
p. 317. and Tertullian calls it habittim 
crucis. adv. Marcioii. 1. iii. c. 18. In the 
same manner with the strange Indian 
statue, which is described by Bardisanes, 
as : avSpia? iff-rooq l^Qoq, ep^(wv tclq p(_aTfaf hrr'hco- 
fA,Bvag Iv ruTTM a-rau^ov. Porphyr. de Styge. 
With less probability did they gather both 
the name of Jesus, and the cross of Christ, 
from the three hundred and eighteen 
servants of Abraham. 'iZra, Seita, "^Hra 
onrou, 'ix'ig \ri7ovv' In 5s a-ravfog h tc? T 
i'lUeXXsv ep^etv tw Xap'V, \iyii ya,^ rohg 
T^idnoo'iovg' ^n\o7 ovv rov y,iv Iric-cvvh roTg^ucrl 
ypifxfj,a<ri, xat Iv en rov crrctv^ov. Epist. 
Barn. c. 9. As if I H stood for Jesus, 
and T for the cross. And yet Clemens 
Alex, follows him : <l>ao-jv oZv eJvai rov 
[A.iv K-v^ianoi) a-nfxilov rv'OTov nara. to a-x/JfAa 
r^ianoa-iorrrov a-roix/iov, to Se 'iZra Kal to 
"^Hra rovvofxa a-rifxaivsiv to troorhpiov. Sti^imat. 
1. vi. c. 11. As also St. Ambrose : ' Nara 
et Abraham 318 duxit ad helium, et ex 
innumeris trophaea hostibus reportavit, 
signoque Domiaicse crucis et nominis,' 
&CC. Prol. ad 1. i. de Fide, §. 3. ' Eos ad- 
sciscit quos dignos numero fidelium judi- 
cavit, qui in Domini nostri Jesu Christi 



Passione crederent. Trecentos enim T 
Grseca litera significat ; decem et octo 
autem summum 1 H exprimit nomen.' Id. 
de Abrah. 1. i. c. 3. §. 15. And St. Au- 
gustin of another three hundred : ' Quo- 
rum numerus, quia trecenti erant, signum 
insinuat Crucis, propter literam T Grae- 
cam, qua iste numerus significatur.' Qu(Bat. 
in HepiA. vii. q. 37. And Clemens Alex- 
andrinus again, of the three hundred 
cubits in the Ark : Els-l 11 ot rovg r^iaaoa-iovg 
'nh'xzig o-viaQoXov rov Kv^iaKov an<Ji.Hou Xkyovtri. 
Strom. 1. 6. c. 11. * Sed sicut ille non 
multitudine nec virtute legionum, sed jam 
tum in Sacramento Crucis, cujus figura 
per literam Graecam T numero trecento- 
rum exprimitur, adversarios principes de- 
bellavit: cujus mystexii virtute trecentis 
in longum texta cubitis superavit Area 
diluvium, ut nunc Ecclesia hoc seculum 
supernavigat.' S. Paulinus, Ep. ii. al. 
xxiv. §. "23. As unlikely a type did they 
make Jacob's ladder. Ego puto Crucera 
Salvatoris illam esse scalam quam Jacob 
vidit.' S. Hieron. Breviar. in Psal. 91. 
' Scala usque ad coelum attingens Crucis 
figurara habuit ; Dominus innixus scalae, 
Christus crucifixus ostenditur.' S. August. 
Serm.de Tt'inp. 79. al. 11.^. 6. These, and 
many others, by the writers of the 
succeeding ages, were produced out of 
the Old Testament as types of the cross, 
and may in some sense be applied to 
it being otherwise proved, but prove it 
not. 

t Trypho the Jew, in the dialogue with 
Justin Martyr, when he had confessed 
many of the Christian doctrines, would by 
no means be brought to this : Et Kai 
arifxcog o'jrccg a-rav^ct;6nvairovX^icrrov(suhand, 
I'Ssi), aTTopovfABV eTTiKaraparog yap o crav- 
^ovfASVog Iv T(W vo'^w 7\iyzrai sTvai' ai^^rs Tiplg 
rovro ay-^nv ^vcrTreiirroog 'ix!^- p. 317. And 
afterwards granting his passion, urgeth 
hira to prove his crucifixion : 'HjmeTj j/a^ 
ouS' El? I'vvoiav IxQeiv ^vva(Ai.^a. Ibid. So 
Te' tullian describes the Jews : ' Negantes 
passionem Crucis in Christum prsedica- 
tam, et argumentantes insuper non esse 
credendum ut ad id genus mortis exposu- 
erit Deus Filium suum, quod ipse dixit, 
Maledictus omnis homo qui pependit in 
ligno.' Adv. Judeos, c 10. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



303 



the world, in whom all the nations of the earth were to be 
blessed, than Isaac was : nor can God the Father, who gave 
his only-begotten Son, be better expressed than by that patri- 
arch in his readiness to sacrifice his son, *' his only son Isaac, 
whom he loved." (Gen. xxii. 2.) Now when that grand act of 
obedience w^as to be performed, we find Isaac walking to the 
mountain of Moriah with the wood on his shoulders, and say- 
ing, " Here is the wood, but where is the sacrificed" while in 
the command of God, and the intention and resolution of 
Abraham, Isaac is the sacrifice, who bears the wood. And the 
Christ, who was to be the most perfect sacrifice, the person in 
whom all nations were perfectly to be blessed, could die no 
other death in which the wood was to be carried ; and being 
to die upon the cross, was, by the formal custom used in that 
kind of death, certainly to carry it.* Therefore Isaac bearing 
the wood, did signify Christ bearing the cross.f 

When the fiery serpents bit the Israelites, and much peo- 
ple died," Moses, by the command of God, " made a serpent 
of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass, that if 
a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of 
brass, he lived." (Numb. xxi. 9.) Now if there were no ex- 
presser promise of the Messias, than the ''Seed of the woman, 
ivhich should bruise the serpent's head;" (Gen. iii. 15.) if he 
were to perform that promise by the virtue of his death ; if no 
death could be so perfectly represented by the hanging on the 
pole, as that of crucifixion ; then was that manifestly foretold 
which Christ himself informed Nicodemus, As Moses lifted 
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man 
be lifted up." (John iii. 14.)| 

The paschal lamb did plainly typify that Lamb of God that 
taketh away the sins of the world ; and the preparing of it did 
not only represent the cross, § but the command or ordinance 



* This custom is very considerable as 
to the explication of this type ; and is to 
be therefore confirmed by the testimonies 
of the ancients, which are most express. 
BacTTtt^etv Ttva tSv S'at^ovaJV ^9ovlciov KaKov^yoo 
jUEV tJovTJ a-rav^ov ainoj /TKfxaivSi' 'ioiKe yk^ o 
crravpc BavA-roi, Kat 6 y.kWoov TT^oeynXovcrQai 
iTfori^ov avrov QaaTa^ii. Artemid. Oneirocr. 
1. ii. c. 61. TftJ fABV a-ctifxari rSiv xoXa^o/xsvoov 
BKa-trrog rS)V naKov^ycov l;t^Epe( tov avrov 
a-Tdu^ov Plutarch, de sera Numinis Vin- 
dicta, c. 9. So these not long after our 
Saviour's death. And much before it, 
Plautus 171 Carbonario, 

' Patibulum ferat per urbem, deinde 
affigatur Cruci.' 

t This is not only the observation of 
the Christians, but the Jews themselves 
have referred this type unto that custom : 
for upon Gen. xxii. 6. " And Abraham 
took the wood of the burn t-oife ring, and 
laid it upon Isaac his son," the lesser 



Bereshith hath this note laibv lyim HTD 
15nDn (IS a man curries Jiis cross upon his 
shoulders. 

t The common phrase by which that 
death was expressed. ' Jn ('ruceni tolli 
Paul. 1. 5. Seittent. Tit. 22, 2:). '25. As in 
the Chaldee ms-pT by origination Elovatio, 
by use is particularly Crurijixio. 

§ Justin Martyr shews how the man- 
ner of the roasting the paschal lamb did 
represent the affixing of a man upon tlie 
cross, and thereby was a type of Christ ; 
To hbXbv^Sbv '7T^o$cLrov IkbTvo o\ov yivB:r6ai, rov 
TTa^ovg TOU cnav^ou, 5t' oS Ttaa-^^Biv 'ifxBX'Ksv 6 
X^tc-Toc, c-vf/.l3oXov hv TO ya.^ otttoo/xbvov tt^o- 
0ctrcv, cr)(^iifJ.ari^6y.evov 6juoia}g tx c-^rifx,aTi 
rov crrav^ou oTTTaraj. Efg yapo^Otog oBBXte-Kog 
^ictTrepovarai aTto rujv xctreurarciiv fXB^xv fAB^^i 
rng HS<pct,Xng, nai slg TraXiv nara to fA,Bra<p^B\ov, 
M 7rpoa-a,pra:vrcti Ha,\ al P(^e~fe; rov TTfoQctrcv, 
Dial, cum Tryphone, p. 259. To which 
Arnoldus Carnotensis alludeth : ' In veru 



304 



ARTICLE IV. 



of the passover did foretell as much. For while it is said, " ye 
shall not break a bone thereof," (Exod. xii. 46.) it was thereby 
intimated, that the Saviour of the world should suffer that 
death to which the breaking of the bones belonged (and that, 
according to the constant custom, was the punishment of cru- 
cifixion),* but only in that death should by the providence of 
God be so particularly preserved, as that not one bone of his 
should be touched. And thus the crucifixion of the Messias 
in several types was represented. 

Nor was it only thus prefigured and involved in the typical 
resemblances, but also clearly spoken by the prophets in their 
particular and express predictions. Nor shall we need the 
accession of any lost or additional prophetical expressions, 
which some of the ancients have made useof:t those which 
are still preserved even among the Jews, will yield this truth 
sufficient testimonies. 

When God foretells by the prophet Zachary, whathe should 
suffer from the sons of men, he says expressly, ^' They shall 



Crucis boni odoris assatio excoquat car- 
nalium sensuum cruditatem;' De Coena 
Domini, commonly attributed to St. Cy- 
prian. Nor is the roasting of this lamb 
any far-fetched figure of the cross ; for 
other roasting hath been thought a proper 
resemblance of it : where the body of the 
thing roasted hath limbs, as a lamb, there 
it bears the similitude of a proper cross, 
with an erect and transverse beam ; where 
the roasted body is only of length and 
uniform, as a fish, there the resemblance 
is of a straight and simple s-raujoj. As it 
is represented by Hesychius : SjtoXo^iv 
OTrma-tV to yk^ TraXaiov xanov^yovQ aVBano'kS- 
iSTi^ov o^tJVOvTEf ^uXov ^10. T?]? ^i3,)^sa)g nal rou 

* Although, indeed, it must be con- 
fessed, that the crurifragium and the 
crncijixioji were two several punishments, 
and that they ordinarily made the cross 
a lingering death : yet because the Law 
of Mose.s did not suffer the body of a man 
to hang upon a tree in the night, there- 
fore the Romans, so far to comply with 
the Jews, did break the bones of those 
whom they crucified in Judea constantly ; 
whereas in other countries they did it but 
occasionally. 

t As Barnabas cites one of the prophets 
whom we know not, Epist. c. 12. 'Ofxoiooi; 

Xej-oVTt, Kai Trore nraZra av^m'Kia-^ha-nai ; 

KcCi oTttv IK ^v\ov alfxa ara^ri' which words 
are not to be found in any of the prophets. 
Thus Justin Martyr, to prove, oti y-sra to 
e-TaupocQwai $aa-iX£va-si 6 X^ierrog, produceth 
a prophecy out of the 96th Psalm, in 



these words : o Kvpio? ISaa-i'KeviTSv aisjo sroD 
^vXov. p. 298. And Tertullian, who ad- 
vances all his conceptions : * Age nunc, si 
legisti penes Prophetam in Psalmis, Bo- 
minus regnavit a ligno ; exspecto quid in- 
telligas, ne forte lignarium aliquem regem 
sig-nificari putetis, et non Christum qui 
exinde a passione Christi (lege crucis, ^or 
he himself hath it ligni. Adv. Marcion. I. 
iii. c. 19.) superata morte regnavit.' Adv. 
Jud. c. 10. And in the place cited against 
Marcion : ' Etsi enim mors ab Adam 
regnavit usque ad Christum, cur Christus 
non regnasse dicatur a ligno, ex quo cru- 
cis ligno mortuus, regnum mortis excIusitV 
Thus they, and some after them, make 
use of those words, aTro ^uXov, a lignt^, 
which are not to be found either in the 
Greek or Latin translation, from whence 
they seem to produce them ; nor is there 
any thing like them in the original, or any 
translation extant, nor the least mention 
or footstep of them in the Catena Grceco- 
rum Patriirn. Justin Martyr, indeed, ac- 
cused the Jews for rasing the words awo 
rov ^vl\ov out of the text : 'atto tov Ivevhjco- 

Taiv XoycDV, "Kz^ziq 0^ci^iia^ a<pii'KovTO Tauraj, 
UTTO rou ^vXov el^ri/xevou yu^rov "Koyov, 'EX-rran 

Iv ToTf i9v£Cr(V, 'O Kl'fiO? l^a^-tXELKTEV ttTTC TCU 

^vXou, a<pr.>ia,v, EtVaTs Iv toT? aflves-iv, 'O Ku^ioi 
E^&criXsus-sv. p. "298. But, first, he doth 
not accuse them for rasing it out of the 
original Hebrew, for bis discourse is only 
to shew that they abused the LXX. Se- 
condly, though the Jews had rased it out 
of their own, it appeareth not how they 
should have gotten it out of the Bibles in 
the Christians' hands, in which those 
words are not to be found. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



306 



look upon me whom they have pierced (Zech. xii. 10.)* and 
therefore shews that he speaks of the Son of God, which was 
to be the Son of man, and by our nature liable to vulneration ; 
and withal foretells the piercing of his body : which being 
added to that prediction in the Psalms, **They pierced my 
hands and my feet,"t (Psal. xxii. 16.) clearly representeth and 
foretelleth to us the death upon the cross, to which the hands 
and feet of the person crucified were affixed with nails. And 
because these prophecies appeared so particular and clear, and 
were so properly applied by that disciple whom our Saviour 
loved, and to whom he made a singular application even upon 
the cross; therefore the Jews have used more than ordinary 
industry and artifice to elude these two predictions, J but in 



* These words of Zachary are clear in 
the original, npTltt'K nx "bx iD-nm 
although the LXX. have made another 
sense, lirS'Ki^ovrM nr^oq /we, av0' aJv xarw^- 
Xna-avro, by translating "lU'X DN av9' £v, eo 
(jund ; as also the Chaldee paraphrase 
"1 b)} with the Arabic version ; and the 
Syriac another yet, by rendering it per 
eum quern, as if they should look upon one, 
and pierce another : yet the plain con- 
struction of "IWN nx, is nothing else but 
quern, relating to the person in the affix of 
the precedent "bn. who, being the same 
with him who immediately before pro- 
miseth to pour upon man the Spirit of 
grace, must needs be God. Which that 
the Jews might avoid, they read it not 
"bx but vbx, not on me, but on him, to dis- 
tinguish him whom they were to pierce, 
from him who was to give the Spirit of 
grace. But this fraud is easily detected, 
because it is against the Hebrew copies, 
the Septuagint, and Chaldee paraphrase, 
the Syriac and Arabic translations. Nor 
can the Rabbins shift this place, because 
it was anciently by the Jews interpreted 
of the Messias, as themselves confess. 
So R. Solomon Jarchi upon the place, 
: ^DV p n-tt'Q ^71; in"1U'"l''3 "bn Our masters 
have expounded this of the Messias the son of 
Joseph. That they interpreted it therefore 
of the Messias, is granted by them ; that 
any Messias was to be the son of Joseph, 
is already denied and refuted: it re- 
maineth therefore that the ancient Jews 
did interpret it of the true Messias, and 
that St. John did apply it to our Saviour 
according to the acknowledged exposition. 
And in the Bereshith Rabba, we are 
clearly taught thus much ; for unto that 
question, " Who art thou, O great moun- 
tain 1" (Zech. iv. 7.) he answereth, "jn 
TTT ]n rT'U'O nt bnjn The great mountain is 
the Messias the Son of David, And he 
proves it from, "Grace, grace unto it." 
D''30nni in in3 inw because he givelh grace 
and su])pLicutionsi as it is written, Zech, 
xii. 10. 



t This translation seems something 
diflferent from the Hebrew text as we 
now read it, "l* *")X3 sicut Leo, mnnus 
meas et pedes meos. But it was not always 
read as now it is. For R. Jacob the son 
of Chajim, in Massoreth Magna, n3~iyD 
cibxnmx ordine "ix testifieth that he found 
D-p^^'ja D-nSD nvpn in some coi^'ect copies 
aiDD writtenin the text,"nx3, but "Uread, 
and therefore written in the margin »-)X3. 
The same is testified by the Masorah on 
Numb. xxiv. 9. citing the words of this 
text, and adding n-nDT)3. And Johannes 
Isaac Levita coufirmeth it by his own ex- 
perience, who had seen in an ancient 
copy nx3 in the text, and nxD in the 
margin. It was anciently therefore with- 
out question written "nx3, as appeareth 
not only by the LXX. who translated it 
&pv^av,fod€runt ; and Aquila, who ren- 
dered it ^<T)(yvav , f(£darunt , (in the same 
sense with that of Virgil, ^n. iii. v. 241. 
* Obscoenas pelagi ferro foedare volucres.') 
and the old Syriac, which translateth it 
VTH transfxerant; but also by the less, or 
marginal, Masorah, which noteth that the 
word »nx3 is found written alike in two 
places ; this and Isaiah xxxviii. 18. but 
in divers significations : wherefore being 
in Isaiah it manifestly signifieth sicnt leo, 
it must not signify the same in this ; and 
being the Jews themselves pretend to no- 
thing else, itfoUoweth that it be still read 
as it was, nxa, and translated foderunt. 
From whence it also appeaieth, that this 
was one of the eighteen places which 
were altered by the Scribes. 

X For the Masorah in several places 
confesseth, that eighteen places in the 
Scriptures have been altered by the 
Scribes ; and when they come to reckon 
the places, they mention but sixteen ; the 
other two without question are those con- 
cerning the crucifixion of the Messias, 
Psalm xxii. 16. and Zech. xii. 10. For 
that of Zachary, a Jew confessed it to 
Llercerus : and that of David, we shewed 
before to be the other. 



X 



306 



ARTICLE IV. 



vain. For these two prophets, David and Zachary, manifestly 
did foretell the particular punishment of crucifixion. 

It was therefore sufficiently adumbrated by types, and pro- 
mulgated by prophecies, that the promised Messias was to be 
crucified. And it is as certain, that our Jesus, the Christ whom 
we worship, and from whence we receive that honour to be 
named Christians, was really and truly crucified. (Matt. xxvi. 
2.) It was first the wicked design of Judas, who betrayed 
him to that death : it was the malicious cry of the obdurate 
Jews, Crucify him, crucify him." (John xix. 15.) He was 
actually condemned and delivered to that death by Pilate, *'who 
gave sentence that it should be as they required (Luke xxiii. 
24.) he was given into the hands of the soldiers, the instru- 
ments commonly used in inflicting that punishment,* who 
"led him away to crucify him." (Matt, xxvii. 31.) He under- 
went those previous pains which customarily antecede that 
suffering, as flagellation, and bearing of the cross :t for Pilate, 
when he had scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified 
(Matt, xxvii. 26.) and he, bearing his cross, went forth into 
Golgotha." (John xix. 17.) They carried him forth out of the 
city, as by custom in that kind of death they were wont to 
do ;J and there between two malefactors, usually by the Ro- 
mans condemned to that punishment, they crucified him.% And 
that he was truly fastened to the cross, appears by the satisfac- 



* That the soldiers did execute the sen- 
tence of death given by the Roman ma- 
gistrates in their provinces, and not only 
in the camp, is evident out of the his- 
torians of that nation. 

t * Sciendum est Romanis Pilatum le- 
gibus ministrasse, quibus sancitum est, 
ut qui crucifigitur prius flagellis verbere- 
tur.' S. Hieron. ad Matt, xxvii. 26. To 
which Lucian alludes in his own condem- 
nation : 'E^uoi [xh avicry.'i'KomaQcn ^omX a-inlv, 
vh Ai'tt, fxaLa-riyctiQivTa, ye Trporspov. Lucian. in 
Piscatore, c. 2. * Multi occisi, multi capti, 
alii verberati crucibus affixi.' Liv. 1. 
xxxiii. c. 36. And 1. xxviii. ' Ad palum 

* Credo ego isthoc exemplo tibi esse 
Dispessis manibus, patibulum cum 

Tully ; ' Cum Mamertini more atque in- 
stituto suo crucem fixisseut post urbem in 
via. Pompeia.' V. in Verr. c. 66. 

§ Thieves and robbers were usually by 
the Romans punished with this death. 
Thus Cfesar used his pirates, rovg Xnc-ra? 
aTTavrag civsa-rav^aia-e. Pint, in Vita, c. 2. 
' Imperator provinciee jussit latrones 
crucibus affigi.' Petron. Sat. c. 111. * La- 
tronem istum, miserorum pignorum meo- 
rum peremptorem, cruci affigatis.' Apii- 
leius de Aur. Asin. 1, iii. p. 133. ed. 
Elmenhorst. 1621. * Latrocinium fecit 



deligatus, lacerato virgis tergo, cervicem 
cruci Romanas subjiciam.' So Curtius 
reports of Alexander : * Omnes verberibus 
affectos sub ipsis radicibus petrae cruci- 
bus jussit affigi.' 1. vii. c. 11. Thus were 
the Jews themselves used, who caused 
our Saviour to be scourged and crucified : 
Maa-riyovfA.ivoi Ha) w^o^atravil^ofASVoi rov Sava- 
Tov Trao-av alsiiav, avea-ruvfovvTO. Joseph, 
excid. I. V. c. 32. 

t This was observed both by the Jevfs 
and Romans, that their capital punish- 
ments were inflicted without their cities. 
And that particularly was observed in the 
punishment of crucifixion. Plautus ; 

eundum actutum extra portam, 
habebis.' — Mit. Glor. a. ii. s. iv. 6. 

aliquis, quid ergo meruit 1 Ut suspenda- 
tur.' Sen. Episi. 7. Where suspendi is as 
much as crncijigi, and is so to be under- 
stood in all Latin authors which wrote 
before the days of Constantine. ' Famosos 
latrones, in his locis ubi grassati sunt, 
furca figendos, compluribus placuit.' Cal- 
list. 1. xxxviii. de paenis. Where furca 
figendos is put for cm cijigendos ; being so 
altered by Tribonianus, who, because 
Constantine had taken away the pu- 
nishment, took also the name out of 
the Law. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



307 



tion given to doubting Thomas, who said, Except I shall see 
in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the 
print of the nails, I will not believe and our Saviour said 
unto him, ^* Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands 
(John XX. 25. 27.) whereby he satisfied the apostle, that he 
was the Christ ; and us, that the Christ was truly crucified ; 
against that fond heresy, which made Simon the Cyrenean not 
only bear the cross, but endure crncijixion, for our Saviour.*" 
We therefore infer this second conclusion from the undoubted 
testimonies of his followers, and undefined confessions of his 
enemies, that our Jesus was certainly and truly crucified, and 
did really undergo those sufferings, which were pretypified and 
foretold, upon the cross. 

Being thus fully assured that the Messias was to be, and 
that our Christ was truly crucified, it, thirdly, concerns us to 
understand what was the nature of crucifixion, what the par- 
ticularities of suffering, which he endured on the cross. Nor 
is this now so easily understood as once it was : for being a 
Roman punishment, it was continued in that empire while it 
remained heathen; but when the emperors themselves received 
Christianity, and the towering eagles resigned the flags unto 
the crossy this punishment was forbidden by the supreme au- 
thority, out of a due respect and pious honour to the death of 
Christ.^ From whence it came to pass, that since it hath been 
disused universally for so many hundred years, it hath not been 
so rightly conceived as it was before, when the general prac- 
tice of the world did so frequently represent it to the Christian's 
eyes. Indeed if the word which was used to denote that pu- 
nishment did sufficiently represent or express it, it were enough 
to say that Christ was crucified: but being the most usual or 
original word doth not of itself declare the figure of the tree, 

* This was the peculiar heresy of Ba- Semi. 18. al. 88. de Verbis Dom. §. 8. 

silides, a man so ancient, that he boasted * Quia ipse honoraturus erat fideles suos 

to follow Glaucias as his master, who was in fine hujus seculi, prius honoravit crucem 

the disciple of St. Peter. And Irenasus in hoc seculo, ut terrarum principes cre- 

bath declared this particularity of his : dentes in eum prohiberent aliquem no- 

' Quapropter neque passum eum : et Si- centium crucifigi.' And Tract. 36. in Toan. 

monem quendam Cyrenaeum angariatum §. 4. speaking of this particular punish-^ 

portasse crucem ejus pro eo ; et hunc se- ment : ' Modo in poenis reorum non est 

cundumignorantiameterroremcrucifixum, apud Romanes; ubi enim Domini crux 

transfiguratum ab eo, uti putaretur ipse honorata est, putatum est quod et reus 

esse Jesus ; et ipsum autem Jesum Si- honoraretur si crucifigeretur.' Whence 

monis accepisse formam, et stantem appears, first, that in the days of St. Au- 

irrisisse eos.' Adv. Har. I. i. c. 23. And gustin crucifixion was disused : secondly, 

Tertullian, of the same Basilides : ' Hunc that it was prohibited by the secular 

(Christum) passum a Judaeis non esse, princes. But when it was first prohibited, 

sed vice ipsius Simonem crucifixum esse : or by whom, he sheweth not. It is there- 

unde nec in eum credendum esse qui sit fore to be observed, that it was first for- 

crucifixus, ne quis confiteatur in Simonem bidden by the first Christian emperor, 

credidisse.' De PrcEsc. adv. H sr. c. 46. Constantine the Great. Sozomenus gives 

From these is the same delivered by St. this relation : 'Afxi'Kii rot ir^on^ov nvofxi- 

Epiphanius Hares. 24. 3. and by St. o-fxivw 'PoofAaioi/; -rhv rdv (nav^ou rtixw^ictv 

Augustin, H&r. 4. vo/xw aviXhs rvg ^^hcreccg roov ^maa-Tti^ionv, 

f This is observed by St. Augustin, 1. i. c. 8. 

X 2 



308 



ARTICLE IV. 



or manner of the suffering it will be necessary to represent 
it by such expressions as we find partly in the evangelical re- 
lations, partly in such representations as are left us in those 
authors whose eyes were daily witnesses of such executions. 

The form then of the cross on which our Saviour suffered 
was not a simple but a compounded figure, according to the 



from which the rest mentioned are mani- 
festly derived, hath of itself no other sig- 
nification than of a stake. As we find it 
first used by Homer, 



* The original word in the New Testa- 
ment, for the tree on which our Saviour 
suflfered, is a-ravfog, and the action or cru- 
cifixion a-Tav^ootr ig, the active crTav^ovv, and 
the passive a-Taupova-Qai. Now crrav^oi;, 

Uvwov; KcCi Ba.fj,iai;, to fxsXav Jpyo; aix<pi)ceao-a'ag* — 'O^vc. E. 11. 
'Afx<pi ol [xtya.'Knv avXvv •jToiris'av avayiri 
2Taugo~irtv TrvKivoiTi. — 'iX. il. 453. 



These are the same which Homer else- 
where calls ffKoXoTTcg, and the ancient 
grammarians render each by other. As 
Eustathius : "Zrau^oi o^Qa aai airoo^vfxfxiya 
^v\a,. ol S' avroi Koi o-KoXoTrsg Xiyovrctt, a<^ 
«V TO avitc-jtQXoTTi^EcrQctj, kcli avas-ravfoZa-^ai' 
SO he, expounding trravpog : and in the 
same manner expounding <rx.oXo7ng' Xeyov- 
Tai Se ol roiovToi cKoXoTreg Kai a-rav^oX, en Ss 
Tovrm TO avas-KoXovii^Siv, not avaa-rau^ouv. 
As when Homer describes the Phsacian 
walls, 

Tei^^sa fxanpa, 

'T^{/»Xa ffKoKonza-a-iv apnpoTO,, 

Oduss. H. 44. 
he gives this exposition : iKoXo'srsg na] 
vZv ^vKa o^Qa, ol Keti crravpoi. In the same 
manner Hes3?chius: Ituu^o), ol xara.'in- 
irnyoTtg ctxo'Xottej, p^a^axs?- and : lnoKoTrsg, 
D^Qka (\. ofSa) Ksu l^ia ^vXa a-rav^oi, p^a.- 
fttXEf and again : Xa^a^i, <pi>ayfxoTg, o^sti 
^uXoij* ol Se, KaXafxoig, ol Js, crravfoTg, Be- 
sides, they all agree in the same etymo- 
logy, aTTo rov la-r cts-Bai, and therefore 
always take it for a straight standing 
stake, pale, or palisado. Thus xeXecvte; 
in Antiphon, are briefly rendered op9i 
^v\a' but more expressly thus by Etymo- 
logus : KeXeovte?, Kv^ioog ol WroTTohg, nara.- 
X^rxTTinZg Koi Ta KctTcfmrnycna, ^vXa, a. 
Kai a-raupovg KaXovcri. This is the imdoubt- 
ed signification of a-rav^og, in vain denied 
by Salmasius, who will have it first to 
signify the same with f urea, and then with 
crux ; first the figure of T, and then of T. 
Whereas all antiquity renders it no other 
than as a straight and sharp stake : in 
which signification it came at first to de- 
note this punishment, the most simple 
and prime a-ravpws-ig or avaa-KoX'o'TiiTig being 
upon a single piece of wood, a defixus et 
erectus stipes. And the Greeks which 
wrote the Roman history, used the word 
a-ravfog as well for their palus as their 
crux. As when Antony beheaded Anti- 
gonus the king of the Jews, Dio thus be- 
gins to describe his execution, Hiit. Rom, 



1. xli. c. 22. *AVTiyom IfAaa-riyajos a-retv^S 
TT^Qs-lha-ag' not that he crucified him, as 
Baronius mistakes ; but that he put him 
to another death after the Roman custom, 
as those died in Livy, 1. xxviii. c. 29. 

* Deligati ad palum, virgisque cjesi, et 
securi percussi.' So that a-ravpS 7rgoo-S6~v, 
is ad palum deligare. Thus were the 
heads of men said avaa-ravfcu^nvan, as of 
Niger and Albinus in Dio, 1. Ixxiv. c. 8. 
and 1. Ixxv. c. 7. and Herodian, 1. iii. 
c. 24. ; which cannot but be meant of a 
single palus : and we read in Ctesias how 
Amytis put Inarus to death, avsa-TavpM<rs 
fj.h IttI Tfia-i (TTttuf o~?, not that he crucified 
him upon three crosses, but pierced his 
body with three stakes fastened in the 
ground, and sharpened at the upper end. 
As appears by the like Persian punish- 
ment inflicted by Pary satis on Mesabates, 
as delivered by Plutarch in Artaierxe, 
C. 17. TT^oa-ETa^Ev ExSETgat I^Zvret, Kal to /uev 
crSifxa <S7Xaytov Sta r^iSiV a-TavpZv ava.Trn^a.i, 
To Se S'lp|Ua )(^oop]g ^laTTarTaXevs'^ai' which 
the Latin translator renders, in tres sus- 
toUi cruces (a thing impossible) ; whereas 
it was to be transversely fastened to three 
stakes, piercing the body lying, and thrust 
down upon them ; which in the Excerpta 
of Ctesias is delivered only in the word 
avEc-TaupiV&j). Ex Persicis, et k'. iTaupog 
therefore is no more originally than o-koXo^, 
a single stake, or an erect piece of wood 
upon which many suffered who were said 
avaaravpova-^at and avacrKoXoTri^io-Qai. And 
when other transverse or prominent parts 
were added in a perfect cross, it retained 
still the original name, not only o{ s-rav^og, 
but also of c-xoXovf-' as : ''si<^£iXsv £ig Imhi^iv 
^sornrog a'TTo tov c-noXoiiog yoZv zhB-jg a.<^avhg 
ysvss-Qai, &c- T«v Iwi Toy anoXoTtog avTcZ 
<^i)]iriv CT awsTrm. Celsus apud Orig. 1. ii. 
§. 69. Thus in that long, or rather too 
long, verse written by Audax to St. Au- 
gustin, Epist. 139. 

• Exspectat quos plena fides Christi de 

stipite pendens.' 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 309 

custom of the Romans, by whose Procurator he was condemn- 
ed to die. In which there was not only a straight and erected 
piece of wood fixed in the earth, but also a transverse beam 
fastened unto that towards the top thereof :* and beside these 



* That the figure and parts of a Ro« 
man cross, such as that was on which our 
Saviour suffered, may be known, we must 
begin with the first composition in the 
frame or structure of it : and that is the 
conjunction of the two beams, the one 
erect, the other transverse ; the first to 
which the body was applied, the second 
to which the hands were fastened. These 
two, as the chief parts of the cross, are 
several ways expressed : first, by the 
Jews, who had no one word in their lan- 
guage particularly to express that pu- 
nishment (as being not mentioned in the 
law, or at all in use among them), and 
therefore call it by a double name, ex- 
pressing the conjunction of these beams 
iliyi -nii', stamen et snhtegmen, the warp and 
the woof. The Greeks express the same, 
by the letter Tav, as partly appears by 
what is already spoken of the number 
300, and is yet more evident by the testi- 
mony of Lucian, who makes mankind 
complain of the letter Tav, because tyrants 
in imitation of that first made the cross : 
Tm yap rourou <ra>fA,arl <^aa-t tou^ rv^awwg 
a,}io\ov^r)<ravra,q Kat fAi/xn<rafxsvovq TOTT'Ka.trfjta, 
B^eira a^r\fA.ari roiovro) ^vXa. rsKrKVcivrctg, 
av^fJoTTovq avaanokom^iiv Itt' avra, Jud. Vo- 
cal, c. 12. ' Ipsa est enim litera Graeco- 
rum Tau, nostra autem T, species crucis.' 
Tertull. adv. Marc. I. iii. c. 22. St. Je- 
rome affirms the same of the Samaritan 
Tau ; but there is no similitude to be 
found in that which is now in use, or any 
other oriental, only in the Coptic alphaliet 
Salebdi, that is the cross Di. These two 
parts of the cross are otherwise expressed 
by the mast and yard of a ship. So Justin 
Martyr : QaKaa-a-a fxh ya^ ov TEjUVSrat , «v 
fxrt rovTO TO TpoTTaiov, 0 jtaXsTTat l^-rLov, Iv rtl 
vnt a-Mov fxevn. Apol. ii. p. 90. And Ter- 
tullian : ' Antenna navis crucis pars est.' 
adv. Marcion. 1. iii. c. 18. And Minutius 
Felix : • Signum sane Crucis naturaliter 
visimus in navi, cum velis tumentibus ve- 
hitur.' c. 29. And Maximus Taurinens. : 
' Cum a nautis scinditur mare, prius arbor 
erigitur, velum distenditur, ut cruce Do- 
mini facta aquarum fluentia rumpantur.' 
de Cruce Dam. Homil. 2. Now because 
the extremities of the antenna are a kind 
of Mpctra, (as Virgil that great master of 
proprieties, ^n. iii. 549. 

* Cornua velatarum obvertimus anten- 

narum'), 

therefore in Greek xsga/a is antenna : and 
from thence the Greek fathers applied the 



words of our Saviour, Matt. v. 18. 'iSra 
IV ti [xia. Kspctia ov fxri -zo-aglx&jj utto rov vofxov^ 
I'flDf av frhra yivnrai, to the cross of Christ ; 
ToZ yap crravpou 'lana la-T{ to o^&ov ^uXov, KaX 
KE^ata, TO •rr'kayiov. Because "iZra is like 
the straight piece or mast of the cross?, 
and KE^aia the yard or transverse part ; 
therefore some of the ancients interpreted 
this place of the cross, says Theophylact 
on the place. And Gregory Nyssen, J. ii. 
de Vita Mosis, p. 217. 'AXfl&£? yaf roTt 
Ha9opav Jwtt/otEvoij Iv toS vo/xeii fxaXicrra, to 
yM,ra tov a-rav^ov ^saipBi fA^vc-rhpiov. Aio (pturl 
itou TO EuayyiXjcv, oti l>t tcu vofxov to 'Iwto. 
Hat h Kipaia ov TTa^sp^Braf artfxa'ivov, S'ta TiSv 
el^nfxevoov rftv te Ix <STXayK>v yoaf/,fA,riv, Kal Tnv 
Kaberov, J{' to (r)(jn[xa tou (rrav^w Kara- 
y^a<perai. Not that this is the true inter- 
pretation of that place (for xepai'a signifies 
a part of a letter, as in Apollonius Syntax. 
1. i. c. 7. TOU a Tnv xepaiav attriiXeivf-e) ; but 
by that they testify their apprehension of 
the figure of a cross ; which is well ex- 
pressed by Eusebius, describing the form 
of the cross which appeared to Constan- 
tino ; 'T^/uXov Sogu XS^'^^ 3iaTn[x<pie<rfA,ivov, 
XEfa? eT^bv lyiia^a-iov , a-rav^ov (r^t)fxari tts- 
•TToir^fxevov. De Vita Constant. 1. i. c. 31. 
And this similitude of the mast and yard 
leads to the consideration of that part of 
the erected pale which was eminent above 
the transverse beam. For as the na^^h- 
am was above the xEpt'a, so the stipes did 
extend itself above the patibutum. And 
this is evident by those expressions which 
make the two beams have four sides, and 
four extremities, as two lines cutting each 
other at equal angles needs must have. 
These Theophanes, Homil. 4. init. and 
Gregory Nyssen, In Christ. Resiir. or. 1. 
p. 396. call rag airo to3 [x'eitqv rscra-a^ag 
'nr^oQoXag' Damascen. de Orth. Fid. 1. iv. 
C. 12. r a ria-j-a^a aH^a rov <rrav^oZ dta rou 
fxia-QV KEvr^ov KparovfA.EVct xat (TviT<piyy6f/.Eva. 
Hence Nonnus calls the cross Jo'fu rer^a- 
wXsugov. c. xix. 91. And of these four 
parts the fathers interpret the height, and 
breadth, and length, and depth, men- 
tioned by St. Paul, Eph. iii. As Gre- 
gory Nyssen : 'E<pEa-m<; rhv to Trav Staxpa- 
rovQ-av r£ xai (TVVE^ova-av Mvafxiv tcS o-'/nfxari 

roZ a-ravpov xaray^acpEi v-^og Hal Qa^og 

Koi 'TrXarog sia) fxriicog Karovofxa^m, EHaa-rnv 
HS^aiav roov Kara to cr^vfxa rov ff-ravpou ^eod- 
^ovfxEvocv l^ioig irpoaayo^Evcav ovofxatriv, oog, to 
jUHV avm [xkpog u^f/o; ei-nrei'v, &aQog Se to ^ETa 
TW avfxBo'khv iiroKELfAEvov, rw 51 lyaapa-iov 
XrtS' exaTSgov KS^aiav rv rov pi,wov; rs aal 



310 



ARTICLE IV. 



two cutting each other transversely at right angles (so that the 
erected part extended itself above the transverse), there was 
also another piece of wood infixed into, and standing out 
from, that which was erected and straight up.*' To that 
erected piece was his body, being lifted up, applied, as Moses's 
serpent to the pole ; and to the transverse beam his hands were 
nailed : upon the lower part coming out from the erected 
piece his sacred body rested, and his feet were transfixed and 
fastened with nails : his head, being pressed with a crown of 



'TrXttTou? ovo^wart S'jao-«^ai'v£wv. Contra Eunom. 
Oral. iv. p. 52,^1. et Idem Catech. Orat. 
c. 32. et in Christ.' Resur. Orat. 1. p. 
396 — 7. And St. Augustin makes the 
same interpretation : ' In hoc mysterio 
figura crucis ostenditur :' which he thus 
expresseth : ' Latitude est in eo ligno 
quod transversum desuper figitur, — longi- 
tudo in eo quod ab ipso ligno usque ad 
terram conspicuum est ; — altitudo est in 
ea ligni parte, qufe ab illo quod transver- 
sum figitur sursum versus relinquitur, hoc 
est, ad caput crucifixi, &c.' Epist. 120. 
al. 140. c. 26. §. 64. et alibi strpe. These 
four parts are severally expressed by the 
ancients, and particularly by the figure of 
a man with his hands stretched forth ; 
which is the most proper similitude, be- 
cause the cross was first made adapted 
to that figure. ' Quod caput emicat, 
quod spina dirigitur, quod humerorum 
obliquatio cornuat, si statueiis hominem 
manibus expansis, imaginem crucis fe- 
ceris.' Tertnll. ad Nat. 1. i. c. 12. 

"* Beside the direct and transverse 
parts of the cross, with their four extre- 
mities, which only usually are considered, 
and represented in the figures, we must 
find yet another part, and a fifth extre- 
mity. Irenasus giving several examples 
of the number five, delivers it plainly 
thus, 1. ii. c. 42. ' Ipse habitus crucis fines 
et summitates habet quinque, duos in 
longitudine, et unum in medio, ubi requi- 
escit qui clavis affigitur.' Beside there- 
fore the four extremities of the direct and 
transverse beams, there was a fifth ax^ov 
in medio (viz. of the erected pa/us), on 
which the crucified body rested. This 
fifth part of the cross fastened to the ar- 
rectarius stipes was before Irenaeus ac- 
knowledged and described by Justin 
Martyr, under the notion of the horn of 
the rhinoceros, taken to be a figure or 
tvpe of the cross : MjvoJtigaJTO? yk^ nspctret 

Ti? aiTrElv nai aTToSsT^af, Et [j-h rou rvTTov o? 
Tov o'TcLvpov S£t;ivi/£riv. o^Qiov yxp to I'v IfTt 

vTrs^npfxivov, orav to aXXo ^uXov Trpoira^fxoc-Qyi, 
Hat gXttTSgiwQeV aiq Kipara rx kvl KS^ari Trups- 



^ivyixiva. to. ax^a ■pa.ivvra.r Kot to Iv tS fxiira: 
Trriyvvfxsvov aii HE^at; na] alro l^'^Xpy ItrTiv, 
l<f)' (b iTTO'X^ovv'rai o\ o-rau^oufxivot' yta] ^KBTrerai 
ill; xEfa? xat avTO <rvv aXXoiq ni^cta-i a-uvio-^K- 
fxana-fxivov Kai 'SJBTrrjyfxBvov. Dial, cum Try- 
phone, p. 318. Where beside the o^Swv 
^uXov, or arrectarius stipes, and the aXXo 
^uXov, or traiisversarium lignuvt, there is a 
third, TO Ev /iab^m Trrjyvv/xivov fastened in the 
middle ; l<p to iTro^ovvrai ol crrav^oufxivoi, 
says he : * ubi requiescit qui clavis affigi- 
tur,' says Irenfeus. So Tertullian, 1. i. 
ad Nutiones, c. 12. * Pars crucis, et qui- 
dem major, est omne robur quod directa 
statione defigitur. Sed nobis tota crux 
imputatur, cum antenna scilicet sua, et 
illo sedilis excessu.' Where the excessus 
is the TO l^B)(^ov, signifying the nature, as 
the sedile signifieth the use of the part. 
Which in another place, in imitation of 
Justin, he refers unto the typical unicorn : 
' Nam et in antenna navis, quae crucis 
pars est, extreraitates cornua vocantur : 
Unicornis autem medio stipite palus.' 
Adv. Marcion. 1. iii. c. 18. et adv. Jud, 
c. 10. To this sedile in the cross, Maece- 
nas seemeth to allude in those words in 
Seneca : ' Hanc mihi vel acuta subsidem 
cruce sustine.' And Seneca himself does 
expoimd him ; ' Suffigas licet, et acutam 
sessuro crucem subdas, est tanti vulnus 
suum premere, et patibulo pendere dis- 
trictum.' Epist. 101. Of this Innocentius 
the First also speaks, Serm. 1. de vno 
Mart. ' Fuerunt in cruce Dominica ligna 
quatuor; stipes erectus, et lignum trans- 
versum, truncus suppositus, et titulus su- 
perpositus.' This Gregorius Turonensis, 
after the use of the cross was long omitted, 
interpreted of suppedaneum, a piece of 
wood fastened under the feet of him that 
suflfered, De glor. Mart. c. vi. ' Clavorum 
ergo Dominicorum gratia, quod quatuor 
fuerint, haec est ratio. Duo sunt affixi in 
palmis, et duo in plantis : et quseritur cur 
plantae afiixae sint quae in cruce sancta de- 
pendere visas sunt potius quam stare. 
Sed in stipite erecto foramen factum ma- 
nifestum. Pes quoque parvulae tabellae 
in hoc foramen insertus est. Super hanc 
Tero tabulam tanquam stantis hominis 
sacras affixae sunt plant®.' 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



311 



thorns, was applied to that part of the erect which stood above 
the transverse beam ; and above his head to that was fastened 
the table,* on which was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin 
characters, the accusation, according to the Roman custom; 

and the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of 
THE Jews." (John xix. 19.) 

Thus by the propriety of the punishment, and the titular in- 
scription, we know what crime was then objected to the im- 
maculate Lamb, and upon what accusation Pilate did at last 
proceed to pass the sentence of death upon him. It was not 
any opposition to the Law of Moses, not any danger threat- 
ened to the Temple, but pretended sedition and affectation of 
the crown objected, which moved Pilate to condemn him. The 
Jews did thus accuse him : *' We found this fellow perverting 
the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Csesar, saying 
that he himself is Christ a king (Luke xxiii. 2.) and when 



* That whicli was written over the 
head of our Saviour is called simply by 
St. Luke iTiiy^a<^h, by St. Matthew ama, 
by St. Mark h i'miy^a.<^h tJj? cdriaq, and by 
St. John rir'Koi;, making use of a Latin 
word, as is observed by Nonnus: 

Kai ITiXaTOf ^mrov l7rly^A<pB fxa^ru^i y6fx<pCf} 
FfafAfxa, TO Treg xaX£oy<rt Aarivi^i ti'tXov lojp. 

c. xix. 100. ' 

From all which we may collect, that there 
was an inscription written over the head 
of our Saviour, signifying the accusation 
and pretended crime for which he was 
condemned to that death, G/oss. Vet. AWiet, 
causa, materia, titulus. As Ovid. Trist. 3. 
Eleg. 1, 47. 

' Causa, superpositae scripto testata co- 
ronae, 

Servatos cives indicat hujus ope :' 

that is, OB GIVES servatos was h £7riy^a<pri 
Tw? tttTi'a;, * causa scripto testata.' In 
the language of Suetonius, Calig. c. 32. 
* Titulus, qui causam pcenae indicavit.' 
As Ovid. Fast. vi. 190. 

* Vixit ut occideret damnatus crimine 

regni, 

Hunc illi titulum longa senecta dabat.' 

This was done according to the Roman 
custom ; as we read in Dio, 1. liv. c. 3. 
of the son of Caepio : Tov JoSXov tov •ff^olovra 
auTOV Jja TS T>]f ayofa^ /xia-ni [/.ira y^afxfx,a,- 
Toov, rhv alriav Trig ^awrcioaBaig avTov Sjj- 
XowTWV, otayayoVTOt;, Kai [xira. ravra, ava.- 
o-rav^aocravrct. This title was written upon 
a table, and that table fastened to the 
upper part of the cross. The Syriac, 
Arabic, and Persian translations render 
titXov expressly a table. And Hesychius, 
TiTXof, TTTup^iov eTTiy^afAfAa e'p^ov (not £X.^v, 



as it is printed), not the inscription itself, 
but that upon which the inscription was 
written. Thus the epistle of the French 
unto the Christians in Asia, represents the 
inscription of the Martyr Attains in a 
table : nejjap^Seij kvkXm roZ afj.(pi^£a,r^ou, 
TTt'vaxoj alrov 'X^oayovrog , Iv cc iitsyiysairra 
'PctifxaWri, oZroqla-riv" ArraT^oq 6 X^i<7riav6q. 
Euseb. 1. V. c. 1. a med. And Sozomen, 
describing the invention of the cross by 
Helena, says there were several crosses 
in the same place : Kai X'*'?'? ^vXov 
Iv fxipsi "KBUKoifxaro;, phfxaa-i Kai ypafAfxag-tv 
'E^^aiKoTq, 'EXAnvtxoT? rs Kai ''Poofxa'CKoHq, 
Hist. Eccl. 1. ii. c. 1. This Nicephorus 
calls T^BvKnv a-an^a, which is the proper in- 
terpretation of X£t;jta!|Oca.. Suidas, AsuKx/j-a, 
roTx,o; (Etymol. mva^) yu^o) a\yi\ifXfA.mi 
<rTfoq y^a<^r,v -KToXfTiJiiv iT^ayfxaroiiv lirirh^tiot;. 
Hesych. Zavi?, hvpa, XeuKiCfxa, (as Julius 
Pollux joins c-avif and "KeuKoofxa together) 
Iv u) al y^a<pai 'a&«vj)S"(V eyfia<povro tTjOJ toi^c 
KaKov^yov;- riQerai SI Kai eni rav^ov, leg. 
a-rau^ou. His meaning is, that such a 
XBvKoofxa as contained the accusation or 
crime of malefactors was placed upon the 
cross on which they suffered ; and with- 
out question he spake this in reference to 
our Saviour's cross, because he used in a 
manner the same words with St. John : 
TiSerat Ittj rov arav^ov, says Hesychius, 
eSuxEV Itt; rov a-rav^cv, saith St. John. It 
was therefore a table of wood whited and 
fastened to the top of the cross, on which 
the accusation or crime was written, as it 
is expressed by Nicephorus : 2avi; >.BvKr], 
h BarikBa t«v 'lowSaiaiW j'gi2.<f>a)V o TliXaroQ 
v'TTS^ KBipaXrii ItiSej, iv s'lhi a-rhXriQ $acrt\Ba 
t£v 'loviaiaiv tov ff-Taypiw^EVTa KJipuTTiwv. Hist, 
Eccl. 1. viii. c. 29. And thus there were, 
as Xanthopulus observes : 

'O s-ravfoi, K'Koi, Kai yga<f>>5? rirXog avui. 



312 



ARTICLE IV. 



Pilate sought to release him, they cried out, saying, " If thou 
let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend : whosoever maketh 
himself a king, speaketh against Csesar/' (John xix. 12.) This 
moved Pilate to pass sentence upon him, and, because that 
punishment of the cross w£ls by the Roman custom used for 
that crime, to crucify him.* 

Two things are most observable in this cross; the acerbity 
and the ignominy of the punishment: for of all the Roman 
ways of execution, it was most painful, and most shameful.f 
First, the exquisite pains and torments in that death are ma- 
nifest, in that the hands and feet, which of all the parts of the 
body are most nervous, and consequently most sensible, were 
pierced through with nails; which caused, not a sudden dis- 
patch, but a lingering and tormenting death : insomuch that 
the Romans, who most used this punishment, did in their lan- 
guage deduce their expressions of pains and cruciation from 
the cross.X And the acerbity of this punishment appears in 
that those who were of any merciful disposition would first 
cause such as were adjudged to the cross, to be slain, and then 
to be crucified.^ 

As this death was most dolorous and full of acerbity, so it 
was also most infamous and full of ignominy. The Romans 
themselves accounted it a servile punishment, and inflicted it 
upon their slaves and fugitives. [i It was a high crime to put 



• * Auctores seditionis aut tumultus, 
pro qualitatis dignitate, aut in crucem 
tolluntur, aut bestiis objiciuntur.' Jul. 
Paulus, 1. V. tit. 22. 

t * Ilia morte pejus nihil fuit inter 
omnia genera mortium.' S. August, in 
loan. Tract. 36. §. 4. Tully calls it ' cru- 
delissimura teterrimumque supplicium/ 
V. in Verr. c. 66. and Ausonius, ' pcenas 
extremum.' 

$ ' Ubi dolores acerrimi exagitant, cru- 
ciatus vocatur, a cruce noininatus : pen- 
dentes enim in ligno crucifixi, clavis ad 
lignum pedibus mauibusque confixi, pro- 
ducta morte necabantur. Non enim cru- 
cifigi hoc erat occidi ; sed diu vivebatur 
in cruce : non quia longior vita eligeba- 
tur, sed quia mors ipsa protendebatur. 
He dolor citius finiretur.' S.August. Tract, 
in Joan. 36. §. 4. To this etymology did 
Terence allude in those words, 

• Et illis crucibus, quje nos nostramque 

adolescentiam 
Habent despicatui, et quae nos semper 
omnibus cruciant modis.' 

Etm. a. ii. sc. iii. 91. 
§ As it was observed by Julius Cajsar : 
• Piratas, a quibus captus est, cum in di- 
tionem redegisset, quoniam suffixurum 
se cruci ante juraverat, jugulari prias 
jussit, deinde suffigi.' Suet. 1. i. c. 71. 
|j Vulcatius Gallicanus relateth of 



Avidius Cassius, that in the case of some 
centurions which had been prosperous, 
in fighting without orders given : ' Rapi 
eo8 jussit, et in crucem tolli, servilique 
supplicio affici : quod exemplum non ex- 
stabat.' c. 4. And Juvenal speaks with 
relation to this custom, Sat. vi. 218. 

' Pone crucem servo.' 
So Palsestrio in PJautus, Mil. Glor. a. ii. 
sc. ii. 27. 

' Nisi quidem ilia nos volt, qui servi 
suraus. 

Propter amorem suum omnes crucibus 
contubernales dari,' 
And again. Ibid. a. ii. sc. iv. 19. 

' Noli minitari ; scio crucem futuram 

mihi sepulcrum. 
Ibi mei majores sunt siti, pater, avus, 
proavus, abavus.' 
So in Terence, Andr. a. iii. sc. v. 15. 
Pam. ' Quid meritus est V 
Dav. ' Crucem.' 
And Horace, Sat. I. i. sat. iii. 80. 
* Si quis eum servum, patinam qui tollere 
jussus, 

Semesos pisces tepidumque ligurierit jus. 
In cruce suffigat' 

So Capitolinus of Pertinax, c. 9. ' In cru- 
cem sublatis talibus servis :' and Hero- 
dian of Macrinus : AouXo; oitoj ha-noTci^ 
KarhyyBX'kov avea-KoXomo'^^vcrav^ .1. v, c. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



313 



that dishonour upon any freeman ; and the greatest indignity 
which the most undeserving Roman could possibly suffer in 
himself,* or could be contrived to shew their detestation to 
such creatures as were below human nature.f And because, 
when a man is beyond possibility of suffering pain, he may 
still be subject to ignominy in his fame ; when by other ex- 
quisite torments some men have tasted the bitterness of death, 
after that, they have .in their breathless corpses, by virtue of 
this punishment, suff'ered a kind of surviving shame. J And 
the exposing the bodies of the dead to the view of the people 
on the crossj hath been thought a sufficient ignominy to those 
who died, and terror to those who lived to see it.§ Yea, where 



This punishment of the cross did so pro- 
perly belong to slaves, that when ser- 
vants and freemen were involved alike in 
the sam,e crime, they were very careful 
to make a distinction in their death, ac- 
cording to their condition : ' Ut quisque 
liber aut servus, suae fortunes a quoque 
sumptum supplicium est.' Liv. 1. iii. c. 18. 
And then the servants were always cru- 
cified. As Servius observes among the 
LacedaBraonians : * Servos patibulis suf- 
fixerunt, filios strangulavere, nepotes fu- 
gaverunt.' ad Mneid. iii. v. 551. • No- 
vercae quidem perpetuum indicitur exsi- 
lium : servus vero patibulo suffigitur.' 
Apul. Metam. 1. x. p. !^44. Thus in tho 
combustioa at Rome, upon the death of 
Julius Csesar : ' AfxvvofA,evoi avri^sBrja-av hioi, 
tiai <rv'K\y)<p&£vrsg trs^oi ln^tfA-kaQna-av oau 
^E^aTTovTSg ^crav, ol 51 l\ev^£^ot uara rou 
K^tifxvov KaTepl>i<pnirav. Appian,. de Bell, 
civil. 1. iii. c. 3. ' Ea nocte speculatores 
prehensi servi tres, et unus ex legione 
vernacula ; servi sunt in crucem sublati, 
militi cervices abscissae.' Hirtitis lib. de. 
Bell. Hispan. c. 20. So Africanus : ' Gra- 
vius in Romanos quam in Latinos trans - 
fugas animadvertit : illos enim, tanquam 
patriae fugitivos, crucibus affixit ; hos, 
tanquam perfidos socios, securi percussit.' 
Vuler. Max. 1. ii. c. 7. This punishment 
of the cross was so proper unto servants, 
that servile supplicium in the language of 
the Romans signifies the same : and 
though in the words of Vulcatius before 
cited, they go both together, as also in 
Capitolinus, Macriii. c. 12. * Nam et in 
crucem milites tulit, et servilibus suppli- 
cii^ semper affecit :' yet either is sufl5- 
cient to express crucifixion : as in Taci- 
tus : ' Malam potentiam servili supplicio 
expiavit.' Hist. 1.4. c. 11. and again: 
' Sumptum de eo supplicium in servilem 
modum.' Hist. 1. 2. c. 72. And therefore 
when any servants were made free, they 
were put out of fear of ever suffering this 
punishment. ' An vero servos nostros 
horum suppliciorum omnium metu domi- 



norum benignitas una vindicta liberavit 1 
nos a verberibus, ab unco, crucis denique 
terrore, neque res gestae, neque acta 
eetas, neque nostri honores vindicabunt 1' 
Cic. Orat. pro Rabir. c. 5. 

* ' Carnifex, et obductio capitis, et 
comen ipsura crucis absit, non modo a 
corpore civium Romanorum, sed etiam a 
cogitatione, oculis, auribus. Harum enim 
omnium rerum non solum eventus atque 
perpessio, sed etiam conditio, exspectatio, 
mentio denique, indigna cive Romano 
atque homine libero est.' Cic. Orat. pro 
Rubir. c. 5. ' Facinus est viiicire civem 
Romanum, scelus verberare, parricidium 
necare : quid dicam in crucem tollere, 
crudelissimum teterrimumque suppli- 
cium ] verbo satis digno tam nefaria res 
appellari nullo modo potest.' Idem, 5. in 
Verrem, c. 66. 

t As when the Capitol was betrayed 
by the silence of dogs, but preserved by 
the noise of geese ; they preserved the 
memory by a solenm honouring of ono 
yearly, and dishonouring tho other. 
* Eadem de causa supplicia annua canes 
pendant, inter aedem Junonis et Sunimani 
vivi in furca sambucea arbore fixi.' Plin. 
I. xxix. c. 4. Tlofxvevti f^^Xf^ ^'^'^ fxvfifxii 
tZv Tore cvf/.TrTcuf/.areuv h Tup^»i, xu<wv fxiv 
antrrav^Mfxhoi, )(nv Ss fA,a\et a-tfxvSiq iirl 
a-rpci}fAW<: TToXuTEXoy? Kod <po^£iou xa&n/txEvoff. 
Plutarch, de Fort. Ro7n. c. fin. 

X As Oroetes the Persian, when he had. 
treacherously and cruelly murdered Po- 
lycrates the tyrant of Samos : aTroxrei'vac 

fxiv ovK a\Lcuq a'nnyh'Tioq avEJ-rav^aia-e. 
Herod. 1. iii. c. 125. So Antiochus first 
cut off the head of Achaeus, and then fas- 
tened his body to a cross : "eSo^s tt^Ztov 
fxev aKfct}rri^iai7ai tov raKaiTeoo^ov, fxtra, 5s 
raZrct rhv ite<pa,\hv amrsfxivrag avrou, Ketl 
Karappi^avretq eI? oveicv a^Kov, avaa-rav^Za-ai 
TO a-Zixa.. Polyb. 1. viii. c. 18. 

§ This was the design of Tarquinius 
Priscus, when the extremity of labour 
which he had laid upon his subjects made 
many lay violent hands upon themselves : 



314 



ARTICLE IV. 



the bodies of the dead have been out of the reach of their sur- 
viving enemies, they have thought it highly opprobrious to 
their ghosts, to take their representations preserved in their 
pictures, and affix them to the cross."^ Thus may we be made 
sensible of the two grand aggravations of our Saviour's suffer- 
ings, the bitterness of pain in the torments of his body, and 
the indignity of shame in the interpretation of his enemies. 

It is necessary we should thus profess faith in Christ cruci- 
Jiedj as that punishment which he chose to undergo, as that 
way which he was pleased to die. First, because by this kind 
of death we may be assured that he hath taken upon himself, 
and consequently from us, the malediction of the Law. For 
we were all under the curse, because it is expressly written, 
" Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written 
in the book of the law to do them:" (Deut. xxvii. 26. Gal. 
iii. 10.) and as it is certain none of us hath so continued ; for 
the "Scripture hath concluded all under sin," (Gal. iii. 22.) 
which is nothing else but a breach of the Law ; therefore the 
curse must be acknowledged to remain upon all. But now 
" Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being 
made a curse for us (Gal. iii. 13.) that is, he hath redeemed 
us from that general curse, which lay upon all men for the 
breach of any part of the Law, by taking upon him that parti- 
cular curse, laid only upon them which underwent a certain 
punishment of the Law; for it is written, Cursed is every one 
that hangeth on a tree." (Deut. xxi.23.) Not that suspension 
was any of the capital punishments prescribed by the Law of 
Moses ; not that by any tradition or custom of the Jews they 
were wont to punish malefactors with that death : but such as 
were punished with death according to the law or custom of 
the Jews, were for the enormity of their facts oftentimes after 
death exposed to the ignominy of a gibbet; and those who being 
dead were so hanged upon a tree, were accursed by the Law.t 



* Passim conscita nece Quiritibus ta?dium 
fugientibus, novum et inexcogitatum an- 
tea posteaque remedium invenit ille rex, 
ut omnium ita defunctorum figeret cruci- 
bus corpora, spectanda civibus simul, et 
feris volucribusque laceranda.' Plin. 1. 
xxxvi. c. 15. who makes this handsome 
observation of it : ' Quamobrem pudor 
Romani nominis proprius, qui saepe res 
perditas servavit in praeliis, tunc quoque 
subvenit : sed illo tempore imposuit, tum 
erubescens cum puderet vivos, tanquam 
paditurum esset exstinctos.' 

* Thus they used Celsus, one of the 
thirty tyrants of Rome, as Trebellius 
Pollio testifieth : * Novo injuris genere 
imago in crucem sublata, persultaate 
vulgo, quasi patibuio ipse Celsus videre- 
tur affixus.' c. 29- 

Deut. xxi. 22. " If a man have 



committed a sin worthy of death, and he 
be put to death, and thou hang him on a 
tree." In whicli words being put to death, 
precedeth being hanged : but, I confess, 
in our English translation, it hath an- 
other sense, " and he be put to death," 
as if he were to die by hanging. And 
so the Vulgar Latin, Et adjndicatus morti 
appensus fuerit patibuio, as if he were ad- 
judged to be hanged, and so his sentence 
were suspension. And the Syriac yet 
more expressly, et appendatur ligno atque 
interjiciatur. But there is no such sen- 
tence contained in the original as the 
Vulgar, nor futurition of death, as our 
English translation mentioneth. The He- 
brew is nmm in Hophal, that is, inter- 
fectm, occisus, mori j actus fuerit ; or, as 
the LXX. clearly translate it, y.e,\ aTToQavri, 
and the Chaldee '7t3pn''T et occisus fuerit. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



315 



Now though Christ was not to die by the sentence of the 
Jews, who had lost the supreme power in causes capital, and 
so not to be condemned to any death according to the Law 
of Moses; yet the providence of God did so dispose it, that he 
might suffer that death which did contain in it that ignominious 
particularity to which the legal curse belonged, which is, the 
hanging on a tree. For he which is crucified, as he is affixed 
to, so he hangeth on, the cross: and therefore true and formal 
crucifixion is often named by the general word suspension and 
the Jews themselves do commonly call our blessed Saviour by 
that very name to which the curse is affixed by Moses ;t and 
generally have objected that he died a cursed death. J 

Secondly, It was necessary to express our faith in Christ 
crucijied, that we might be assured that he hath abolished in 
his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments (Eph. 
ii. 15.) which if he had not done, the strength and power of 
the whole Law had still remained : for all the people had said 
Amen to the curse upon every one that kept not the whole Law; 
(Deut. xxvii. 26.) and entered into a curse and into an oath, 
to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant 
of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the 
Lord their God, and his judgments and his statutes." (Nehem. 
x. 29.) Which was in the nature of a bill, bond, or obligation, 
perpetually standing in force against them, ready to bring a 
forfeiture or penalty upon them, in case of non-performance of 
the condition. But the strongest obligations may be can- 
celled ; and one ancient custom of cancelling bonds was, by 
striking a nail through the writing : and thus God, by our cru- 
cified Saviour, ** blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances 



* As we before noted on the words of 
Seneca : thus the Greeks do often use 
Kpcfx^v, for crucijigere. For Curtius, speak- 
ing of the taking of Tyre by Alexander, 
says : * Duo millia crucibus affixa per 
ingens litoris spatium pepeuderunt.' 1. iv. 
c. 4. And Diodorus Siculus relating the 
same : Tovg viovq 7ra'jTa.<; ovrag ova IXar- 
Tou? rm ^lo-^i'KIoov lK^efxa.(T£v. 1. xvii. c. 46. 
So the same Curtius testifies that Musi- 
canus was ' in crucem sublatus :' 1. ix, 
c. 8. of whom Arianus speaks thus : rov- 
Tcv H^Sfxaa-ai 'AXs^avSpof xeXeust Iv t^' ahroZ 
yri. Eip. Alex. 1. vi. c. 17. Thus in the 
language of the Scriptures, si? riv xge- 
fA,a<r^ivrm ntzKov^yxv is one of the crucijied 
thieves, Luke xxiii, 39. and the Jews are 
said to have slain our Saviour, Kps^ao-av- 
rsg IttI ^v'Kov, Acts v. 30. and x. 39. The 
Latins likewise often use the word sus- 
pendere for crucijigere. As Ausonius, in 
the Idyllium, whose title is Cupido cruel 
uffixus, describes him thus, ver. 59. 

' Hujus in excelso suspensum stipite 
Amorem.' 



And when we read in Polybius, I. viii. c. 
18. that they did avaa-Tavfwa-eti to cZiAa 
of AchtEUS ; Ovid describes his punish- 
ment thus, Ibis, 299. 

' More vel intereas capti suspensus 
Achaei, 

Qui miser aurifera teste pependit aqua.' 

t The words of Moses are, Deut. xxi. 
23. "ibn D'nbK Pibbp, maledictio Dei suspen- 
sus : and this word "ibn, which is of itself 
simply suspensus (as 2 Sam. xviii. 10. I 
saw Absalom nbxi ^^ibn hanged on an 
oak ), is ordinarily attributed by the Jews 
to our Saviour, to signify that he was 
crucified. Hence they term Christians 
*lbnn miy cullores suspensi ; and they call 
the crucifix ""ibn HT:^ Jiguram suspensi. 

t So Trypho the Jew objected to Jus- 
tin Martyr : Obrog o vfxkri^0(; \iyofxiVoq 
X^KjToq aTijWoj neti a^c^og y'syovsv, ax; nal 
Bcr^arri y.a.ra^rt tyi Iv vofxoo nrov 0£oD 'TTipi- 
nvia-iXv ijrav^cli'^n yaf. Dial, cum Tryph. 
p. 249. 



316 



ARTICLE IV. 



that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out 
of the way, nailing it to his cross." (Col. ii. 14.) 

Thirdly, Hereby we are to testify the power of the death of 
Christ working in us after the manner of crucifixion.* For we 
are to be ** planted in the likeness of his death (Rom. vi. 5.) 
and that we may be so, we must acknowledge, and cause it to 
appear, that " our old man was crucified with him, that the 
body of sin might be destroyed (Ibid. 6.) we must confess, 
that they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the 
affections and lusts (Gal. v. 24.) and they which have not, 
are not his. We must not " glory, save in the cross of our Lord 
Jesus Christ nor can we properly glory in that, except by it 
" the world be crucified unto us, and we unto the world. ''^ 
(Gal. vi. 14.) 

Fourthly, By the acerbity of this passion we are taught to 
meditate on that bitter cup which our Saviour drank: and while 
we think on those nails which pierced his hands and feet, and 
never left that torturing activity until by their dolorous im- 
pressions they forced a most painful death, to acknowledge 
the bitterness of his sufferings for us, and to assure ourselves 
that by the worst of deaths he has overcome all kinds of 
death ;t and with patience and cheerfulness to endure whatso- 
ever he shall think fit to lay upon us, who with all readiness 
and desire suffered far more for us. 

Fifthly, By the ignominy of this punishment, and universal 
infamy of that death, we are taught how far our Saviour de- 
scended for us, that while we were slaves and in bondage unto 
sin, he might redeem us by a servile death : for he made 
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a ser- 
vant; and so he humbled himself, and became obedient unto 
death, even the death of the cross (Phil. ii. 7, 8.) teaching 
us the glorious doctrine of humilityj and patience in the most 
vile and abject condition which can b^al us in this world, and 
encouraging us to imitate him, " who for the joy that was set 
before him, endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 
xii. 2.) and withal deterring us from that fearful sin of falling 
from him, lest we should " crucify unto ourselves the Son of 
God afresh, and put him to an open shame," (Heb. vi. 6.) and 



aKivhrcf} ma-rei, oottts^ xa&>iX<w/t*6voi)f Iv tS 
a-rav^S rov Kugtou 'Iko-ou X^ia-rov a-agitl ts 
Ka\ 'jTveufxari. S. Ign. Epist. ad Smyr. §. 1. 
St. Augustin speaking of the church : 
* Mundatur, ut non habeat maculam ; ex- 
tenditur, ut non habeat rugam. Ubi earn 
extendit fullo, nisi in ligno 1 Videmus 
quotidie a fullonibus tunicas quodam- 
modo crucifigi. Crucifiguntur ut rugam 
non habeant.' Enarr. in Psal. cxxxii. §. 9. 



fxtvoi rS wtvfjiari rS ayioj. S, Ign. Epht. 
ad Eph. §,9. 

t ' Mori voluit pro nobis : parum di- 
cimus ; crucifigi dignatus est, usque ad 
mortem crucis obediens factus. Elegit 
•extremum et pessimum genus mortis, qui 
omnem fuerat ablaturus mortem ; de 
morte pessima occidit omnem mortem.' 
S. August. Tract. 36. in loan. §. 4. 

J • Humilitatis enim magister est 
Christus, qui humiliavit seipsum, factus 
obediens usque ad mortem, mortem autem 
crucis.' S. August, in loan. Tract, 51. §. 3. 



WAS CRUCIFIED. 



317 



so become worse than the Jews themselves, who crucified the 
Lord of life without the walls of Jerusalem, and for that unpa- 
ralleled sin were delivered into the hands of the Romans, into 
whose hands they delivered him, and at the same walls in such 
multitudes were crucified, till there wanted room for crosses, 
and crosses for their bodies.^ 

Lastly, By the public visibility of this death, we are assured 
that our Saviour was truly dead, and that all his enemies were 
fully satisfied. He was crucified in the sight of all the Jews, 
who were made public witnesses that he gave up the ghost. 
There were many traditions among the heathen, of persons 
supposed for some time to be dead, to descend into hell, and 
afterwards to live again ; but the death of these persons was 
never publicly seen or certainly known. It is easy for a man 
that liveth, to say that he hath been dead ; and if he be of 
great authority, it is not difficult to persuade some credulous 
persons to believe it. But that which would make his present 
life truly miraculous, must be the reality and certainty of his 
former death. The feigned histories of Pythagoras and Za- 
molxis, of Theseus and Hercules, of Orpheus and Protesilaus, 
made no certain mention of their deaths, and therefore were 
ridiculous in the assertion of their resurrection from death.t 
Christy as he appeared to certain witnesses after his resurrec- 
tion, so he died before his enemies visibly on the cross, and 
gave up the ghost conspicuously in the sight of the world. 

And now we have made this discovery of the true manner 
and nature of the cross on which our Saviour suffered, every- 
one may understand what it is he professeth when he declareth 
his faith, and saith, I believe in Christ crucified. For thereby 
he is understood and obliged to speak thus much : I am really 
persuaded, and fully satisfied, that the only-begotten and eter- 
nal Son of God, Christ Jesus, that he might cancel the hand- 
writing which was against us, and take off" the curse which was 



* Tl^oa-n'Kow oi crpariSTai o^yhv not 
fjuicroq rohg a'Kovritg, aWov aXXw a-')(n[xaTi 
wpoj p^Xeuhv, y.a\ ^la to TrXH&of X'^pa re Ive- 
XeiVeto to"? crav^oTg, nai arav^oX roUg a-oo- 
fA,a<riv. Joseph, de Bell. Jud. I. vi. c. 'US. 

t This is excellently observed and ex- 
pressed by Origen, who returneth this 
answer to the objection made by the Jews 
in Celsus, of those fabulous returns from 
the dead : <t>ipe Trapaerrha-cufMev , oti ov Suva- 
Taj TO scara tov Incouv Icrro^ovfxevov, en._ 
venpoov eytiye^^ai, rovroig Tta^aQaXKea-^ai. 
*'E)ia<rrog fxev yap rm "Keyofxevoov nara rohg 
roirovg h^oooiv $ov\n^e]g av e^vvr)2rn lauTov 
tiTTEJtxXE^at rng o^/Ew; t£v av^^aiTrxv, Kal 
KaXiv K^ivag iTravEX&sTv v^og ovg KaraKe- 
XojTTEV 'iricov Se (rrav^co^evrog Ittj ttravroov 
louSatwv, xa; Ka^ai^e^ivrog aiiTou rov (rifjLa- 
TOf Iv ovj^Ei ToS ^rifji,ou avrSiv, TtSiq ohnrai ita- 



^are'Krxriov 'nr'kacatr^ai "Keyeiv auTov ro7g la-ro- 
^ovfxhoig n^MTiv elg a^ou xaraBeBnxevat , Ktt- 
KBiQev avEX?]Xt;&£vai ; ipafxev S' ot» fxhtrore 
ir^og aTToXoytav.f rov etrrav^Sia-^ai tov iJiO'oyv 
xat ToiouTov "KiyoiT av, [xaKiirra Sia Ta TfEpt 
T<2v h^cictiv ifiTTopn&EVTa roov eig a^ov KaraBe- 
Bmevai B^ct^ofj^ivoov, on el xa&' vTTo^es'iv 6 
^iKO-ovg IreQvhxei acrnjua) ^avarca, oua 'uxrre 
^t)\og elvai aito^avoov o'x« tm ^rfxct) t£v 'Iou- 
lalctiv, elra fxera rovr aXji&i? avacTTa? EX 
VEX^Sv, "xaos^av eT)(^ev av to vTrovcn^ev vspl roov 
h^Mcav Kai Tfe^l rovrov Xsp^Srvar /xh ttot' oZv 
TT^og aXXot? airioig rov araupooQrivai rov \r)a-ovv 
Xttt rovro tvvarai cru^/JaXXEirS'at tw avrov 
lirta-nfxoog eiri rov (rravpov atrore^vnyisvai , I'va 
fXK^elg ex'P Xiyeiv, on Ixwv vTte^es-rn rrig 
o-^eoog roov avQpanroov, Kal eSo^ev aTToTEflv^xEvaj, 

OUX aTTOTES'V^XH Se" o't* £^0UXi1&>J TTaXjV ETTJ- 

<^ave\g Irs^arevcaro tw Ix vEXgaJv avas'ras'tv . 
Adv. Celsum, 1. ii. §. 56. 



318 



ARTICLE IV. 



due unto us, did take upon him the form of a servant, and in 
that form did willingly and cheerfully submit himself unto the 
false accusation of the Jews, and unjust sentence of Pilate, by 
which he was condemned, according to the Roman custom, to 
the cross ; and upon that did suffer servile punishment of the 
greatest acerbity, enduring the pain ; and of the greatest igno- 
miny, despising the shame. And thus I believe in Christ 

CRUCIFIED. 

Dead, 

Though crucifixion of itself involveth not in it certain 
death, and he which is fastened to across is so leisurely to 
die, as that he being taken from the same may live ; though 
when the insulting Jews in a malicious derision called to our 
Saviour to " save himself, and come down from the cross ;" 
(Mark xv. 30.) he might have come down from thence, and in 
saving himself have never saved us : yet it is certain that he 
felt the extremity of that punishment, and fulfilled the utmost 
intention of crucifixion : so that, as we acknowledge him cruci- 
fied^ we believe him dead. 

For the illustration of which part of the Article, it will be 
necessary, first. To shew that the Messias was to die ; that no 
suff'erings, howsoever shameful and painful, were sufficiently 
satisfactory to the determination and predictions divine, with- 
out a full dissolution and proper death: secondly, To prove 
that our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, did not 
only suffer torments intolerable and inexpressible in this life, 
but upon and by the same did finish this life by a true and pro- 
per death : thirdly. To declare in what the nature and condition 
of the death of a person so totally singular did properly and 
peculiarly consist. And more than this cannot be necessary 
to shew we believe that Christ was dead. 

First, then, we must consider what St. Paul delivered" to 
the Corinthians " first of all," and what also he received, how 
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures 
(1 Cor. XV. 3.) that the Messias was " the Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world," (Rev. xiii. 8.) and that his death 
was severally represented and foretold. For though the sacri- 
ficing Isaac hath been acknowledged an express and lively type 
of the promised Messias; though, after he was bound and laid 
upon the wood, he was preserved from the fire, and rescued 
from the religious cruelty of his father's knife ; though Abra- 
ham be said to have " offered up his only-begotten son," (Heb. 
xi. 17.) when Isaac died not ; though by all this it might seem 
foretold that the true and great promised Seed, the Christ, 
should be made a sacrifice for sin, should be fastened to the 
cross, and offered up to the Father, but not suffer death : yet 
being " without eff'usion of blood there is no remission," (Heb. 
ix. 22.) without death no sacrifice for sin ; being the saving of 



DEAD. 



319 



Isaac alive doth not deny the death of the antitype, but rather 
suppose and assert it as presignifying his resurrection from the 
dead, ''from whence Abraham received him in a figure 
(Heb. xi. 19.) we may safely affirm the ancient and legal types 
did represent a Christ who was to die. It was an essential 
part of the paschal law, that the lamb should be slain : and in 
the sacrifices for sin, which presignified a Saviour to *' sanctify 
the people with his own blood, the bodies of the beasts were 
burnt without the camp, and their blood brought into the sanc- 
tuary." (Heb. xiii. 11, 12.) 

Nor did the types only require, but the prophecies also fore- 
tell, his death. For ''he was brought (saith Isaiah) as a lamb 
to the slaughter '' he was cut off out of the land of the liv- 
ing" (saith the same prophet); and " made his soul an offer- 
ing for sin." (liii. 7, 8. 10.) Which are so plain and evident 
predictions, that the Jews shew not the least appearance of 
probability in their evasions.* 

Being then the obstinate Jews themselves acknowledge one 
Messias was to die, and that a violent death ; being we have 
already proved there is but one Messias foretold by the pro- 
phets, and shewed by those places, which they will not ac- 
knowledge, that he was to be slain : it foUoweth by their 
unwilling confessions and our plain approbations, that the 
promised Messias was ordained to die ; which is our first as- 
sertion. 

Secondly, We affirm, correspondently to these types and 
promises, that " Christ our passover is slain;" (1 Cor. v. 7.) 
that he whom we believe to be the true and only Messias did 
really and truly die. Which affirmation we may with confi- 
dence maintain, as being secure of any even the least denial. 
Jesus of Nazareth upon his crucifixion was so surely, so cer- 
tainly dead, that they who wished, they who thirsted for his 
bloody, they who obtained, who effected, who extorted his 
death, even they believed it, even they were satisfied with it : 
the chief priests, the Scribes and the Pharisees, the publicans 
and sinners, all were satisfied : the Sadducees most of all, who 



* That this place of Isaiah must be 
understood of the Messias, I have al- 
ready proved against the Jews out of 
the text, and their own traditions. Their 
objection particularly to these words, that 
the land of the living is the land of Ca- 
naan. So Solomon Jarchi, Q-'-n pxno 
'?N^li'"' V"1X NT! From the land of the living, 
that is, the land of Israel. And D. Kim- 
chi endeavours to prove that exposition 
out of David, nbj 'itt'iO D'-'-n pNO it:i3 o 
"^nb "ibnns IDS xyri p>< nxtp^u' yiNO 
D-^nn iviNn'n as if the land of the living 
must be the land of Canaan, because Da- 
vid professeth he will walk before the 
Lord in the land of the living : whereas 
there is no more in that phrase than that 



he will serve God while he liveth. As 
Psal. xxvii. 13. " I had fainted unless I 
had believed to see the goodness of the 
Lord in the land of the living ;" and Isa. 
xxxviii. 11. " I said, 1 shall not see the 
Lord, even the Lord in the land of the 
living which is sufficiently interpreted 
bj the words which follow : " I shall be- 
hold man no more with the inhabitants of 
the world." The land of the living then 
was not particularly the land of Canaan: 
nor can they persuade us that it could not 
refer to Christ, because he was never re- 
moved out of that land : but to be cut off 
out of the land of the living is, certainly, to 
be taken away from them which live upon 
the earth, that is, to die. 



320 



ARTICLE IV. 



. hugged their old opinion, and loved their error the better, be- 
cause they thought him sure from ever rising up. But if they 
had denied or doubted it, the very stones would cry out and 
confirm it. Why did the sun put on mourning ? Why were 
the graves opened, but for a funeral ? Why did the earth quake t 
Why were the rocks rent ? Why did the frame of nature shake, 
but because the God of nature died ? Why did all the people, 
who came to see him crucified, and love to feed their eyes 
with such tragic spectacles, why did they beat upon their 
breasts and return, but that they were assured it wasjinkhed, 
(John xix. 30.) there was no more to be seen, all was done ? 
It was not out of compassion that the merciless soldiers brake 
^ not his legs, but because they found him dead whom they came 
to dispatch ; and being enraged that their cruelty should be 
thus prevented, with an impertinent villany they pierce his 
side, and with a foolish revenge endeavour to kill a dead man ; 
thereby becoming stronger witnesses than they would, by 
being less the authors than they desired, of his death. For 
out of his sacred but wounded side, came blood and water, 
both as evident signs of his present death, as certain seals of 
our future and eternal life. These are the two blessed sacra- 
ments of the spouse of Christ, each assuring her of the death 
of her beloved. The sacrament of baptism, the water through 
which we pass into the Church of Christ, teacheth us that he 
died to whom we come. "For know you not (saith St. Paul) 
that so many of us as are baptized into Jesus Christ, are bap- 
tized into his death?" (Rom. vi. 3.) The sacrament of the 
Lord's supper, the bread broken, and the wine poured forth, 
signify that he died who instituted it ; and **as often as we eat 
this bread, and drink this cup, we shew forth the Lord's death 
till he come." (1 Cor. xi. 26.) 

Dead then our blessed Saviour was upon the cross ; and 
that not by a feigned or metaphorical, but by a true and proper, 
death. As he was truly and properly man, in the same mortal 
nature which the sons of Adam have ; so did he undergo a 
true and proper death, in the same manner as we die. Our 
life appeareth principally in two particulars, motion and sen- 
sation ;* and while both or either of these are perceived in a 
body, we pronounce it lives. Not that the life itself consisteth 
in either or both of these, but in that which Is the original 
principle of them both, which we call the soul ; and the inti^ 
mate presence or union of that soul unto the body is the life 
thereof. The real distinction of which soul from the body in 
man, our blessed Saviour taught most clearly in that admoni- 
tion, Fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to 



Aiwn. 1. i. c. 2. '^Q lici<pBpei ra aj-wp^^a O^S' 

<f)£gE4 5e nivhffBi, aicrQrurBi, <pciVTaa-ia, vo^ctei. 
SuLlatit. de Diis et Mundo, c. 8. 



DEAD. 



321 



kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both 
body and soul in he!l." (Matt. x. 28 ) Now being death is no- 
thing else but the privation or recession of life,^ and we are 
then properly said to die when we cease to live ; being life con- 
sisteth in the union of the soul unto the body, from whence, as 
from the fountain, flow motion, sensation, and whatsoever vital 
perfection : death can be nothing else but the solution of that 
vital union, or the actual separation of the soul, before united 
to the body.-f- As therefore when the soul of man doth leave 
the habitation of its body, and being the sole fountain of vi- 
tality bereaves it of all vital activity, we say that body or that 
rnan is dead : so when we read that Christ our Saviour died, 
we must conceive that was a true and proper death, and con- 
sequently that his body was bereft of his soul, and of all vital 
influence from the same. 

Nor is this only our conception, or a doubtful truth ; but 
we are as much assured of the propriety of his death, as of the 
death itself. For that the unspotted soul of our Jesus was 
really and actually separated from his body, that his flesh was 
bereft of natural life by the secession of that soul, appeareth 
by his own resignation, Father, into thy hands I commend 
my spirit and by the evangelist's expression, and having 
said thus, he gave up the ghost." (Luke xxiii. 46.) When he 
was to die, he resigned his soul ; when he gave it up, he died ; 
when it was delivered out of the body, then was the body 

* As Secundus ; <pvyri koi amarriTig lifxy.laq,'' Afo. fxh aXXo ri h tvv rhi -^t^X"? 
^lov. Seiitent. ri la-ri bavarog ; p. 639. ed. am rou a-x[xaTo<; aTTciWayr-iV ; xa) s7va< rovro 
Gale. 1688. TBdvavat, %5<J?(C /^VJ aTto Tr,g 4-^)(r.g aTraWityiv 

t As the philosophers have anciently auro netb' hauTo to s-i^aa yiyovkvai, x**?'? 
expressed it, especially Plato, who by Tnv ■\'Vxr,v toZ a-uifxarog aTraWayiicav avrhv 
the advantage of an error in the original na.^'' alrh iivai ; a^-a fxh aXXort f. 6 Qavarog 
of souls, best understood the end of life : fi toZto ; Oln, cXXa ToZro,B<^v. in Plicrdoiie, 
TovTO ye ^avarog ovofxa^irai, Xvo-ii; xal ^oo^t- vol. i. ]). 1 'J hus with four several 
arfxog ^'"■^ <7-<WjuaT0f. in Ph(cdone, vol. words, Xuj-i?, S»aXt;cr{?, p^&j^ic-^o;, and aTraX- 
i. p. 153. Again : 'O Qavarog rvy^avei mv, T^ayh, dotli Plato express the separation 
cog Ifxoi S'okeT, ovUv aXXo rt IvoTv ir^ayij.araiv of the soul from the body, and maketh 
lia.'Kvs-ig, Tng ■\'Vxrig xai tou a-'Jofxarog, air' death formrdly to consist of that separa- 
aXX^Xotv. in Gm'gia, vol. iv. p. 166. And lion. This solution is excellently ex- 
more plainly and fully yet : "^Hyov/xeQa ri pressed by Phocylides, Carm. admou. v. 
Tov ^amrov elvar, Uaw y, B<pri ImXa^MV o 97. lOO. 

oh Ka\ov apfxavUv avaXyg^EV a'.Qpx'TTOio, — 
Vv)(^ctl ya.^ fAi[A\ova-iV aKhpioi Iv (pQtfxivoicri. 
UvBufxa yap bcti Qsov p^f«3-j; &v>jToT<rt xal EiJt^v. 
lu'fxa yap In. ya'mg Ep^OjuEv, nai TTMng ig aWhv 
AvofASvci Kwg sa-fA-ir ah^ S'' ava msufxa ^ihKrai, 

So TertuUian : ' Opus autem mortis in 'Avayw roivw afxa tw t= ^>?v vTrip^'^iv xai 

medio est, discretio corporis animaeque.' rh tov bep/xov >pvj-LKcv c-ajm^iav, xal tov na- 

De Anim. c. 51. ' Si mors non aliud de- Xovfxsvov ^avarov Bjvai rhv rovrou <p^o^av. de 

terminatur quam disjunctio corporis ani- Jiiventut. &i.c. c. 4. Inasmuch as the soul 

majque, contrarium morti vita non aliud is not that natural heat, and the corrup- 

definietur, quam conjunctio corporis ani- tion of that heat foUoweth upon the sepa- 

niaeque.' Ibid, c. 27. This description ration of the soul. 

of death is far more philosophical than t This is expressed three ways, all 

the notion of Aristotle, who makes it to simiifyino; the spj.aration of his soul from 

consist in the corruption of natural heat • his body. St Mark and St. Luke IfsTrvEurs, 



322 



ARTICLE IV. 



dead :^ and so the eternal Son of God upon the cross did pro- 
perly and truly die. 

This reality and propriety of the death of Christ is yet far- 
ther illustrated from the cause immediately producing it, 
which was an external violence and cruciation, sufficient to 
dissolve that natural disposition of the body which is abso- 
lutely necessary to continue the vital union of the soul : the 
torments which he endured on the cross did bring him to that 
state, in which life could not longer be naturally conserved, 
and death, without intervention of supernatural power, must 
necessarily follow. 

For Christ who took upon him all our infirmities, sin only 
excepted, had in his nature not only a possibility and apti- 
tude, but also a necessity of dying ; and as to any extrinsical 
violence, able, according to the common course of nature, to 
destroy and extinguish in the body such an aptitude as is in- 
dispensably required to continue a union with the soul, he had 
no natural preservative ; nor was it in the power of his soul, 
to continue its vital conjunction unto his body bereft of a vital 
disposition. 

It is true that Christ did voluntarily die, as he said of him- 
self, ^' No man taketh away my life from me, but I lay it down 
of myself ; I have power to lay it down, and I have power to 
take it again." (John x. 18.) For it was in his power to suf- 
fer or not to suffer the sentence of Pilate, and the nailing to 
the cross ; it was in his power to have come down from the 
cross, when he was nailed to it : but when by an act of his 



which is of the same force with I^Evf-y^e. 
But because m-\>v-)(ziv doth not always sig- 
nify an absolute expiration, but some- 
times a lipothymy only; ("as Hesychius, 
^Ey.-\,v-xova-i, XBiTroQufxovcn, So Hippocrates 
useth it : EtV; o^vraroi (^nai^ol) octok; ti 
bk4'V)(ov<ti ^eT ti axpeXiia-ai. I. i. de Morbis, 
c. 3. and again : 'E»Nf/up^oL)!rj Jja rou a\'- 
fxaroq rhv fxiraaraa-iv l^airlynq yivofxivnvS) 
lest therefore we should take s^evnva-s in 
such an imperfect sense, St. Matthew 
hath it a.<pms to TfvEufxa, and St. John wa- 
pk^Mne TO 7rvevfA.a,. Which is a full expres- 
sion of the secession of the soul from the 
body, and consequently of death, which 
is, in the language of Secundus : Tcnvfxa.- 
TOQ aTToa-raa-ig. Sentent. ri lati ^avctroq ; 
p. 639. 

* These three points or distinctions of 
time I have therefore noted, that I might 
recur to any objection which possibly 
might arise out of the ancient philoso- 
phical subtilty, which Aulus Gellius re- 
ports to be agitated at the table of Taurus. 
The question was propounded thus : 
' Quaesitum est, quando moriens morere- 
tur, cum jam in morte esset, an turn etiam 
cum in vitaforet?' 1. vi. c. 13. Where 



Taurus admonisheth the rest, that this 
was no light question : for, says he : 
* Gravissimi Philosophorum super hac re 
serio quassiverunt ; et alii moriendi ver- 
bura atque momentum manente adhuc 
vita dici atque fieri putaverunt ; alii nihil 
in illo tempore vitae reliquerunt, totum- 
que illud quod mori dicitur morti vindi- 
carunt.' Ibid. The ancienter philoso- 
phers were divided ; some saying a man 
died in the time of his life, others in the 
time of his death : but Plato observed a 
contradiction in both ; for a man can nei- 
ther be said to die while he is alive, nor 
when he is dead : * et idcirco peperit ipse 
aliud quoddam novum in confinio tempus, 
quod verbis propriis atque integris t^v 
l^at<^v«? <f>u£rjv appellavit :' Ibid, which he 
thus describes in his Parmenides ; To yk^ 
e^ai<pvni rotovTov ri soins trr^fxaivuv, mi; lx£t- 
vcv fxeraBaWov si? luarepov. vol. x. p. 138. 
So A. Gellius, 1. vi. c. 13. Then when 
our Saviour commended his soul into the 
hands of his Father, he was yet alive ; 
when the soldier pierced his side, he was 
already dead ; and the instant in which 
he gave up the ghost was the to Ifai^vnj 
when he died. 



DEAD. 



323 



will he had submitted to that death, when he had accepted 
and embraced those torments to the last, it was not in the 
power of his soul to continue any longer vitality to the body, 
whose vigour was totally exhausted. So not by a necessary 
compulsion, but voluntary election he took upon him a neces- 
sity of dying. 

It is true that " Pilate marvelled he was dead so soon,'* 
(Mark xv. 44.) and the two thieves lived longer to have their 
legs broken, and to die by the accession of another pain : but 
we read not of such long furrows on their backs as were 
made on his, nor had they such kind of agony as he was in 
the night before. What though he ** cried with a loud voice, 
and gave up the ghost?" What though *' the centurion, when 
he saw it, said, Truly this man was the Son of God ?" (Mark 
XV. 37.39.) The miracle was not in the death, but in the voice : 
the strangeness was not that he should die, but that at the 
point of death he should cry out so loud: he died not by, but 
with, a miracle. 

Should we imagine Christ to anticipate the time of death, 
and to subtract his soul from future torments necessary to 
cause an expiration ; we might rationally say the Jews and 
Gentiles were guilty of his death, but we could not properly 
say they slew him : guilty they must be, because they inflicted 
those torments on which in time death must necessarily fol- 
low ; but slay him actually they did not, if his death pro- 
ceeded from any other cause, and not from the wounds which 
they inflicted : whereas St. Peter expressly chargeth his ene- 
mies. Him ye have taken, and by wicked hands have cruci- 
fied and slain;" (Acts ii. 23.) and again, "The God of our fa- 
thers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree." 
(Acts V. 30.)* Thus was the Lamb properly slain, and the 
Jews authors of his death, as well as of his crucifixion. 

Wherefore being Christ took upon himself our mortality in 
the highest sense, as it includeth a necessity of dying ; being- 
he voluntarily submitted himself to that bloody agony in the 
garden, to the hands of the ploughers, who made long their 
furrows, and to the nails which fastened him to the cross ; 
being those torments thus inflicted and continued did cause 
his death, and in this condition he gave up the ghost : it fol= 
loweth that the only-begotten Son of God, the true Messias 
promised of old, did die a true and proper death. Which is 
the second conclusion in this explication. 

But, thirdly. Because Christ was not only man, but also 
God, and there was not only a union between his soul and 
body while he lived, but also a conjunction of both natures, 
and a union in his person : it will be farther necessary, for the 

* In both which places the original thus, ^la. p^ejgSv avofAoov 7reoa->STri^civrsg, avsl- 

sheweth more expressly, that by their Xhts. In the latter thus, ov vfAeig S'lsp^Eig*'- 

crucifixion they slew him ; in the former cras-Qs xpS|aa(ravTe? Im ^u'hov, 

Y 2 



324 



ARTICLE IV. 



understanding of his death, to shew what union was dissolved^ 
what continued ; that we may not make that separation either 
less or greater than it was. 

Whereas then there were two different substantial unions 
in Christy one of the parts of his human nature each to other, 
in which his humanity did consist, and by which he was truly 
man; the other of his natures, human and divine, by which 
it came to pass that God was man, and that man God : first, 
it is certain, as we have already shewn, that the union of the 
parts of his human nature was dissolved on the cross, and a 
real separation made between his soul and body. As far then 
as humanity consists in the essential union of the parts of 
human nature, so far the humanity of Christ upon his death 
did cease to be, and consequently he ceased to be man. But, 
secondly, the* union of the natures remained still as to the parts, 
nor was the soul or body separated from the Divinity, but still 
subsisted as they did before, by the subsistence of the second 
person of the Trinity. 

The truth of this assertion appeareth, first, from the lan- 
guage of this very Creed.* For as we proved before, that 
the only-begotten and eternal Son of God, God of God, very 
God of very God, was conceived and born, and suffered, and that 
the truth of these propositions relied upon the communion of 
properties, grounded upon the hypostatical union : so while 
the Creed in the same manner proceedeth speaking of the 
same person, that he was buried and descended into hell, it shew- 
eth that neither his body, in respect of which he was buried, 
nor his soul, in respect of which he was generally conceived to 
descend into hell, had lost that union. 

Again, as we believe that God redeemed us by his own 
blood, so also it hath been the constant language of the Church, 
that God died for us; which cannot be true, except the soul 
and body in the instant of separation, were united to the 
Deity. 

Indeed, being all the gifts of God are without repentance, 
nor doth he ever subtract his grace from any without their 
abuse of it, and a sinful demerit in themselves; we cannot 
imagine the grace of union should be taken from Christ, who 
never offended, and that in the highest act of obedience, and 
the greatest satisfaction to the will of God. 

It is true, Christ cried upon the cross with a loud voice. 



* ' Credimuscerte non in solum Deum 
Patrem ; sed et in Jesum Christum Fi- 
lium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum. 
Mode totum dixi, in Jesum Christum 
Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum : 
totum ibi iatellige.et Verbum, etanimam, 
et carnem. Sed utique confiteris etiam 
illud quod habet eadem fides, in eum 
Ciiristum te credere qui crucifixus est 



et sepultus. Ergo etiam sepultum Chri- 
stum esse non negas, et tamen sola caro 
sepulta est. Si enim erat ibi anima, non 
erat mortuus ; si autem vera mors erat, 
ut ejus vera sit resurrectio, sine anima 
faerat in sepulcro: et tamen sepultus est 
Christus. lirgo Christus erat etiam sine 
anima caro, qui non est sepulta nisi caro.' 
S. August, in loan. Tract. 47. §. 12. 



DEAD. 



325 



saying, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me 
(Matt, xxvii. 46.) But if that dereliction should signify 
a solution of the former union of his natures, the separa- 
tion had been made not at his death, but in his life whereas 
indeed those words infer no more, than that he was bereft of 
such joys and comforts from the Deity, as should assuage and 
mitigate the acerbity of his present torments. 

It remaineth therefore, that when our Saviour yielded up the 
ghost, he suffered only an external violence ; and what was 
subject to such corporal force did yield unto those dolorous 
impressions. Being then such is the imbecility and frailty of 
our nature, that life cannot long subsist in exquisite torments ; 
the disposition of his body failed the soul, and the soul de- 
serted his body. But being no power hath any force against 
omnipotence, nor could any corporal or finite agent work upon 
the union made with the Word, therefore that did still remain 
entire both to the soul and to the body. The Word was once in- 
deed without either soul or body ; but after it was made flesh, 
it was never parted either from the one or from the other. + 

Thus Christ did really and truly die, according to the con- 
dition of death to which the nature of man is subject: but al- 
though he was more than man, yet he died no more than man 
can die ; a separation was made between his soul and body, 
but no disunion of them and his Deity. They were disjoined 
one from another, but not from him that took them both toge- 
ther ; rather by virtue of that remaining conjunction they were 
again united after their separation.;]: And this I conceive suf- 
ficient for the third and last part of our explication. 

The necessity of this part of the Article is evident, in that 
the death of Christ is the most intimate and essential part of 
the mediatorship, and that which most intrinsically concerns 



Trpo; savrov avan^aaSMi; slg t«v Qsiav (puciv 
fA,Erci,crKiva.a-avro<;, iv rS KatpS t>ic KaTo. to 
TTaQog ol}iovo[xia.q oh Barspou fxipoug to ci'UTa^ 

TOV (TMfACtTOi h OSOTH? inOVTiOOg Sik^SV^EV, 

lavTnv Iv afjf^ori^oig fxivoua-av g^Et^e. S. 
Greg. Nyss. Orat. 1. de llesur. 

t This is the conclusion of St. Au- 
gustin : ' Ex quo Verbum caro factum 
est, ut liabitaret in nobis, et susceptus est 
a Verbo homo, id est totus homo, anima 
et caro ; quid fecit passio, quid fecit mors, 
nisi corpus ab anima separavit 1 Ani- 
mam vero a Verbo nou separavit. Si 
enim mortuus est Dominus — sine dubio 
caro ipsius exspiravit animam: ad tem- 
pus exiguum anima deseruit carnem, sed 
redeunte anima resurrecturam. A Verbo 
autem animam separatam esse non dico. 
Latronis animae dixit, hodie mecum eris in 
Paradiso. Fidelem latronis animam non 



deserebat et deserebat suam Absit : sed 
illius ut Dominus custodivit, suam vero 
inseparabiliter habuit. Si autem dixe- 
rimus, quia ipsa se anima posnit, et 
iterum ipsa se sumpsit, absurdissimus 
sensus est : non enira quas a Verbo non 
erat separata, a seipsa potuit separari .' 
Tract, in loan. 47. §. 9. 

I 'ETTEt ^i'utXovv fxlv TO avQ^MttTiVov crvy- 
yipafxa, avrXri no.} fAovon^hg h t>3? ^noTnTog 
(^vitk;, Iv tS kcli^m tj?? tou (Tta^aTog am tS; 
^v^rig ^ia^Bv^soog, ov a-vvhcta-x^i^BTai tm avv- 
S'ETW to ftJtatpETov, aXKa, to IfA-TraXiv yivsTai' 
T? ya^ Ivotwtj Trig Qsiag <puaBCiig, Trig KaTu to 
Icov £V ajM.<f>OT£go(C ova-ng, TraXiv wpog aXXuXa 
Ta ^leo'TMTa a-v/j,<pvBrai. S. Greg. Nyss. 
Orat. 1. de Resur. ' Tarn velox incorruptas 
carnis vivificatio fuit, ut major ibi esset 
soporis similitude quam mortis ; quoniam 
Deitas, quae ab utraque suscepti homiuis 
substantia non recessit, quod potestate 
divisit, potestate conjunxit.' Leo Serm 
1. de Resur. c. 2. 



326 



ARTICLE IV. 



every office and function of the Mediator, as he was Prophet, 
Priest, and King. 

First, It was necessary, as to the Prophetical office, that 
Christ should die, to the end that the truth of ail the doctrine 
which he delivered might be confirmed by his death. He was 
** the true and faithful witness," (Rev. iii. 14.) who before 
Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." (1 Tim. vi. 13.) 

This is he that came by water and blood ; and there are three 
that bear witness in earth, the spirit, the water, and the blood. 
(1 John V. 6. 8.) He preached unto us a new " and better 
Covenant, which was established upon better promises," (Heb. 
viii. 6.) and that was to be ratified with his blood ; which is 
therefore called by Christ himself the " blood of the New Tes- 
tament," (Matt. xxvi. 28. Luke xxii. 20. Heb. x. 29.) or, ever- 
lasting Covenant (Heb. xiii. 20.) for that Covenant was also 
a Testament ; and where a testament is, there must also of 
necessity be the death of the testator." (Heb. ix. 16.) Beside, 
Christy as a Prophet, taught us not only by word, but by ex- 
ample : and though every action of his life who came to fulfil 
the Law, be most worthy of our imitation ; yet the most emi- 
nent example was in his death, in which he taught us much 
variety of Christian virtues. What an example was that of 
faith in God to " lay down his life, that might take it again ;" 
(John X. 17.) in the bitterness of his torments to " commend 
his spirit into the hands of his Father ;" (Luke xxiii. 46.) and 
" for the joy that was set before him, to endure the cross, and 
despise the shame!" (Heb. xii. 2.) What a pattern of meek- 
ness, patience, and humility, for the Son of man to come, '* not 
to be ministered unto, but to minister, and give his life a ran- 
som for many ;" (Matt. xx. 28.) to be " led like a sheep to 
the slaughter, £md like a lamb dumb before the shearer, not 
to open his mouth;" (Acts viii. 32.) to "endure the contra- 
dictions of sinners against himself," (Heb. xii. 3.) and to *' hum- 
ble himself unto death, even the death of the cross !" (Phil. ii. 
8.) What a precedent of obedience for the Son of God " to 
learn obedience by the things that he suffered;" (Heb. v. 8) 

to be made under the Law," (Gal. iv.4.) and though he never 
broke the Law, to become obedient unto death ;" (Phil. ii. 8.) 
to go with cheerfulness to the cross upon this resolution, " As 
my Father gave me commandment, even so I do (John xiv. 
31.) What exemplar of charity, to " die for us while we were 
yet sinners," (Rom. v. 8.) and enemies, when greater love 
hath no man than this, to lay down his life for his friends ;" 
(John XV. 13.) to pray upon the cross for them that crucified 
him, and to apologize for such as barbarously slew him, " Fa- 
ther, forgive them, for they know not what they do !" (Luke 
xxiii. 34.) Thus Christ did " suffer for us, leaving us an ex- 
ample, that we should follow his steps," (1 Pet. ii. 21.) that as 
he suffered for us, in the flesh, ive should arm ourselves like- 



DEAD. 



327 



wise with the same mind. For he that hath suffered in the 
flesh, hath ceased from sin ; that he no longer should live 
the rest of his time in the flesh, to the lusts of men, but to the 
will of God/' (1 Pet. iv. 1, 2.) And so his death was ne- 
cessary for the confirmation and completion of his prophetical 
ofiice. 

Secondly, It was necessary that Christ should die, and by his 
death perform the sacerdotal ofiice. " For every high-priest 
taken from among men, is ordained for men in things pertain- 
ing to God, that he may off'er both gifts and sacrifices for sins." 
(lieb. V. 1.) But Christ had no other sacrifice to oflTer for our 
sins than himself. ^' For it was not possible that the blood of 
bulls and goats should take away sins (Heb. ±. 4.) and there- 
fore when " sacrifice and offering Go^/ would not, then said he, 
Lo, I come to do thy will, O God (Ibid. 8, 9.) then did Christ 
determine to offer up himself for us. And because the sacri- 
fices of old were to be slain, and generally without shedding 
of blood there is no remission (Heb. ix. 22.) therefore if he 
will offer sacrifice for sin,iie must of necessity die, and so 
*'make his soul an offering for sin." (Isa. liii. 10.) If Christ 
be our passover, he must be sacrificed for us. We were sold 
under sin, and he who will redeem us must give his life for our 
redemption : for we could not be " redeemed with corruptible 
things, as silver and gold, but only with the precious blood of 
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Pet. 
!. 18, 19.) We all had sinned, and so offended the justice of 
God, and by an act of that justice the sentence of death passed 
upon us ; it was necessary therefore that Christ our surety 
should die, to satisfy the justice of God, both for that iniquity, 
as the propitiation for our sins, and for that penalty, as he who 
was to bear our griefs. God was offended with us ; and he must 
die who was to reconcile him to us. ** For when we were ene- 
mies (saith St. Paul), we were reconciled to God by the death 
of his Son." (Rom. v. 10.) We were sometimes alienated, and 
enemies in our mind by our wicked works ; yet now hath he 
reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death." (CoL 
i. 21.) Thus the death of Christ was necessary towards the 
great act of his priesthood, as the oblation, propitiation, and 
satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world : and not only for 
the act itself, but also for our assurance of the power and effi- 
cacy of it('*for if the blood of bulls and goats sanctifieth to the 
purifying of the flesh ; how much more shall the blood of 
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without 
spot to God, purge our consciences from dead works?" Heb. 
ix. 13, 14.), and of the happiness flowing from it (for " he that 
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how 
shall he not with him also freely give us all things ?" Rom. 
viii. 32.) Upon this assurance, founded on his death, we have 
the freedom and boldness to enter into the holiest by the 



328 



ARTICLE IV. 



blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath conse- 
crated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." (Heb. 
X. 19, 20.) Neither was the death of Christ necessary only in 
resjject of us immediately for whom he died, but in reference 
to the Priest himself who died, both in regard of the qualifica- 
tion of himself, and consummation of his office. For in all 
things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren ; that 
he might be a merciful and faithful High-priest, and having 
suffered, being tempted, might be able to succour them that 
are tempted." (Heb. ii. 17, 18.) So that passing through all 
the previous torments, and at last through the pains of death, 
having suffered all which man can suffer, and much more, he 
became, as an experimental Priest, most sensible of our infir- 
mities, most compassionate of our miseries, most willing and 
ready to support us under, and to deliver us out of, our tempta- 
tions. Thus being qualified by his utmost suffering, he was also 
fitted to perfect his offering. For as " the high-priest once every 
year" for the atonement of the sins of the people went" into 
the Holy of Holies, ** not without blood so " Christ being 
come a High-priest of good things to come, by a greater and 
more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, by his own 
blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained 
eternal redemption for us." (Heb. ix. 7. 11, 12.) And this is 
the grand necessity of the death of Christ in respect of his 
sacerdotal office. 

Thirdly, There was a necessity that Christ should die in re- 
ference to his regal office. O king, live for ever," (Dan. ii. 4. 
iii. 9.) is either the loyal or the flattering vote for temporal 
princes ; either the expression of our desires, or the suggestion 
of their own : whereas our Christ never shewed more sovereign 
power than in his death, never obtained more than by his 
death. It was not for nothing that Pilate suddenly wrote, and 
resolutely maintained what he had written, **This is the King 
of the Jews." (Matt, xxvii. 37.) That title on the cross did 
signify no less than that his regal power was active even there : 
for having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show 
of them openly, triumphing over them in it ;" (Col. ii. 15.) 
and through his death destroyed him that had the power of 
death, that is, the devil." (Heb. ii. 14.) Nor was his death only 
necessary for the present execution, but also for the assecution 
of farther power and dominion, as the means and way to obtain 
it. The Spirit of Christ" in the prophets of old testified 
beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should 
follow." (I Pet. i. 11.) **He shall drink of the brook in the 
way, (saith the prophet David, Psal. ex. 7.) therefore shall he 
lift up his head." He humbled himself, and became obedient 
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also 
hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above 
every name." (Phil. ii. 8, 9.) " For to this end Christ both 



AND BURIED. 



329 



died and rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord of the 
dead and living." (Rom. xiv. 9.) 

Thus it is necessary to believe and profess our faith in Christ 
who died: for by his blood and tlie virtue of his death was 
our redemption wTought, as by the price which was paid, as by 
the atonement which was made, as by the full satisfaction 
which was given, that God might be reconciled to us, who be- 
fore was offended with us, as by the ratification of the Covenant 
made between us, and the acquisition of full power to make it 
good unto us. 

After which exposition thus premised, every Christian is con- 
ceived to express thus much, when he makes profession of faith 
in Christ Jesus which was dead: I do really and truly assent 
unto this, as a most infallible and fundamental truth ; That 
the only-begotten and eternal Son of God, for the working out 
of our redemption, did in our nature, which he took upon him, 
really and truly die, so as, by the force and violence of those 
torments which he felt, his soul was actually separated from 
his body ; and although neither his soul nor body was separated 
from his Divinity, yet the body bereft of his soul was left with- 
out the least vitality. And thus I believe in Jesus Christ that 
was crucified and dead. 

And Buried. 

When the most precious and immaculate soul of Christ was 
really separated from his flesh, and that union in which his 
natural life consisted was dissolved, his sacred body, as being 
truly dead, was laid up in the chambers of the grave ; so that 
as we believe him dead, by the separation of his soul ; we also 
believe him buried by the sepulture of his body. 

And because there is nothing niysterious or diflicult in this 
part of the Article, it will be sufficiently explicated when we 
have shewn, first. That the promised Messias was to be buried; 
and secondly, That our Jesus was so buried as the Messias was 
to be. 

That the Messias was to be buried^ could not possibly be 
denied by those who believed he was to die among the Jews ; 
because it was the universal custom of that nation to bury 
their dead.^' We read most frequently of the sepulchres of 



* It is observed by Tacitus of the Jews, 
in opposition to the Roman custom : 
' Corpora condere, quam cremate, e more 
jEgyptio.' Hist. 1. V. c. 5. As of the 
Egyptians by others : GaTTTova-i 5e Alyv^r- 

Tlaiove^ 51 £i? rag Xifjiva,; ptTTToSvTE?. Laert. 
Pyrrh. p. 258. But the Jews received 
this custom no more from the Egyptians 
than from the Persians, whom they may- 
be rather said to follow, because they 
used not the Egyptian raft^Bvcnr neither 



were they more distinguished from the 
Romans than from the Grecians, who 
also burned the bodies of the dead. 
AieXojuevot Ka-ra ra s6vri rag Tfl<|>a?, o fxh 
"EAX>)V eKavssv 6 Se ITEfirn? sQct^iv 6 'lv5o; 
vaXcti itSfi'X^^ht' 0 Se iKv^Yiq scarserQUi' rafi.- 
p^EuEJ Se 6 AiyuTTTiOf. Lucian. Trepi ttev&ou?, 
§. 21. Although therefore it be not true, 
that the Jews received their custom of 
burying their dead from the Egyptians, 
because Abraham at first purchased a 
burying-place j yet it hath been observed. 



330 



ARTICLE IV. 



their fathers: and though those that were condemned by their 
supreme power were not buried in their fathers' graves, yet 
public sepulchres there were appointed even for them to lie 
in ; and not only they, but all the instruments which were used 
in the punishment, were buried with them. And yet besides 
the general consequence of death among the Jews, there was a 
perfect type in the person of Jonas : for as that prophet " was 
three days and three nights in the whale's belly ; so was the 
MessiaSy or the Son of man, to he three days and three nights 
in the heart of the earth." (Matt. xii. 40.) 

Nor was his burial only represented typically but foretold 
prophetically, both by a suppositive intimation, and by an ex- 
press prediction. The Psalmist intimated and supposed no 
less, when speaking in the person of the Christy he said, My 
flesh shall rest in hope, for thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, 
neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." 
(Psal. xvi. 9, 10.) That flesh is there supposed only such, 
that is, a body dead and that body resting in the grave, the 
common habitation of the dead ; yet resting there in hope that 
it should never see corruption, but rise from thence before that 
time in which bodies in their graves are wont to putrefy. Be- 
side this intimation, there is yet a clear expression of the 
grave of the Messias in that eminent prediction of Isaiah, 
" He was cut off out of the land of the living, and he made 
his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." 
(liii. 8, 9.) For whatsoever the true interpretation of the pro- 
phecy be (of which we shall speak hereafter), it is certain that 
he who was to be cut offy was to have a grave: and being we 
have already shewn that he who was to be cut o^was the Mes~ 
sias ; it followeth, that by virtue of this prediction the promised 
Messias was to be buried. 

Secondly, That our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true 
Messias, was thus buried, we shall also prove, although it seem 
repugnant to the manner of his death. For those who were 
sentenced by the Romans to die upon the cross, had not the 
favour of a sepulchre, but their bodies were exposed to the 
fowls of the air, and the beasts of the field ;t or if they escaped 



and is certainly true, that their general 
custom was to inter. Philo, one of their 
writers : 'avS^wttoj? y,al 7roia-i ^s^xraioig oIksio- 
TdTov h (^va-ig 'XJ^fUv a'^ivsi/xe ynv, ov fxovov 
i^xs-iv, aXXct Kai a7ro&avou<r;v, iV h avrh ncti rhv 
Tr^xrm vTToU^nrai yivBo-tv, not rhv \k rov Biou 
rsXsuraiav haXva-iv. l.i. in Flaccum, ad Jin. 

* So the Midrash TilKm anciently ex- 
pounded it, My flesh shall rest in hope 
nn"?3 -inxb after death ; adding ■pm" 'nK 
ny'pim nD"i in t^bir Nbu? n^^bo that Rabbi 

Isaac said, he taught by these icords, that 
the moUi and worm should have no power 
over him. Whence by the argument of 
■St. Peteij it must bs understood not of 



David : for his flesh saw corruption ; nor 
of any other but the Messias. And al- 
though the Rabbins are wont to say, that 
the worms shall never eat the just, in op- 
position to the last words of Isaiah ; yet 
they must confess there is no difference 
in the grave : and therefore that worm 
must signify nothing else but the corrup- 
tion of the body. Well therefore are 
those words paraphrased by Didymus : 
'Ett' IXviSi Xetrea-nhvctia-tv h ca-p^, ^la, rhv 
iv^Boog is-oixkvDV avaj-raa-iv. 

t To this custom Horace alludes : 
' Non hominem occidi. Non pasces in 

cruce corvosr' Epist, 16. h i. ver. 48. 



AND BURIED. 



331 



their voracity, to the longer injury of tlie air and weather.* A 
2;uard was also usually set about them, lest any pitying hand 
should take the body from the accursed tree, and cover it with 
earth.f 



And Juvenal : 

* Vultur, jamento et canibus crucibusque 
relictis, 

Ad foetus properat, partemque cadaveris 
affert? Sat. xiv. 77. 

So Prudentius : 

' Crux ilium tollat in auras, 

Viventesque oculos offerat alitibus.' 

WEgi 2t£<}). Hymn. xi. 65. This punish- 
ment did appear in the mythology of 
Prometheus ; who though he were by 
some represented simply as hs-fA,cirt)g, by 
others particularly he is described as an- 
a-rav^ooixivoq, especially by Lucian, who 
delivers him it^ocny^ovfxzvov, ups/nafABvov, Trpo- 
<r7rarraXsv6fA.£vov, avaa-ravpovfABVov, avacrno- 
XoTTi^ofxevov. And Tertullian speaking of 
Pontus, from whence Marcion came : 
' Omnia torpent, omnia rigent : nihil illic 
nisi feritas calet, quae fabulas scenis 
dedit, de sacrificiis Taurorum, et amori- 
bus Colchorum, et crucibus Caucasorum.' 
Adv. Marc. 1. i. c. 1. He touches the 
subject of three tragedies, Medaea, Iphi- 
genia in Tauris, and Prometheus Vinctus, 
or rather Crucifixus. As therefore the 
eagle there did feed upon his liver, so 
were the bodies of crucified persons left 
to the promiscuous rapacity of carnivor- 
ous fowls. So true it was of them what 
Augustus once said : ' Cuidam sepultu- 
ram petenti respondit, jam illam in volu- 
crum esse potestate.' Suet. c. 13. Nor 
were they only in the power of the fowls 
of the air, as Prometheus was, whom 
they durst not hang too low, lest men 
should succour him : ovre ya^ raTretvov nal 



Lucian for that reason, c. 1. but ordina- 
rily they hung so low upon the cross, that 
the ravenous beasts might reach them, as 
Apuleius describes : ' Patibuli cruciatum, 
cum canes et vultures intima protrahunt 
viscera.' de Aur. Asiu, 1. vi. ad Jin. 

* So the bodies were often left upon 
the cross till the sun and rain had putre- 
fied and consumed them. As when the 
daughter of Polycrates did see her fa- 
ther's face in a dream, to be washed by 
Jupiter, and to be anointed by the sun, 
when he hung upon the cross, it was per- 
formed. noXyH^ttT»f Si ava-A^ifxafxtvoq iifB- 
teXee TTus-av Thv o^iv rtig ^uyaT^og' I^Uto 
fuirh ya^ vTTo Tov Atoj oKoog toi, s)(^^Uto Sf Itto 
TOu rjXwu, avteU etvTog in tov o-cifxaTog Infxa- 
5a. Herod. Thalia, c. 125. Of which 
Tertullian, de Ajiim. c. 46. ' Ut cum 
Polycrati Samio filia crucem prospicit de 
Solis unguine et lavacro Jovis.' And 
which is farther thus expressed by Vale- 
rius INIaximus : ' Putres ejus artus, et 
tabido cruore manantia membra, atque 
illam leevam, cui Neptunus annulum 
manu piscatoris restituerat, situ marci- 
dam, Samos Isetis oculis aspexit.' 1. vi. 
c. 9. Thus were the bodies of the cruci- 
fied left ; ' ut in sublimi putrescerent. 
Quid 1 Cyrenaeum 'J'heodorum Philoso- 
phum non ignobilem nonne miramur ? 
cui cum Lysimachus Rex crucem mina- 
retur, Istis, quzeso, inquit, ista horribilia 
minitare purpuratis tuis : Theodori qui- 
dem nihil interest, humile an sublime 
putrescat.' Cicero, 1. i. Tusc. Qu(£st. c. 43. 
And so they perished, as the Scythians 
generally did, according to the descrip- 
tion of Silius Italicus, 1. xiii. 485. 



•jr^oa-ysiov sa-TavpZa-Qai p^^rj, says Vulcan in 

* At gente in Scythica suffixa cadavera truncis 
Lenta dies sepelit, putri liquentia tabo.' 

Thus whether by the fowls or beasts, or 
by the injury of time or weather, the flesh 
of those that were crucified was consumed ; 
as Artemidorus observed, who concluded 
from thence, that it was bad for the rich 
to dream of being crucified : Tovg ir'hov- 
a-'iovg BXaTTTBi' yvfxvol ya^ a-TavpouvTai , aal 
Tag cra^Kag a'HTo'KKvovriv ol cnavfCio^iVTBg. 
Oneirocr. 1. ii. c. 58. 

t As appeareth by that relation in Pe- 
tronius Arbiter: ' Imperator Provinciae 
latrones jussit crucibus affigi — Proxima 
autem nocte, cum miles qui cruces as- 
servabat, ne quis ad sepulturam corpora 
detraheret,' Sec. And when that soldier 
was abseut ; ' Itaque cruciati unius pa- 



rentes, ut viderunt laxatam custodiam, 
detraxere nocte pendentem, supremoque 
mandaverunt officio.' 5aiy/-.c. 111. Where 
we see the soldier set for a guard, and 
the end of that custodia (which the Greek 
lexicographers do not well confine to the 

CTT^aTBVfAa TM ^BO-fXOOTrjfiici} BTTlKBifXSVOV^, tO 

keep the body of him which was crucified 
from being buried by his friends. Thus 
when Cleomenes was dead, his body was 
fastened to a cross (another example of 
the ignominy of this punishment), by the 
command of Ptolemy ; 'O UTO>^sfA.aTo(, 
ajg 'iyvoi} TavTa, TTgocsTa^s, to (abv ^raifia 
TOV KKBOfxevoug n^Sfxas-ai Kcira^vpa-uicravTag. 
Where K^Bfjiacai is again to be observed 



332 



ARTICLE IV. 



Under that custom of the Roman law was now the body of 
our Saviour on the cross, and the guard was set : there was 
•* the centurion and they that were with him, watching Jesus." 
(Matt, xxvii. 54.) The centurion returned as soon as Christ 
was dead, and gave testimony unto Pilate of his death ; but 
tlie watch continueth still. How then can the ancient predic- 
tions be fulfilled ? How can this Jonas be conveyed into the 
belly of the whale ? Where shall " he make his grave with the 
wicked, or with the rich, in his death" (Isa. liii. 9.) of cruci- 
fixion ? By the providence of him who did foretell it, it shall 
be fulfilled. They who petitioned that he might be crucified, 
shall intercede that he may be interred. For the custom of the 
Jews required, that whosoever suffered by the sentence of their 
law, should be buried, and that the same day he suffered.* 
Particularly they could not 'but remember the express words 
of Moses, " If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, 
and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree ; his body 
shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any 
wise bury him that day." (Deut. xxi. 22, 23.) Upon this ge- 
neral custom and particular law, especially considering the 
sanctity of the day approaching, " the Jews, that the bodies 
should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath-day, besought 
Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be 
taken away." (John xix. 31.) And this is the first step to the 
burial of our Saviour. 

For though by the common rule of the Roman law, those 
that were condemned to the cross were to lose both soul and 
body on the tree, as not being permitted either sepulchre or 
mourning ;t yet it was in the power of the magistrate to in- 
dulge the leave of burial :\ and therefore Pilate, who crucified 
Christ because the Jews desired it, could not possibly deny 



as taken for avas-rav^MS-a-i, for not long 
after in the same author it follows : 'oxi- 
yaiq Ztts^ov h/J,ifatg, ol to a-x/j,a tcv KXso- 
fxivov^ a^S7'Tav^ci}fxi\ov ?riapa<J)LiXaTTOVT£? ii^ov 
BufAByiSr] Spa>tovTtt rri y.e^pa.'Kri TTBfuTfiTTXByfxBvov, 
Koi aTroKguTTTOVTa TO TTjoVaJTrov, a? (UrjSiv 
OjVHov l^pmra^rBcti c7a^y.o<pa.yov. Plutarch, in 
vit. Cleom. c. 38. Where we see a guard 
set to keep him from burial, and the vo- 
racious fowls ready to seize on him, had 
they not been kept off by a serpent in- 
volving his head. Thus were soldiers, 
upon the crucifixion of any person set as 
a guard, tov avBTravpcv/xivov Tra^capuXaT- 
tovte;, or rri^oZvTBg, ' et crucem asservantes, 
viz. ne quis ad sepulturam corpus de- 
traheret.' 

VT ri'-n -ann nx mnpb n'2'>; my?3 * 
D:i''"inn orn Maimon. Tract. Sanhed. c. 15. 
So Josephus : Tos-avrijv 'lov^aioov isBpi rag 
Ta<f)a? w^oyoiav fSTOioufxivaiv, wo-tb ho.) roug bk 
HaraUum ava<rravpovfxivouq Wfo S'yvavTo; fiXt'oy 



aveXsTv T£ )ia] SaTTTEiv. De Bell. Jud. 1. iv. 

0. 18. 

t ' Non solent autem lugeri (ut Nera- 
tius ait) hostes, vel perduelliones dam- 
nati, nec suspendiosi, nee qui manus sibi 
intulerunt, non taedio vitee, sed mala con- 
scientia.' Digest. \. iii. tit. 2. I. Liberorum. 

t So Ulpianus, 1. ix. de Officio Procon- 
sulis : ' Corpora eorum qui capite dam- 
nantur cognatis ipsorum neganda non 
sunt : et id se observasse etiam Divus 
Augustinus libro decimo de vita sua 
scribit. Hodie autem eorum in quos ani- 
madvertitur corpora non aliter sepeli- 
untur, quam si fuerit petitum et permis- 
sum ; et nonnunquam non permittitur, 
maxime majestatis causa damnatorum.' 
So Paulus, 1. i. Sententiarum: ' Corpora 
animadversorum quibusiibet petentibus 
ad sepulturam danda sunt. Obnoxios 
criminum digno supplicio subjectos sepul- 
turfe tradi non vetamus.' Cod. 1. iii. til. 43. 

1. 11. 



AND BURIED. 



333 



him burial when they requested it; he that professed to find 
no fault in him while he lived, could make no pretence for an 
accession of cruelty after his death. 

Now though the Jews had obtained their request of Pilate, 
though Christ had been thereby certainly buried ; j^et had not 
the prediction been fulfilled, which expressly mentioned " the 
rich in his death." For, as he was crucified between two 
thieves, so had he been buried with them, because by the 
Jews there was appointed a public place of burial for all such 
as suffered as malefactors. 

Wherefore to rescue the body of our blessed Saviour from 
the malicious hands of those who caused his crucifixion, 

there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, an 
honourable counsellor, a good man and a just; who also him- 
self waited for the kingdom of God, being a disciple of Jesus, 
but secretly for fear of the Jews : tliis Joseph came and went 
in boldly unto Pilate, and besought him that he might take 
away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him leave, and 
commanded the body to be delivered : he came, therefore, and 
took the body of Jesus.'^ (Matt, xxvii. Mark xv. Luke xxiii. 
John xix.) 

Beside, " there came also Nicodemus, which at the first 
came to Jesus by night, a man of the Pharisees, a ruler of the 
Jews, a master of Israel this Nicodemus came " and brought 
a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pound weight. 
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen 
clothes, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury." 
(John iii. 1. 10. xix. 39, 40.) 

And thus was the burial of the Son of God performed, ac- 
cording to the custom of the people of God. For the under- 
standing of which there are three things considerable ; first. 
What was done to the body, to prepare it for the grave ; se- 
condly, How the sepulchre was prepared to receive the body; 
thirdly. How the persons were fitted by the interring of our 
Saviour to fulfil the prophecy. 

As for fulfilling the custom of the Jews as to the prepara- 
tion in respect of his body, we find the spices and the Uneii 
clothes. When *' there came a woman having an alabaster box 
of ointment of spikenard, very precious, and she brake the box, 
and poured it on his head;" Christ made this interpretation of 
that action, ** She is come beforehand to anoint niy body to 
the burying." (Mark xiv. 3. 8.) When Christ was risen, 

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary brought the spices 
which they had prepared, that they might come and anoint 
him." (Mark xyi. 1. Luke xxiv. 1.) "'Thus was there an inter- 
preted and an intended unction of our Saviour, but really and 
actually he was interred with the spices which Nicodemus 
brought. The custom of wrapping in the clothes we see in 
Lazarus rising from the grave; for he came forth bound 



334 



ARTICLE IV. 



band and foot, with grave-clothes, and his face was bound 
about with a napkin," (John xi. 44.) In the same manner 
when our Saviour was risen, Simon Peter went into the se- 
pulchre, and saw the linen clothes lie, and the napkin that was 
about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped 
together in a place by itself." (John. xx. 6, 7.) Thus, accord- 
ing to the custom of the Jews, was the body of Christ bound 
in several linen clothes with an aromatical composition, and so 
prepared for the sepulchre.* 



* There are four words in the Gospel 
expressing the linen clothes in which the 
dead were buried, ZivJiv, oflovia, xsi^laf, 
and a-ovda^iov. The 2iv5a;y is used by three 
evangelists, as what was brought by Jo- 
seph : K.CU ayo^da-ai; srivJo'va, Kai xct&sXiiv 
ainov, Ivgt'XncTE Tn o-ivSov», Mark xv. 46. and 
St. Matthew xxvii. 59. and St. Luke 
xxiii. 53. IvtTvXi^sv avro crjvSovi. 'oQo'via is 
used by St. John xix. 40. "EXa^ov ovv to 
crxfjia, 'iJiiTot!, xat l^ns-av avro oQoviaq, Now 
both these words shew that the clothes 
were linen. SjvJav, tunica linea. Gloss. 
<t>M(r<rctiviov, Xivouv ri, riroi crivJoviov. Etym. So 
'02r6vM, Xtva l/xdria,. Hesych. This was 
according to the custom of the Jews, 
amongst whom there was a kind of law, 
that they should use no other grave- 
clothes. As therefore the Egyptians in 
Herodotus, 1. ii. c. 86. Aov^avTS^ tov vexpov, 
Hariihij-tTOva-i 'na.y avrou to crcUfXA a-iv^ovog 
^viTo-l\Yiq, so the Jews. But it is farther 
to be observed, that St. John saith EJ>i<rav 
avTo o&ov;'o(?, they bound up his body with 
several clothes, which signifies it was 
done fasciatim. As Herodotus in ano- 
ther case, 1. vii. c. 181. ifxv^vKo-i -rs lu>fji.sm 
ra 'iKusa, nai crjvJovof BvTo-inq TsXafj-ooa xa- 
TEtXiVo-cvTEj. Whereas then Julius Polhix 
observes, Onomast, 1. vii. c. 16. s^i^nrai U 
TTO'j xal TBXafxoDV (riv^ov'iTng, 1 conceive these 
o^o'vitt in St. John were such TeXa^uivs? 
trivSovirai, lines fascia, or institce, called 
in the case of Lazarus x£;pi'at, John xi. 44. 
for as he is described hhfxmi; ustplaig, so 
it is said of the body of Christ, aJflo-av 
avTo oSovi'oj?, they bound it with linen ban- 
dages or swathes. These are the svrd^ia 
S£3-|ua, as the grammarians interpret usi^ia 



tanquam unpia. So the ancient MS. in 
the library at St. James's reads it : As^e- 

^Ivof Ta? X^'^i"-'^ ''^^ TToJa? nr.^iaiq. And 

so Hesychius reads it when he made that 
interpretation. Ksj^/aif (leg. Kr.j^Uiq) sTn- 
BavaTia h'T£TvXiy/j,Bva.. What anciently 
x»pt'a was, will appear by the words of 
Julius Pollux, 1. X. c. 7. K«i fA.hv rnys rrj 
xXt'vjj h tSi a-MfXTioli hrzrafXBVcv, <ps^s:v to, 
TfXEict, o-TrapTj'a, a-Tra^ra, tovo?, KBifia.' the 
bands or cords by which the beds or 
couches are fastened, and upon which the 
bedding lies. In this sense it is to be 
taken in that known place of Aristo- 
phanes, in Avibns, ver. 815. 

STTapTnv yif av Qsifxnv iych rf,' fxn ttoKh, 

OvV av )(afj.Bvvri, iravvyi xsi^iav Ejj^oJV. 
Of which Eustathius, Iliad. /3'. gives us 
this account : <^-no-i fxh av S'snS^nvat cTrai^rnq, 
KEi^Iciv E'p(;a.'V nroi fxh ^Btj^mat crTraprivou 
IT'hByfxa.Toq, Eav a\Xm sp^ot KBi^iav, r,roi Sect^ov 
hXu>5?. Hence the grammarians give that 
interpretation of VLbi^lo,. As Etymologus : 
Kejput, a-Kfxaim to o-p^oju'ov to JscTiaELOv T>;y 
xXi'vwv in reference to that place of Ari- 
stophanes, otherwise it hath no relation to 
a bed, but indifferently signifieth any 
fascia or band. So the scholiast of Ari- 
stophanes : 'H HSi^ia eTSo? ^civ>j? in (r^ot- 
vicov Tra^soixog Ifxavri, k ^BTfAoZo'i raq xXtVaj* 
not the cord of a bed, but a. fascia or gir- 
dle like unto it. With such Vinen fascicr, 
swathes, or bandages, was the body of 
Lazarus involved. 

'eh ttoS'o? Jt^f^v^y 

l.'piyyofJt.Bvov TrXEXT^criv o'Xov Sl^aj sT;;^s 
nspBiaig, 

says Nonnus, c. xi. 169. And Juvencus, 
1. iii. 397. 



Nec mora, connexis manibus pedibusque repeute 
Procedit tumulo, vultum cui linea texit, 
Et totum gracilis connectit fascia corpus. 

Kii^iai then were iyistitcp, as the Vulgar 
Latin ; fascia, as Juvencus and the Syriac 
translation, Nn"pD3n T-DK, vi actus fasciis. 
Of the same nature I conceive were the 
oS-o'via mentioned in our Saviour's burial ; 
and so St. Augustin does express them in 
reconciling the rest of the evangelists, 
who mentioned only Joseph and the Sin- 
don, with St. John, who addeth Nicode- 



Hence Basil, bishop of Seleucia, makes 
Lazarus come out of the grave to live like 
an infant in swaddling-clothes : 'ExErSsv 
ftVETTiiS'a VEXfoj TET^ari|UEfo? ra, rov ^avdrov 
'HTE^ixEi'jOtEVOj a-vfAQoXa,' Kcil rov Bdyxrov dmo- 
SuTajUiBvo;, Tnv rov 'rd<pou o-toX^v ovk JjXXa^aTO, 
eXX' l<^icrTa.ro nrcuq mi^iaiq ojg la Td<pou TBy^- 
&Ei?, xaj /otETa Toxov <f)£g(wv Ta c-ndpyaMa. 
Orat. 35. in Publican, et Pharis. The 



AND BURIED. 



335 



As for the preparation of the sepulchre to receive the body 
of our Saviour, the custom of the Jews was also punctually 
observed in that. Joseph of Arimathea had prepared a place 
of burial for himself, and the manner of it is expressed : for 
" in the place where he was crucified, there was a garden, and 
in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein never man was laid, 
which Joseph had hewn out of a rock for his own tomb : there 
laid they Jesus, and rolled a great stone to the door of the 
sepulchre." (Matt, xxvii. Mark x v.) And so Christ was buried, 
after the manner of the Jews, in a vault made by the excava- 
tion of the rocky firm part of the earth, and that vault secured 
from external injury by a great massy stone rolled to the 
mouth or door thereof. =^ After which stone was once rolled 



mus and the IQma : ' Neque hie aliquid 
repugnet recte intelligentibus. Neque 
enim illi qui de Nicodemo tacuerunt, af- 
firmaverunt, a solo Josepho Dominum 
sepultura, quamvis solius commeraora- 
tionem fecerint ; aut quia illi una sindone 
a Josepho involutum dixerunt, propterea 
prohibuerunt intelligi et alia iintea po- 
tuisse afFerri a Nicodemo et superaddi : 
ut verum narraret Johannes quod non uno 
linteo, sed linteis, involutus sit ; quamvis 
et propter sudarium quod capiti adhibe- 
batur, et institas quibus totum corpus al- 
ligatum est, quia omnia de lino erant, 
etiamsi una sindon ibi fuit, verissime dici 
potuit, iigaverunt eum linteis.' De con- 
sensu Evaiig. 1. iii. c. 23. These which he 
calls iiislitcc quibus totum corpus alligatum 
est, were the n?3n "D-IDn involucra mortui. 
Beside these we read in the history of 
Lazarus, h o-^^iq avrov <rov^a^w Tre^tsSeJETO, 
John xi. 4i. And of our Saviour, nai to 
a-Qvld^iov, 0 m Im Tijj X£<f)aX^f alrovy John 
XX. 7. The same is rendered by the Sy- 
riac NTDD, and Nonnus makes it a Syriac 
word, 

Kai Xivlw lattain&'ro na'hvfxfAari xvnT^dSa 

"Zov^dpiov TO <7re§ tlirz 2up«v a-TO[xa. 

c. xi. 172. 

Whereas the word is not of a Syriac but 
Latin origination ; and from the Latins 
came to the Greek and eastern people, 
sudor and sudare, from thence sudarium. 
' Vatinius reus, agente in eum Calvo, su- 
dario candido frontem detersit.' Quintil. 
Instit. Ovat. 1. vi. c. 3. §. 60. Suetonius 
of Nero : ' Plerumque prodiit in publicum 
ligato circa collum sudario.' c. 53. This 
was translated into their own language 
by the latter Greeks, to signify that which 
before was called hfAirvBiov and xft%|/jSpcu- 
Tiov, as is observed by Julius Pollux, 1. vii. 
c 16. To Si hfjiiTv^iov, 'ia-Ti [xh naX toZtq 
Alyvtrriov, {in Si a.v nark to ev Tn fxsa-rt Ka;- 
fxciiUa. Ka^il^otirm KaKovfXivav, o vSv aov^d^iov 



ovofxd^srai. 'A^ia-ro<pdvsi ya^ h TlKovrct) 
(v. 729.) TOictvrr] rig h ^o^a, 

"ETTEiTO. naQa^ov hixiTuBioV 7\a$xv, 

where tx BKs<pa§a. 7rspii4-«5-£, is the same 
with that in Quintilian, J'n)?r/(?m detersit ; 
h/xirv^iov then was the same with suda- 
rium. So the scholiast upon this place : 
'UfA-nvBiov pdnot; hfxiT^iBeq Xtvouv ri, oTov lufxa- 
ysTov, This is the proper signification of 
lov^a^iov, viz. a linen cloth used to wipe off 
siveat : but when it was translated into 
the Chaldee or Syriac language, it re- 
ceived a more general signification, of any 
cloth, or veil, or covering of linen, for any 
other use, as Ruth iii. 15. " Bring the 
veil that thou hast upon thee :" the 
Chaldee rendereth it yb]; -T KITO inn 
and it held six measures of barley. So 
when Moses is said to " put a veil on his 
face," Exod. xxxiv. 33. the Chaldee 
again rendereth it n-m IOIjTK by inn 
.NinD "la^K So the Rabbins ordinarily 
use, n''U''"'T by Xino the veil or covering of 
his head : and in that sense it is here 
taken, not with any relation to the ety- 
mology, as Nonnus conceived in those 
words, c. xi. 171. 

©Ef/uov ip^wv l^^uira my^v/rrofA.evog 'n^ocrclonov, 
as if Lazarus had come sweating out 
of his grave ; but the only use, is being 
bound about the head, and covering the 
face, which the Epistle of Martialis calls 
• sudarium mortuorum.' Epist. ad Tola- 
san. c. 1. 

• Strabo observeth of Jerusalem, that 
the ground about it, Ivto; l^hnovra a-Ta^iaiv 
was vTTo 7r£r^ai;,for nine miles rocky under' 
neath, 1. xvi. p. 1104. ed. Amst. 1707. p. 
761. ed. Par, 1620. It is therefore no 
wonder that in a garden so near Jerusa- 
lem there should be found ground which 
was petrosa. It is said therefore of Josepl), 
Matt, xxvii. 60. that /u.vn/xet'ov sXcnofAvcsv 
iv TM TriT^a.' of the sepulchre, Mark xv. 46. 
that m KiXaTOfA.n{A.evov In Trirfa?, and Luke 



336 



ARTICLE IV. 



thither, the whole funeral action was performed, and the sepul- 
ture completed : so that it was not lawful by the custom of the 
Jews any more to open the sepulchre, or disturb the interred 
body.^ 

Thirdly, Two eminent persons did concur unto the burial 
of our Saviour, a ruler and a counsellor,t men of those orders 



xxiii. 53. Xa^suTov, wbicli signify no less 
than that it was cut out of a rock : and 
Nonnus makes a particuhir paraphrase to 
that purpose of Xa^snrov only, c. xx. 214. 

"E^V Iv yBlTCiVl KTiTTOl 

rXvTTTOg OXO? VSOrSVKTO?. 

Where ^a^wofxevri signifies the excavation 
of the rock, and •yXv-nTo? the manner by 
which that excavation was performed by 
incision, or exsculption. But Salmasius 
hath invented another way, making the 
earth to be digged, and a sepulchre built 
by art, of stone, within it. And this in- 
terpretation he endeavours to prove out 
of the text ; first alleging that TTBr^a sig- 
nifies, in the writers of that age, a stone, 
not a rock, and therefore Xs'KarojumfxBvov ek 
TTETpajis £K xiQou, made of stone : otherwise 
the article would have been added Ijt Tnq 
Tth^cLq, if he meant the rock which was 
there. But this is soon answered ; for in 
St. Matthew the article is expressly add- 
ed, IXaTo^ntrev h Tn ttbt^o,. St. Matthew 
therefore understood it of that rock which 
was in the garden; and the rest without 
question understood the same. Again, he 
objects that "Karofjim signifies not only 
lapides ex lapicidina cadere, but also yw/ire 
et qiiadrare ad cedijicandum ; and Xa^svBiv 
signifies the last only. Wherefore being 
it is said not only XsXuTOfxvfxivov, which 
may be understood of building, but also 
Xct^eurov, which can be understood of no 
other ; therefore he concludes that it was 
a vault built of square stone within the 
ground. But there is no necessity of such 
a precise sense of Xa^svsiv, which may be 
extended to any sense of XarofxsTv (as Ori- 
gen indifferently Xarofxt^Tov h \a^Bv^ov juvii- 
fAsTov Iv TTETfct, c. Cels. 1. ii. §. 69.), and 
that, when it speaks of a Jewish custom, 
must be taken in that sense which is 
most congruous to their custom, and as 
they used the word. Now they rendered 
the word n^fn by XarofxeXv, as 1 Kings v. 
15. "ina n^n XeLrofxm h tS o^ii. Isa. li. 1. 
Dnnvn "lT;f'bN llJ-nn lix^Xk^arB bU 'rhv 

CTTS^BaV TTSTpaV W BXctTOf^riO-CLTi, liudc eXC'lSt, 

As therefore Deut. vi. 11. Xinnoix; XsXaro- 
fxnju(.svovg out; ova B^iXarOfxria-at;. So Isa. xxii. 
HG. "Oti BXctrofj-n^ag a-BavTM S^b fxn^BHoVf 
Kai 'iyfci.-\,a.q crBavTM h TTSTpa cTKmnv in both 
places XciToiJ,Bh is nothing else but a-^n, 
and there fxmfxBTov XsXaTOjotu^svov, in the 
language of the Jews, is to be taken in 



the same sense vv-ith Xaxxo? XBXctrofJL-nfxhoQt 
that is, digged or hcion out of the ground. 
This is well expressed by Origen : 'h ra<pyi 
s^J^i. rhv KaBapornra S(i rou irv/x^oXiKOv 
^riXovfXBvnv Iv rw i'rroTe6^<T^ai avrou to crZfA,ct, 
Iv /xvYj/xsio) xaiva) v<psj-rS!Ti' oln bk Xoyd^oov 
Xidouv olKo^ojuti^Bvri, xai Tnv bvoktiv ov <^U(riiihv 
'i^QVTi, aXX' Iv fxiAiCai Si' oXaov fjV(W,a£V_?j TTBrpa. 
XaTOfAnrri Kai Xa^BUTri. 1. ii. adv. Celsiun, f. 
69. And this cutting the sepulchre out of 
the rock, rather than building it in the 
earth, is very material in the opinion of 
St. Jerome, who makes this observation, 
Comm. on Matt, xxvii. 64. ' In monumen- 
to novo, quod excisum fuerat in Petra, 
conditus est : ne si ex multis lapidibus 
asdificatum esset, suftbssis tumuli funda- 
mentis, ablatus furto diceretur :' and 
gives this interpretation of the prophet 
Isaiah : ' Quod autem in sepulcro ponen- 
dus esset, Prophetfe testimonium est, di- 
centis. Hie hahitabit in excisa spelunca 
petrcp fortissimo:, statimque post duos ver- 
siculos seqnitur, Regem cum gbria videbi- 
tis.' Ibid. Another use of the same sup- 
position is made likewise by St. Ambrose : 
* Domini corpus tanquam per Apostolo- 
rum doctrinam infertur in vacuam et in 
novam requiem lapidis excisi ; scilicet in 
pectus duritije gentilis quodam doctrine 
opere excisum Christus infertur, rude 
scilicet ac novum, et nuUo antea ingressu 
timoris Dei pervium.' In Matt. c. xxvii. 
Thus was the sepulchre prepared for the 
body : and when Joseph had laid it there, 
ff^oj-SJtuXto-H Xt'^ov y.kyeLV Tt^oq ^r,v 9u^av, he 
rolled a great stone to the door, the last part 
of that solemnity. Matt, xxvii. 60. For 
this great stone was said to be rolled, 
by reason of the bigness, as being not 
portable, (from whence arone the wo- 
men's doubt, INIark xvi. 3. " Who shall 
roll us away the stone from the sepul- 
chre ?") and that very properly, for it had 
its name from that rolling, bein^;- called 
constantly by the Jews, bbXT or Kbb\l, from 
bb2 volvere. D''?2mDu> nan"n n'pinj inxbbxin 

Obadias de Dartenora. 

* This hath been observed by the Jews 
themselves, cnD^ir TN '^'zpr\ mna*? -npx 

bbl3n it is prohibited for any man to open 
the sepulchre, after it is slnU with tlie rolled 
stone. 

t So they are styled in the Scriptures, 
Joseph ^ovXivrhg, and Nicodemus a^^w, 



AND BURIED. 



337 



among the Jews as were of greatest authority with the people ; 
Joseph of Arimathea, rich and honourable, and yet inferior 
to Nicodemus, one of the great Council of the Sanhedrim : 
these tw^o, though fearful while he lived to acknowledge him, 
are brought by the hand of Providence to inter him ; that so 
the prediction might be fulfilled which was delivered by Isaiah 
to this purpose. The counsel of his enemies, the design of the 
Jews, made his grave with the wicked," (Isa. liii. 9.) that 
he might be buried with them which were crucified with him : 
but because he hath done no violence, neither was any deceit 
within his mouth (Ibid.) because he was no ways guilty of 
those crimes for which they justly suffered ; that there might 
be a difference after their death, though there appeared little 
distinctionin it ; the counsel of his Father, the design of Heaven, 
put him'* with the rich in his death," (Ibid.) and caused a 
counsellor and a ruler of the Jews to bury him. 

The necessity of this part of the Article appeareth, first, in 
that it gives a testimony and assurance of the truth both of 
Christ's death preceding, and of his resurrection following. 
Men are not put into the earth before they die : Pilate was very 
inquisitive whether our Saviour '* had been any while dead," 
and was fully satisfied by the centurion, before he would '' give 
the body to Joseph" to be interred. (Mark xv. 44, 45.) Men 
cannot be said to rise who never died ; nor can there be a true 
resurrection, where there hath not been a true dissolution. 
That therefore we might believe Christ truly rose from the 
dead, we must be first assured that he died ; and a greater 
assurance of his death than this we cannot have, that his body 
was delivered by his enemies from the cross, and laid by his 
disciples in the grave. 

Secondly, A profession to believe that Christ was buried is 
necessary, to work within us a correspondence and similitude 
of his burial : For we are '' buried with him in baptism," (Col. 
ii. 12.) even buried with him in baptism unto death ; that 
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the 
Father ; even so we also should walk in newness of life." (Rom. 
vi. 4.) That nothing may be done or suffered by our Saviour 
in these great transactions of the Mediator, but may be acted 
in our souls, and represented in our spirits,* 

and these two powers ruled all them at tiana qufe hie geritur. Nam propter ejus 
Jerusalem under the Romans. As ap- ciucem dictum est, Qui autem Jesu Christi 
peared when Agrippa prevented a war by simt, carnem suam crncijixerunt cum pcissi- 
the sudden raising of a tax : Ei? U rag onihns et co7icnpiscentiis : propter sepultu- 
xu)fA,ag 01 re af)(^cv'Tiq koX o\ BovT^svrai fXB^ir- ram, Consepulti sumus Christo per baptis- 
Beyreg <po^ovg avveXByov. Joseph, de Bell, Jiid. mum in mortem : propter resurrectionera, 
1. ii. c. 29. Ut quemadmodum Christus resurrexit a 

* ' Quicquid gestum estin cruce Christi, mortnis per gloriam Patris, ita el nos in 
in sepnltura, in resurrectione tertio die, novitate vitce ambulemus: propter adscen- 
in adscensione in coelum, et in sede ad sionem in ccelum, sedemque ad dexteram 
dexteram Patris ; ita gestum est, ut his Patris, Si autem resiirrexistis cum Christo, 
rebus non mystice tantum dictis, sed qua: sursum sunt qucerite, ubi Christus est 
etiam gestis, configuraretur vita Chris- ad dexteram Dei sedens.' S. August. En- 



338 



ARTICLE IV. 



Thirdly, It was most convenient that those pious solemnities 
should be performed on the body of our Saviour, that his dis- 
ciples might for ever learn what honour vv^as fit to be received 
and given at their funerals. When Ananias died, though for his 
sin, yet they "wound him up, and carried him out, and buried 
him :" (Acts v. 6.) when Stephen was stoned, " devout men 
carried him to his burial, and made great lamentation over 
him (Acts viii. 2.) and when Dorcas died, they " washed 
her, and laid her in an upper chamber (Acts ix. 37.) so 
careful were the primitive Christians of the rites of burial. 
Before, and at our Saviour's time, the Greeks did much, the 
Romans more, use the burning of the bodies of the dead, and 
reserved only their ashes in their urns ; but when Christianity 
began to increase, the funeral flames did cease, and after a few 
emperors had received baptism, there was not a body burnt in 
all the Roman empire.^ For the first Christians wholly ab- 
stained from consuming the dead bodies with fire, and followed 
the example of our Saviour's funeral,t making use of precious 
ointments for the dead, which they refused while they lived, 
and spending the spices of Arabia in their graves. The de- 
scription of the persons who interred Christ, and the enumera- 
tion of their virtues, and the everlasting commendation of her 
who brake the box of precious ointment for his burial, have 



chirid. ad Laur. c. 53. §. 14. And this 
was before observed by Origen, I. ii. adv. 
Cels. §, 69. Ta o-vfx^iQrtnivai avaysy^afXfxsva 
tS 'ina-ou ovK h ^iXrj rt] Xe^ej nal rf, IcrTo^ix 

ya^ avrZv nal c-uf^BoXov Ttvoj slvai Ttapa. to?? 
FvvSTciirs^ov IvTvy^avova-i rrl y^ct<^^i aTTo^dnvv- 
Tai. "SliT'nTS^ ovv to CTavpctiBrivai alrov e^B 
Thv ^ri'KoufA.svnv aXriBeiav Iv -rS' X^ia-rS j-we- 
enavpcojuai' KalrS <TrtfAai\o[xkv(i3 inToZ' 'Efxoi 
51 fA,h ysvoiTO xanp^Scrflai el fxri Iv arauoS 
Tov Ki/piov hfxuiv 'lr>a-ov X^kttov' cZ lfA,oi 
)iO!Tfjt,oc la-ravpcorai, sixyM tZ nos-fxu). xal o 
Bavaro^ alrov avaynaHoi;, 5ja to' 'O yaf awl- 
6av£V kfxa^-via. aTTsQavBV l<pa7ra.^' Kai 5ja to 
7\£y£iv IvfA.fj.o^'pov/J.BVCx; tZ Qavarci) alrou' Hal 
TO* eJ ya^ crvvaTnbavofxev, xal (rvlhaofABv. 
ovroo net] h 'ra<pn alrov <p^avei STrt tohg avf/.- 
fxo^<^ovq tZ Qavara) avrov, Ka\ touj <TV(rravfae- 
Qivra(; avrZ Hal c-wattToSavovTa;, xa&o Ka) tw 
TJavXa} \i\Biirai to' SM'ETacJjn/uEv ya^ avrZ 
Bia. ToZ ^ctTTTtV^ttTO?, nal (TvvaVBa-'TnfJ.BV avTM. 

* This appeareth by Macrobius, who 
lived in the time of Theodosius junior, and 
testifieth thus much : • Licet urendi cor- 
pora defunctorum usus nostro seculo nul- 
lus sit, lectio tamen docet, eo tempore 
quo igni dari honor mortuis habebatur.' 
Saturnal. 1. vii. c. 7. That this was done 
by the Christians is certain, because the 
heathens anciently did object it to the 
Christians : ' Inde videlicet et exsecran* 
tur rogos, et damnant ignium sepulturas.' 
And the answer given to this was : ' Nee, 



ut creditis, ullum damnum sepulturaj 
timemus, sed veterem et meliorem 
consuetudinem humandi frequentamus.' 
Minnt. Fel. in Octavio, c. 11. and 34. 
And Tertullian : • Et hoc etiam inopinione 
quorundam est ; propterea nee ignibus 
funerandum aiunt, parcentes superfluo 
anira£e. Alia est autem ratio pietatis 
istius, non reliquiis animse adulatrix, sed 
crudelitatis etiam corporis nomine aversa- 
trix, quod et ipsum homo non utique me- 
reatur poenali exitu impendi.' De Anima, 
c. ol. • At ego magis ridebo vulgus, tunc 
quoque, cum ipsos defunctos atrocissime 
exurit, quos postmodum gulosissime nutrit, 
iisdem ignibus et promerens et ofFendens. 

0 pietatem de crudelitate ludentem ! sa- 
crificet, an insultet, cum crematis cremat V 
Idem de Resur. Cam. c. 1. 

t The heathens objected it to the pri- 
mitive Christians : ' Reservatis unguenta 
funeribus.' M'muthis Fel. c.l2. And Ter- 
tullian confesseth it: 'Thura plane non 
emimus. Si ArabiaB queruntur^ sciant 
Sabeei pluris et cariores suas merces 
Christianis sepeliendis profligari, quam 
Diis fumigandis.' Apol.c.42. And speak- 
ing of spices, lib. de Idololat. c. 11. * Etiam 
hominibus ad pigmenta medicinalia, no- 
bis quoque insuper ad solatia sepulturse 
usui sunt.' So Clemens Alex. Mupi^ovrai 

01 yap vBKpoi and again : Ai yap iTZB^fxir^ot 
p^pi'iTEi? ToDv fxv^m w^iia^, ov (rvfxQi(il)s-eci>i 
aTiQunoua-iv, Pcedag. 1. ii. c. 8. 



AND BURIE-D. 



339 



been thought sufficient grounds and encouragements for the 
careful and decent sepulture of Christians.^ For as natural 
reason will teach us to give some kind of respect unto the 
bodies of men though dead, in reference to the souls which 
formerly inhabited them ;f so, and much more, the followers 
of our Saviour, while they looked upon our bodies as living 
•^temples of the Holy Ghost," (1 Cor. vi. 19.) and "bought" 
by Chnst, (2 Pet. ii. 1.) to be made one day '*like unto his 
glorious body," (Phil. iii. 21.) they thought them no ways to 
be neglected after death,J but carefully to be laid up in the 
wardrobe of the grave, with such due respect as might become 
the honour of the dead, and comfort of the living. And the 
decent custom of the primitive Christians was so acceptable 
unto God, that by his providence it proved most effectual in 
the conversion of the heathens and propagation of the Gospel. § 



* 'Ipse Dominus die tertio resurrec- 
turus religiosaj mulieris bonum opus prte- 
dicat, praedicandumque commendat, quod 
unguentum pretiosum super membra ejus 
efFuderit, atque hoc ad eum sepeliendum 
fecerit. Et Jaudabiliter commemorantur 
in Evangelio, qui corpus ejus de cruce 
acceptum diligenter atque bonorifice te- 
gendum sepeliendumque curarunt. Verum 
ist'« auctoritates non hoc admonent, quod 
insit ullus cadaveribus sensus : sed ad 
Dei providentiam.cui placent etiam talia 
pietatis officia, corpora quoque mortuorum 
pertinere significant, propter fidera resur- 
rectionis adstruendam.' S. Au<rust. de 



Civitate Dei, I. i. c. 13. 

t OiiSev Se Xv7rs.X rifxaq^ cvtl to vTto 'Hfa- 
JtXEiTou 'kiyof/.tvov, oVef KiXtrof, Tra^ £tX»<J>Ev, oVt 

Tig aV Kol ITEpi TOVTOU, OTl TO, [xlv KOttT^id 

I'xCXiTa laTiv, 01 S' 1^ avSpunraiv vekvs;, ^la 
TKV IvomhiraiTav fxaXt(7Ta lav n a- 

a-reiorepa, olx 'in^Xmoi, Kara yap rovg aJ-rU' 
OTE^ovg TMV WfAMV, fj-BTo. Tr,g iv5e^0|U£V>i? ag 
TTjO? TO. Toia^Ta TifA.ng, Ta<prig a^iovrai' I'va fxh 
v^^i^oofx£v T? SuvafASi rhv hciKric-as-av ^u^w 
aTroppjTTTOi/VTEj, fxSTo, TO £^eX0£~v avTnv, TO 
aocfxa, i}g Kal to, tmv KTriviJi/ <rwy.a.ra. Oi ig. 
adv, Celsiim, 1. v. §. 24. 



NE|UEc-iJ-cS|Ccai' ye fxlv ouSev 

KXaiEJV, og m Savwc-t B^otZv Ka\ TroTfxov imam, 
TovTO w Ka\ ye^ag oTov oi^v^o'ia-i ^foToTa-i, 

Kei^ao-^al te itofxnv, ^aXseiv, t aixjo laK^v TTct^tiuiV. — Odyss. A. 195. 
tamen contemnenda et ter patrem militiam Christi deseram, cui 



t ' Nec ideo 
abjicienda sunt corpora defunctorum, 
maximeque justorum atque fidelium, qui- 
bus tanquam organis et vasis ad omnia 
bona opera sanctus usus est Spiritus. Si 
enim paterna vestis et annulus, ac si quid 
hujusmodi tanto cariusest posteris, quan- 
to erga parentes major exstitit afFectus ; 
nuUo modo ipsa spernenda sunt corpora, 
quse utique multo familiarius atque con- 
junctius quam quaelibet indumenta ges- 
tamus. Haec enim non ad ornamentum 
vel ad juiorium, quod adhibetur extrinse- 
cus, sed ad ipsara naturam hominis, per- 
tinent.' 5. August, de Civit. Dei, 1. i. c. 
13. TavTct TBXeo-ag 6 lEgapp^nf, a'HTOTiQna-iV 

Iv ol'xM TlfAlM To CTMfAet fjtiB' BTB^mV OfAOTayooV 

lifwv (ToofAaTcuv. eZ yk^ h -^vxn Koi a-ifxari 
rhv &£0<})iXri ^cionv 6 •/.BKoifxnfxivog e/3iw, TifAiov 
tarcti fxira Trig co-lag ^up^Sf xa( to a-vvaB\r,c-av 
aliTn craofAa Kara Tovg It^ovg ll^oorag, evOsv h 
^B'.a ^iKaiocrvvn (abta tou a-<pBrB^QV aoofxarog 
avrn ^oofc'irat Tag afAoi^aiag Xh^Big, oog ofAOTTO- 
^EUToo Kal cu/AfAtTo^M Ttig oalctg « Tng Bvavriag 
^Mng. Dionys. Eccl. Hierarch. c. 7, ' Prop- 



sepulturam Christi causa nondebeo, quam 
etiam omnibus ejus causa debeo"?' S. 
Hieron. Epist. 5. ai. 1. ad Heliodorim, de 
Laud. Vit. Sol. c. 3. 

§ This was observed by Julian the 
apostate, who, writing to an idolatrous 
high-priest, puts him in mind of those 
things by which he thought the Chris- 
tians gained upon the world, and recom- 
mends them to the practice of the heathen 
priests. Of these he reckons three ; the 
gravity of their carriage, their kindness 
to strangers, and their care for the burial 
of the dead. Ti oZv hfAsTg ol6fAe9a TaZra 
a^KEiv, cuS' aTToSxETTO/xEv 0 ^ttXis^Ttt Tnv adso- 
TriTa (so he calls Christianity, because 
they rejected all the heathen gods) (rwnv- 

^rjCTBV, h TTEpl TOUJ ^EVOW? (plKavd^OOTTia , XCt{ TTE^t 

Tag Ta<^ag tmv vbk^Siv 7rgO|M.n&£ia, x-ctl h tte- 
TrXacTfABvr) cTBfAVOT'ng n&ra tov Biov ; oSv 'inaa-rov 
oiofAat XpHvat Trap' hfAMV a'hnQSig i'jnTn^EvSa-Qai. 
Epist. 49. ad Arsacium. And as Julian 
observed the care of burial as a great 
encouragement to the heathens to turn 
o 



346 



ARTICLE V. 



Thus I believe the only-begotten and erernal Son of God, 
for the confirmation of the truth of his deavh ah'eady past, and 
the verity of his resurrection from the dead suddenly to follow, 
had his body, according to the custom of the Jews, prepared 
for a funeral, bound up with linen clothes, and laid in spices • 
and after that accustomed preparation, deposited in a sepul- 
chre hewn out of the rock, in which never man was laid before, 
and by rolling of a stone unto the door thereof, entombed there. 
Thus I believe that Christ w^as buried. 



ARTICLE V 

He descended into hell : the third day he rose 
again from the d^d. 

The former part of this Article, of the descent into hell, hath 
not been so anciently in the Creed-,* or so universally, as the 



Christians, so Gregory Nazianzen did ob- 
serve the same to the great dishonour of 
the apostate, comparing his funeral with 
his predecessors. 'O |uav ykp (that is Con- 
stantius) 'TrapaTrefXTrsrai 7rav$vfxoi<; £v<|»)|Ui'a<s 

T£ Xtti TTOfJ.TTaHi;, Koi TOUTOJJ T5~C rj/OCETgpOl? 

X^Krnavol rifxav fASraa-raa-iv SvirB^n vofxi^ofjisv 

Tou (Tocfxarog. Orat. iv. in Jul. ii. p. 1 1 8. But 
as for Julian : M7[aoi yB^oiaiv rjyov avTov, nal 

ToTf aTfo rr,i; (TXiivn? a'la-^sa-iv BTrofXTrivBro 

EWf fj Tago-ewv avTov h7ro^i)(BTai ttoXj? 

Iv9a o\ t£|U£Vo; artfjiov, xai ra.<^og l^cLyicnog 
xat aTTOTTrvs-fOi, Ka] ov^t ^Bctrogivs-e^^y o%j/£srj. 
Ibid. p. 119, 120. 

* First, It is to be observed, that the 
descent into hell was not in the ancient 
creeds or rules of faith. Some tell us that 
it was not in the confession of Ignatius 
Epist. ad Magiies. But indeed there is no 
confession of faith in that Epistle ; for 
what is read there was thrust in out of 
Clemens's Constitutions. In like man- 
ner, in vain is it objected that it was 
omitted by Polycarp, Clemens Romanus, 
and Justin Martyr, because they have 
not pretended any rule of faith or Creed 
of their times. But that which is mate- 
rial in this cause, it is not to be found in 
the rules of faith delivered by Irena?us, 1. 
i. c. 2. by Origen, I.ttb^I o-iX^^' Pi'Gxm. 
or by Tertullian, adv. Praxeam, c. 2. De 
Virg. veLand. c. 1. De Prcescript. adv. 
Hcaret, c. 13. It is not expressed in those 
Creeds which were made by the Councils 
as larger explications of the Apostles' 
Creed : not in the Nicene or Constanti- 
nopolitan, not in that of Ephesus or Chal- 
cedon ; not in those confessions made £it 



Sardica, Antioch, Seleucia, Sirmium, &c. 

Iti'. 5iot mentioned in several confessions 
of f f.ith delivered by particular persons : 
nof ia that of Eusebius Czesariensis, pre- 
sented to the Council of Nice. Theodoret. 
HiM. Eccles. 1. i. c. 2. not in that of Mar- 
cellus, bishop of Ancyra, delivered to 
Pope Julius, S. Epiphan. H<£r. Ixxii. §. 
11. not in that of Arius and Euzoius, pre- 
seited to Constantine, Socrat. 1. i. c. 26. 
not in that of Acacius, bishop of Caesarea, 
delivered in to the Synod of Seleucia, 
Socrat. 1. ii. c. 40. not in that of Eusta- 
thius, Theophilus, and Silvanus, sent to 
Liberius, Socrat. 1. iv. c. 12. There is no 
mention of it in the Creed of St. Basil, 
Tract, de Fide, in Asceticis, c. 4.; in the 
Creed of Epiphanius, in Ancoratc, §. 120. 
Gelasius, in Biblioth, Fair. Eat. t. v. par. 
3. p. 669. Damasus, inter. Op. S. Hieron, 
t. V. p. 122. Macarius, in Horn. &c. It is 
not in the Creed expounded by St. Cyril 
(though some have produced that Creed 
to prove it), it is not in the Creed ex- 
pounded by St, Augustin, De Fide et Syni- 
bvlo ; not in that De Svmbulo ad Catechiime- 
nos, attributed to St. Augustin ; not in 
that which is expounded by Maximus 
Taurinensis, nor in that so often inter- 
preted by Petrus Chrysologus ; [Yet in 
the 2d Homily of Maximus De passione et 
cruce etsepultura Domini, we read : ' Post 
illam nativitatem (scii. de utero Virg. 
Maris) ad inferos descenditur ; post banc 
(sci^. de sepulcro) remeatur ad ccelos.' 
And in the 60th Sermon, or 4th in Sum- 
bolum Apostolorum, of Pet. Chrysologus : 
* Sepultum diciSjUt veram camera Christi, 
mortemque non perfunctoriam probet con- 
fessio sepulturae, mortem euscepisse et 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 341 

rest. The first place we find it used in, was the Church of 
Aquileia; and the time we are sure it was used in the Creed 
of that church was less than 400 years after Christ. After that 
it came into the Roman Creed,^ and others,t and hath been 
acknowledged as a part of the Apostles' Creed ever since. 

Indeed, the descent into hell hath always been accepted, but 
with a various exposition ;J and the Church of England at the 
Reformation, as it received the three Creeds, in tico of which 
this Article is contained, so did it also make this one of the 
Articles of Religion, to which all who are admitted to any 
benefice, or received into holy orders, are obliged to subscribe. 
And at the first reception it was propounded with a certain 
explication, and thus delivered in the fourth year of King Ed- 
ward the Sixth, with reference to an express place of Scrip- 
ture interpreted of this descent : ' That the body of Christ lay 
in the grave until his resurrection ; but his spirit, which he 
gave up, was with the spirits which were detained in prison, 
or in hell, and preached to them, as the place in St. Peter 
(I Ep. iii. 19) testifieth.'§ So likewise after the same manner 
in the Creed set forth in metre after the manner of a psalm, 
and still remaining at the end of the Psalms, the same exposi- 
tion is delivered in this stave : 

* And so he died in the flesh, 
But quickened in the spirit : 
His body then was buried. 
As is our use and right. 

His spirit did after this descend 
Into the lower parts, 
Of them that long in darkness were, 
The true light of their hearts.' 



vicisse, in trasse inferos etrediisse, venisse 
in jura tartari, et tartari jura solvise, non 
est fragilitas, sed potestas.' Ed. Theo. 
Raunaud. Lugd. 1633. Editor.^ nor in 
that of the Church of Antioch, delivered 
by Cassianus, De Incarn. 1. vi. c. 3. neither 
is it to be seen in the MS. Creeds set 
forth by the learned Archbishop of Armagh. 
Indeed, it is affirmed by Ruffinus, that in 
his time it was neither in the Roman nor 
in the Oriental Creeds : ' Sciendum sane 
est, quod in Ecclesiee Romanse Symbolo 
non habetur additum, descendit ad inferna ; 
sed neque in Orientis Ecclesiis habetur 
hie sermo.' Ruff, in Exposit. Symboli, §. 
20. It is certain therefore (nor can we 
disprove it by any acknowledged evidence 
of antiquity) that the Article of the descent 
into hell was not in the Roman or any of 
the Oriental Creeds. 

* That the descent into hell came after- 
wards into the Roman Creed appeareth, 
not only because we find it there of late, 
but because we find it often in the Latin 
Church many ages since : as in that pro- 
duced by Etherius against Elipandus in 
the year 785, in the 115th al. 241st ser- 



mon, de Tempore, falsely ascribed to St.Au- 
gustin, where it is attributed to Thomas 
the apostle ; and in the exposition of the 
Creed falsely ascribed to St. Cbrysostom. 

t As in the Creed attributed to St, 
Athanasius, which though we cannot sa^ 
was his, yet we know was extant about 
the year 600, by the epistle of Isidorus 
Hispalensis ad Claudium Ducem. It was 
also inserted into the Creed of the Council 
of Ariminum, Socrat. Hist. Eccl. I. ii. c. 37. 
and of the fourth Council of Toledo, held in 
the year 633 : and of the sixteenth Council 
of the same Toledo, held in the year 693. 

i * Quis nisi infidelis negaverit fuisse 
apud inferos Christum?' S. August. Epist 
99. al. 164. §. 3. 

§ ' Nam corpus usque ad resurrectio- 
nem in sepulcro jacuit ; Spiritus ab illo 
eniissus cum spiritibus qui in carcere sive 
in inferno detinebantur fuit, illisque prai- 
dicavit, ut testatur Petri locus,' &c. Arti- 
culi ami. 1552. Which place was also 
made use of in the Exposition of the Creed 
contained in the Catechism set forth by 
the authority of King Edward, in the 
seventh year of his reign. 



342 



ARTICLE V. 



But in the Synod ten years after, in the days of Queen Eli- 
zabeth, the Articles, which continue still in force, deliver the 
same descent, but without any the least explication or reference 
to any particular place of Scripture, in these words : * As Christ 
died for us and was buried, so also it is to be believed that he 
went down into hell/* Wherefore being our Church hath not 
now imposed that interpretation of St. Peter's words, which 
before it intimated; being it hath not delivered that as the 
only place of Scripture to found the descent into hell upon ; 
being it hath alleged no other place to ground it, and delivered 
no other explication to expound it : we may with the greater 
liberty pass on to find out the true meaning of this Article, and 
to give our particular judgment in it, so far as a matter of so 
much obscurity and variety will permit. 

Fist, then, it is to be observed, that as this Article was first 
in the Aquileian Creed, so it was delivered there not in the ex- 
press and formal term of hell, but in such a word as may be 
capable of a greater latitude, Mescendit in inferna:' which 
words as they were continued in other Creeds^f so did they find 
a double interpretation among the Greeks; some translating 
* inferna,' hell; others, the lower parts :% the first with relation 



* Article TIL 1562. 

t Descendit in inferna, or ad ivferna, 
is the general writing in the ancient MSS. 
as the learned Archbishop testifieth of 
those in the Benedictine and Cottonian 
libraries ; to which I may add those in 
the library at W estminster : we see the 
same likewise in that of Elipandus, De- 
scendit ad inferna. Which words are so 
recited in the Creed delivered in the Ca- 
techism set forth by the authority of Ed- 
ward VI. An. Dom. 15.53. 

X So the ancient MSS. in Bene't col- 
lege library, KaTEXflovra. etj ra KarwraTo.' 
and the confession made at Sirmium, ilq 
TO, Kctra^Bovia xareXSovTct. Since that it 
is Descendit ad inferos, and KaTEXflovra eJ? 
ahv, or Descendit ad infernum, as Venan- 
tius Fortunatus. 1. xi. art. 1. in BUdioth. 
Patr. Lat. t. vi. par. 2. p. 382. For ra 
KaTMTara. is a fit interpretation, if we 
take inferna according to the vulgar ety- 
mology ; as St. Augustin : * hferi, eo 
quod infra sint, Latine appellantur.' De 
Gen. ad lit. 1. xii. c. 34). or as Nonius 
Marcellus, c. i. §. 221. ' Inferum ab imo 
dictum, unde inferi quibus inferius nihil.' 
Again, inferna may be well translated 
if it be taken according to the true 
origination, which is from the Greek mpoi, 
with the ^olic digamma, from which 
dialect most of the Latin language came, 
"Evf £§0?, inferni. Now m§ot, according to 
the Greek composition, is nothing else 
but Ivox^^viOi, Etym. "Evsgot, ol vbh^oI, cltto 
rov Iv T>j s^f Kiia-Qai, o la-riv, Iv r» yK' and 



Suid. 'Ev£^o»f, vEXfoT?, aiTo ToD Iv spA xe~«r- 
dai. "Efa is anciently the earth, from 
whence e?*{s, ;j^ttjuS^e, to the earth : Ivajoj 
then are in the eanh, as they supposed 
the manes or spirits of the dead to be ; 
from whence Homer, Iliad. O. 188. 

'a '/Sue Ivlfoto-iv avaa-a-oov, 
of Pluto ; and Hesiod, Theog. 850. 

Tpe(7<r' 'Ai'S>jff Ivi^oia-i naracpQifxhota-iv avao"- 

and in imitation of them ^schylus in 
Persis, v. 635. ed. Blomf, 

Thus m^oi are those which v4]schylus else- 
where calls rovt yag vIpQav et rovg y«? I'vep- 
0EV. And as £VEgo{, the souls of the dead in 
the earth, so are inferi in the first accep- 
tation ; that is manes. Pomponius Mela, 
de Sit. Orb. 1. i. c. 9. ♦ Augylae manes 
tantum Deos putant which Pliny deli- 
vers thus. Hist. Nat. 1. V. c. 8. ' Augylae 
inferos tantum colunt and Solinus, Po- 
lyhist. c. 31. • Augylas vero solos colunt 
inferos.' Inferi were then first evejoj, the 
souls of men in the earth : and as manes is 
not only put for the souls below, but also 
for the place, as in the poet ; 

Manesque profundi, 

Virg. Georg. i. 243. 

and 

Hffic manes veniat mihi fama sub 

imos ; Mn. iv. 387. 

so inferi is most frequently used for the 
place under ground where the souls de- 
parted are, and the inferna must then be 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



343 



to St. Peter's words of Christ, *' Thou wilt not leave my soul 
in hell;'' (Acts ii. 27.) the second referring to that of St. Paul, 

He descended into the lower parts of the earth." (Eph. iv. 9.) 

Secondly, I observe that in the Aquileian Creed, where this 
Article was first expressed, there was no mention of Christ's 
burial ; but the words of their confession ran thus : crucified 
under Pontius Pilate, he descended in inferna.* From whence 
there is no question but the observation of Ruffinus, who first 
expounded it, was most true, that though the Roman and Ori- 
ental Creeds had not their words, yet they had the sense of them 
in the word buried. It appeareth therefore, that the first in- 
tention of putting these words in the Creed was only to ex- 
press the burial of our Saviour, or the descent of his body into 
the grave. But although they were first put in the Aquileian 
Creed, to signify the burial Christ, and those which had only 
the burial in their Creed, did confess as much as those which 
without the 6w?7«/ did express the descent; yet since the Roman 
Creed hath added the descent unto the burial, and expressed that 
descent by words signifying more properly hell, it cannot be 
imagined that the Creed, as it now stands, should signify only 
the burial of Christ by his descent into hell. But rather, being 
the ancient Church did certainly believe that Christ did some 
other way descend beside his burial; being, though he inter- 
preted those words of the burial only, yet in the relation of 
what was done at our Saviour's death, Ruffinus makes mention 
of his descent into hell, beside, and distinct from, his sepulture ; + 



those regions in which they take up their 
habitations. And so descendit ad inferna, 
narnxQev eif ahv, and descendit ad inferos, 
are the same. 

* So are the words cited in Ruffinus : 
* Crucifixus sub Pontio Pilato, descendit 
in inferna.' $. 16. And his observation 
upon them is this : * Sciendum sane est, 
quod in Ecclesiae Romanai Symbolo non 
habetur additum, descendit ad inferna: 
sed neque in Orientis Ecclesiis habetur 
hie sermo : vis tamen verbi eadem videtur 
esse in eo quod sepultus est.' Expos. Symh. 
§. 20. The same may also be observed 
in the Athanasian Creed, which has the 
descent, but not the sepulture : Who sif- 
feredfcr our salvation, descended into hell, 
rose again the third day from the dead. Nor 
is this only observable in these two, but 
also in the Creed made at Sirmium, and 
produced at Ariminum, in which the words 
run thus : <rra.v^a}&svrct, xctl waQovra, Kal 
airoQavovra, Kai Etj ra Kara)(Q6via, XttTEXQovTa. 
Socrat. Hist, Eccles. 1. ii. c. 37. Where, 
though the descent be expressed, and the 
burial be not mentioned, it is most cer- 
tain, those men which made it (heretics, 
indeed, but not in this) did not under- 
stand his burial by that descent ; and that 
appears by addition of the following 



words : £4? Ta xctTa;^9ovidt narsXQovTO. , xai ra 

B<ppi^a.v. For he did not dispose and order 
things below by his body in the grave : 
nor could the keepers of the gates of hell 
be affrighted with any sight of his corpse 
lying in the sepulchre. 

t For having produced many places of 
Scripture to prove the circumstances of 
our Saviour's death, and having cited 
those particularly which did belong unto 
his burial, he passes farther to his descent, 
in these words : ' Sed et quod in infernum 
descendit, evidenter prsenuntiatur in 
Psalmis, ubi dicit, Et in pulverem mortis 
dediixisti me; et iterum, Qucd utilitas in 
sanguine meo dum descendo in corruptionem ; 
et iterum, Descendisti in limum profundi, 
et non est substantia. Sed et IMatthseus 
dicit, Tu es qui venturus est, an alium eX' 
spectamns? Unde et Petrus dixit. Quia 
Christus mortificatus came, vivificatus au- 
tem spiritu. hi ipso, ait, et eis qui in car- 
cere inclusi erant in diehis Noe? in quo 
etiam quid operis egerit in inferno decla- 
ratur. Sed et ipse Dominus per Prophe- 
tam dicit tanquam de futuro. Quia non 
derelinques animam meam hi inferno, nec 
dabis sanctum tiium videre corruptionem : 
quod rursus prophetice nihilominus osten- 



344 ARTICLE V. 

being those who in after-ages added it to the burial, did ac- 
tually believe that the soul of Christ descended : it followeth 
that, for the exposition of the Creed, it is most necessary to 
declare in what that descent consisteth. 

Thirdly, I observe again, that whatsoever is delivered in the 
Creed, we therefore believe, because it is contained in the 
Scriptures, and consequently must so believe it as it is con- 
tained there ; whence all this exposition of the whole is nothing 
else but an illustration and proof of every particular part of the 
Creed by such Scriptures as deliver the same, according to 
the true interpretation of them, and the general consent of the 
Church of God. Now these words as they lie in the Creed, 
\/ He descended into hell, are no where formally and expressly de- 
livered in the Scriptures; nor can we find any one place in 
which the Holy Ghost hath said in express and plain terras, 
that Christ, as he died and was buried, so he descended into hell. 
Wherefore being these words of the Creed are not formally 
expressed in the Scripture, our inquiry must be in vi^hat Scrip- 
tuies they are contained virtually; that is, where the Holy 
Ghost doth deliver the same doctrine, in what words soever, 
which is contained, and to be understood in this expression. 
He descended into hell. 

JVow several places of Scripture have been produced by the 
ancients as delivering this truth, of which some without ques- 
tion prove it not : but three there are which have been always 
thought of greatest validity to confirm this Article. First, that 
of St. Paul to the Ephesians seems to come very near the words 
themselves, and to express the same almost in terms:* "Now 
that he ascended, what is it but that/ he first descended into 
the lower parts of the earth?" (Eph.^v. 9.) This many of the 
ancient fathers understood of the descent into hell,t as placed 
in the lowest parts of the earth : and this exposition must be 



dit impletum, cum dicit, Domine, eduxisti 
ah inferno animam meam, salvasti me a de- 
scendentibus in lacum.' Expos. Symb. §. 27. 
Whence it appeareth, that though lluffi- 
nus thought that the sense of descendit ad 
inferna was expressed in sepidtus est ; yet 
he did distinguish the doctrine of Christ's 
descent into hell from that of his burial. 

* For the first expression which we 
find in RufEnus, descendit in inferna, 
comes most near to this quotation ; espe- 
cially if we take the ancient Greek trans- 
lation of it: Kare'hQovra eIq to. itaTcirara, 
For if we consider that y-aTone^a. may well 
have the signification of the superlative, 
especially being the LXX. hath so trans- 
lated Psalm Ixiii. 9. Eia-eXEyrovrai Et? ra 
xarouraTct tjij ynq' and Psalm cxxxix. 15. 
Hat h v-noaTcLC-lq fxou Iv roig na-rmraroiq tJjj 
y^r what can be nearer than these two, 



>taT£X9(wV ziq ra KaTwrara, and aaretQag slg 
TO. Kar-Jnara. ; or these two, xaraXSovTa slq 
TO. Kara'^Qovio., and JtaraSaVTa £if ra kitJi- 

t This appeareth by tlieir quotation of 
this place to prove, or express, the de- 
scent into hell, as Irenajus does, 1. v. c. 31. 
Origen. Horn. 35. in Matt. al. §. 132, 
Athanasius, Epist. ad Epictettim, and Oral, 
i. contr. Avian. §. 45. Hilarius in Psal. 
Ixvii. §.19. St. Jerome upon the place : 

* Inferiora autem terras infemus accipitur, 
ad quem Dominus noster Salvatorque 
descendit.' So also the Commentary at- 
tributed to St. Ambrose and St. Hilary : 

• Si itaque hsec omnia Christus unus est, 
neque alius est Christus mortuus, alius 
sepultus, aut alius descendens ad inferna, 
et alius ascendens in ccelos, secundum il- 
lud Apostoli, Ascendit autem quid est, &c.' 
De Trinit. 1. x. §. 65. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 345 



confessed so probable, that there can be no argument to dis- 
prove it. Those " lower parts of the earth" may signify helly 
and Christ's descending thither may be, that his soul went to 
that place when his body was carried to the grave. But that 
it was actually so, or that the apostle intended so much in 
those words, the place itself will not manifest. For we cannot 
be assured that the descent of Christ, which St. Paul speaks 
of, was performed after his death ; or if it were, we cannot be 
assured that the " lower parts of the earth" did signify hell, or 
the place where the souls of men were tormented after the se- 
paration from their bodies. For as it is written, No man 
ascended up to heaven, but he that descended from heaven 
(John iii. 13.) so this may signify so much, and no more, In 
that he ascended, what is it but that he descended first?" And 
for "the lower parts of the earth," they may possibly signify 
no more than the place beneath: as when our Saviour said, **Ye 
are from beneath, I am from above ; ye are of this world, I am 
not of this world :" (John viii. 23.) or as God spake by the 
prophet, I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in 
the earth beneath." (Joel ii. 30.) Nay, they may well refer to 
his incarnation, according to that of David, ^' My substance 
was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously 
wrought in the lower parts of the earth (Psal. cxxxix. 15.) 
or to his burial, according to that of the prophet, Those that 
seek my soul to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the 
earth :" (Psal. Ixiii. 9.) and these two references have a great 
similitude according to that of Job, Naked came I out of my 
mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither." (Job i. 21.) 

The next place of Scripture brought to confirm the descent 
is not so near in words, but thought to signify the end of that 
descent, and that part of his humanity by which he descended. 
For Christ, saith St. Peter, was " put to death in the flesh, 
and quickened by the Spirit, by which also he went and 
preached unto the spirits in prison :" (1 Ep. iii. 18, 19.) where 
the Spirit seems to be the soul of Christ, the spirits in prison, 
the souls of them that were in hell, or in some place at least se- 
parated from the joys of heaven : whither, because we never 
read our Saviour went at any other time, we may conceive he 
went in spirit then when his soul departed from his body on 
the cross. This did our Church first deliver as the proof and 
illustration of the descent, and the ancient Fathers did apply 
the same in the like manner to the proof of this Article.^' But 
yet those words of St. Peter have no such power of probation; 
except we were certain that the Spirit there spoken of were the 



* A3 Hermes, 1. iii. Simil. 9. IrenjEus, 
1. iv. c. 45. Clem. Alexand. Strom. I. vi. 
c. 6. Orig. Horn. 35. in Mat. al. §. 132. 
Athanas. I. de Incarn. et Epist. ad Epic- 
tetum, §. 5, 6. Epiphau. Hccres. Ixxvii. 



7. Cyril de recta Jide ad Theodosium, p. 20. 
in loan. I. xii. p. 1068. Orat. Pnsch. et 
alibi ssepius. Auctor Comment. Ambros, 
ascript. ad Rom. x. Ruffiu. in Expos. Symb. 
§. 27. 



346 



ARTICLE V. 



soul of Christ, and that the thne intended for that preaching 
were after his death, and before his resurrection. Whereas if 
it were so interpreted, the difficulties are so many, that they 
staggered St. Augustin,* and caused him at last to think that 
these words of St. Peter belonged not unto the doctrine of 
Christ's descending into hell. But indeed the Spirit by which 
he is said to preach was not the soul of Christ, but that Spirit 
by which he was quickened; as appeareth by the coherence of 
the words, ** being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by 
the Spirit, by which also he went and preached unto the spirits 
in prison." Now that Spirit by which Christ was quickened 
is that by which he was raised from the dead,t that is, the 
power of his Divinity, as St. Paul expresseth it, " Though he 
was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of 
God (2 Cor. xiii. 4.) in respect of which he preached to 
those that were disobedient in the days of Noah, as we have 
already shewn.J 

The third, but principal text, is that of David, applied by 
St. Peter. " For David speaketh concerning him, 1 foresaw 
the Lord always before my face; for he is on my right hand, 
that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart rejoice, 
and my tongue was glad : moreover also my flesh shall rest in 
hope. Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither 
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Thus the 
apostle repeated the words of the Psalmist, (xvi. 8 — 10.) and 
then applied them : he being a prophet, and seeing this before, 
spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left 
in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption." ^Acts ii. 25, 26, 
27. 30, 31.) Now from this place the Article is clearly and infal- 
libly deduced thus : If the soul of Christ were not left in hell 



* For in his answer to Euodius, Epist. 
99. al. 164. he thus begins : * Qufestio, 
quam mihi proposuisti ex Epistola Apo- 
stoli Petri, solet nos, ut te latere non ar- 
bitror, vehementissime commovere, quo- 
modo ilia verba accipienda sint tanquam 
de Inferis dicta. Replico ergo tibi ean- 
dem qu£EStionem, ut, sive ipse potueris, 
sive aliquem qui possit inveneris, auferas 
de ilia atque finias dubitationera meam.' 
§. 1. Then setting down in order all the 
difficulties which occurred at that time in 
the exposition of the descent into hell, 
he concludes with an exposition of an- 
other nature : * Considera tamen, ne forte 
totum illud quod de conclusis in carcere 
spiritibus, qui in diebus Noe non credi- 
derant, Petrus Apostolus dicit, omnino 
ad Inferos non pertineat, sed ad ilia 
potius tempora, quorum formam ad haec 
tempora transtulit.' §. 15. 

t ' Quid est enim quod vivificattis est 
spiritu, nisi quod eadem caro, qua sola 
fuerat niortificatus, vivificante spiritu 
resurrexit ? Nam quod fuerit auima 



mortificatus Jesus, hoc est, eo spiritu 
qui hominis est, quia audeat dicere? 
cum mors animae non sit nisi pec- 
catum, a quo ille omnino immunis fuit, 
cum pro nobis came mortificaretur.' S. 
August. Epist. 99. al. 164. §. 18, 19. 
And : * Certe anima Christi non solum 
immortalis secundum c^terarum natu- 
ram, sed etiam nullo mortificata peccato 
vel damnatione punita est ; quibus duabus 
causis mors animze intelligi potest; et 
ideo non secundum ipsam dici potuit, 
Christus vivificattis spiritu. In ea re 
quippe vivificatus est, in qua fuerat mor- 
tificatus : ergo de carne dictum est. Ipsa 
enim revixit anima redeunte, quia ipsa 
eratmortua anima recedente. Mortijicatus 
ergo carne dictus est, quia secundum 
solam carnem mortuus est : vivijicalus 
autem spiritu, quia illo spiritu operante, 
in quo ad quos volebat veniebat et prae- 
dicabat, etiam ipsa caro vivificata sur- 
rexit, in qua modo ad homines veuit.' 
Ibid. §. 20. 

i Page 170, sqq. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 347 



at his resurrection, then his soul was in hell before his resur- 
rection : but it was not there before his death ; therefore upon 
or after his death, and before his resurrection, the soul of 
Christ descended into hell ; and consequently the Creed doth 
truly deliver, that Christ being crucified^ was dead, hurled^ and 
descended into hell. For as his flesh did not see corruption by 
virtue of that promise and prophetical expression, and yet it 
was in the grave, the place of corruption, where it rested in 
hope until his resurrection ; so his soul, which was not left in 
hell, by virtue of the like promise or prediction, was in that hell, 
where it was not left, until the time that it was to be united to 
the body for the performing of the resurrection. We must 
therefore confess from hence that the soul of Christ was in 
hell; and no Christian can deny it, saith St. Augustin, it is 
so clearly delivered in this prophecy of the Psalmist and ap- 
plication of the apostle.* 

The only question then remains, not of the truth of the pro- 
position, but the sense and meaning of it. It is most certain 
that Christ descended into hell ; and as infallibly true as any 
other Article of the Creed : but what that hell was, and how 
he descended thither, being once questioned, is not easily deter- 
mined. Different opinions there have been of old, and of 
late more different still, which I shall here examine after that 
manner which our subject will admit. Our present design is 
an exposition of the Creed as now it stands, and our en- 
deavour is to expound it according to the Scriptures in which 
it is contained : I must therefore look for such an explication 
as may consist with the other parts of the Creed, and may 
withal be conformable unto that Scripture upon which the 
truth of the Article doth rely : and consequently, whatsoever 
interpretation is either not true in itself, or not consistent with 
the body of the Creed, or not conformable to the doctrine of 
the apostle in this particular, the expositor of that Creed by 
the doctrine of the apostle must reject. 

First, then, we shall consider the opinion of D uranj us, who, 
as often, so in this, is singular. He supposeth this descent 
to belong unto the soul,+ and the name of hell to signify the 
place where the souls of dead men were in custody : but he 
maketh a metaphor in the word descended^ as not signifying any 
local motion, nor inferring any real presence of the soul of 



• * Dominum quidem came morti- 
ficatum venisse in infernum satis con- 
stat. Neque enim contradici potest vel 
prophetiae quae dixit, Qnoniavi non dere- 
linqiies animam meam in inferno (quod ne 
aliter quisquam sapere auderet, in Actibus 
Apostolorura idem Petrus exponit), vel 
ejusdem Petri illis verbis, quibus eum as- 
serit solvisse inferni dolores, in quibus im- 
possibile erat eum teneri, Quis ergo nisi 
iufidelis negaverit fuisse apud inferos 



Christum r Epist. 99. al. 164. §. 3. 

t ' Cum Articulus sit, Christum ad 
inferos descendisse, et non possit intel- 
ligi ratione Divinitatis, secundum quam 
est ubique ; nec ratione corporis, secun- 
dum quod fuit in sepulcro ; restat quod 
intelligatur ratione animae : quo sup- 
posito, videndum est qualiter anima 
Christi descendit ad infernum.' Durand. 
in Sent. Theol. 1. iii, dist. 22. q. 3. 



348 



ARTICLE V. 



Christ in the place where the souls of dead men were ; but only 
including a virtual motion, and inferring an efficacious pre- 
sence, by which descent the effects of the death of Christ were 
wrought upon the souls in hell : and because the merits of 
Christ's death did principally depend upon the act of his soul, 
therefore the effect of his death is attributed to his soul as the 
principal agent ; and consequently, Christ is truly said at the 
instant of his death to descend into hell, because his death was 
immediately efficacious upon the souls detained there. This 
is the opinion of Durandus, so far as it is distinct from others. 

But although a virtual influence of the death of Christ may 
be well admitted in reference to the souls of the dead, yet this 
opinion cannot be accepted as to the exposition of this Article; 
being neither the Creed can be thought to speak a language 
of so great scholastic subtilty, nor the place of David, ex- 
pounded by St. Peter, can possibly admit any such explication. 
For what can be the sense of those words, " Thou shalt not 
leave my soul in hell," if his being in hell was only virtually 
acting there ? If the efficacy of his death were his descent, then 
is he descended still, because the effect of his death still re- 
maineth. The opinion therefore of Durandus, making the de- 
scent into hell to be nothing but the efficacy of the death of 
Christ upon the souls detained there, is to be rejected, as not 
expositive of the Creed's confession, nor consistent with the 
Scripture's expression. 

The next opinion, later than that of Durandus, is, that the 
descent into hell is the suffering of the torments of hell that 
the soul of Christ did really and truly suffer all those pains 
which are due unto the damned ; that whatsoever is threatened 
by the Law unto them which depart this life in their sins, and 
under the wrath of God, was fully undertaken and borne by 
Christ ; that he died a+ true and natural death, the death of 
Gehenna, and this dying the death of Gehenna was the descend- 
ing into hell ; that those which are now saved by virtue of his 
death, should otherwise have endured the same torments in hell 
which now the damned do and shall endure, but that he, being 
their surety, J did himself suffer the same for them, even all the 
torments v/hich we should have felt, and the damned shall. 

This interpretation is either taken in the strict sense of the 
words, or in a latitude of expression ; but in neither to be 
admitted as the exposition of this Article. Not if it be taken 



• * Si Christus ad inferos descendisse 
dicitur nihil mirumest, cum earn mortem 
pertulerit quai sceleribas ab irato Deo in- 
fligitur :' which he expresseth presently 
in another phrase : ' Cum diros in anima 
cruciatus damnati ac perditi hominis 
pertulerit.' CaMu. hntit. l.ii. c. 16. §. 10. 

+ [Some Co^es read : true superna- 
tural death, the second death, the death 
of Gehenna.] 



X 'Quid igitur? Christus persona sua 
secundum humanitatem pcenam gehen- 
nalem nobis debitam passus est, anima 
principaliter, corpore secundario, utroque 
causaliter ad merendum, ad nos suo ip- 
sius merito liberandos.' Parkerus de 
Descensu. I. iii. §. 48. Et statim, $ 49. 
* Descendisse namque Servatorem, mode 
supra memorato, ad haden mortis gehen- 
nalis, innumeris patet argumentis.* 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



349 



in a strict, rigorous, proper, and formal sense ; for in that ac- 
ceptation it is not true. It must not, it cannot, be admitted 
that Christ did suffer all those torments which the damned 
suffer ; and therefore it is not, it cannot, be true, that by suffer- 
ing them he descended into hell. There is a worm that never 
dieth, which could not lodge within his breast ; that is, a re- 
morse of conscience, seated in the soul, for what that soul hath 
done : but such a remorse of conscience could not be in Christ, 
who though he took upon himself the sins of those which 
otherwise had been damned, yet that act of his was a most 
virtuous, charitable, and most glorious act, highly conform- 
able to the will of God, and consequently could not be the ob- 
ject of remorse. The grief and horror in the soul of Christy 
which we have expressed in the explication of his sufferings 
antecedent to his crucifixion, had reference to the sins and 
punishment of men, to the justice and wrath of God; but clearly 
of a nature different from the sting of conscience in the souls 
condemned to eternal flames. Again, an essential part of the 
torments of hell is a present and constant sense of the everlast- 
ing displeasure of God, and an impossibility of obtaining favour, 
and avoiding pain ; an absolute and complete despair of any 
better condition, or the least relaxation ; but Christy we know, 
had never any such resentment, who looked upon the reward 
which was set before him, even upon the cross, and offered up 
himself a sweet-smelling sacrifice ; which could never be effi.- 
cacious, except offered in faith. If we should imagine any 
damned soul to have received an express promise of God, that 
after ten thousand years he would release him from those tor- 
ments and make him everlastingly happy, and to have a true 
faith in that promise and a firm hope of receiving eternal life : 
we could not say that man was in the same condition with the 
rest of the damned, or that he felt all that hell which they were 
sensible of, or all that pain which was due unto his sins : be- 
cause hope and confidence, and relying upon God, would not 
only mitigate all other pains, but wholly take away the bitter 
anguish of despair. Christ then, who knew the beginning, 
continuance, and conclusion of his sufferings, who understood 
the determinate minute of his own death and resurrection, who 
had made a covenant with his Father for all the degrees of his 
passion, and was fully assured that he could suffer no more 
than he had freely and deliberately undertaken, and should con- 
tinue no longer in his passion than he had himself determined, 
he who by those torments was assured to overcome all the 
powers of hell, cannot possibly be said to have been in the 
same condition with the damned, and strictly and properly 
to have endured the pains of hell. 

Again, if we take the torments of hell in a metaphorical 
sense, for those terrors and horrors of the soul which our Sa- 
viour felt, which may therefore be called infernal torments, 



350 



ARTICLE V. 



because they are of greater extremity than any other tortures 
of this hfe, and because they were accompanied with a sense 
of the wrath of God against the unrighteousness of men ; yet 
this cannot be an interpretation of the descent into hell, as 
it is an Article of the Creed, and as that Article is grounded 
upon the Scriptures. For all those pains which our Saviour 
felt (whether as they pretend, properly infernal, or metapho- 
rically such) were antecedent to his death ; part of them in the 
ga?'den, Y>^vt on the cross; but all before he commended his 
spirit into the hands of his Father, and gave up the ghost. 
Whereas it is sufficiently evident that the descent into hell, as 
it now stands in the Creed, signifieth something commenced 
after his death, contradistinguished to his burial ; and, as it is 
considered in the apostle's explication, is clearly to be under- 
stood of that which immediately preceded his resurrection ; 
and that also grounded upon a confidence totally repugnant to 
infernal pains. For it is thus particularly expressed, I fore- 
saw the Lord always before my face ; for he is on my right 
hand, that I should not be moved. Therefore did my heart 
rejoice and my tongue was glad : moreover also my flesh shall 
rest in hope ; because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." 
(Psal. xvi. 9, 10.) Where the faith, hope, confidence, and as- 
surance of Christ is shewn, and his flesh," though laid in the 
grave, the place of corruption, is said to " rest in hope," for 
this very reason, because God would not ^' leave his soul in 
hell." I conclude, therefore, that the descent into hell is not 
the enduring the torments of hell : because, if strictly taken, 
it is not true; if metaphorically taken, though it be true, yet 
it is not pertinent. 

The third opinion, which is also very late, at least in the 
manner of explication, is, that in those words " Thou shalt not 
leave my soul in hell," the soul of Christ is taken for his body, 
and hell for the grave; and consequently, in the Creed, He 
descended into hell, is no more than this, that Christ in his body 
was laid in the grave. This explication ordinarily is rejected, 
by denying that the soul is ever taken for the body, or hell for 
the grave ; but in vain : for it must be acknowledged, that some- 
times the Scriptures are rightly so, and cannot otherwise be 
understood. First, The same word in the Hebrew,* which the 



* The Hebrew word is u>3D and the 
Greek ^"^^^^ "^^^ ^"^vn oIk ey^a- 

TciXs't^Sig Tr/V f^'^^ f^*"*' Psal. xvi. 

10. But both irSD and 4'-'X^> "sed 
for the body of a dead man, Numb. vi. 6. 
and it is so translated ; for Moses speak- 
ing there of a Nazarite, gives this law, 
" All the days that he separateth himself 
unto the Lord, he shall come at no dead 
body," in the original kzi" ab n?3 ^33 bj? 
and in the LXX. im Ttaa-n fHTEXey- 
TnyLvia. oux eiVeXeuc-eraJ. In the same man- 



ner the law for the high-priest, Lev. xxi. 
il. " Neither shall hp go in to any dead 
body," Nn- no bo bv\ Jt^j Traa-n 
^'^/C? T£TEX£t;rrxi;i'a ovu EtrsXEuo-ETrtt. And 
the general law, Lev. xxii. 4. " And 
whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean 
by the dead." ttbd nqd ^Dn y^Dm nai 6 

ttTTTOjaEVOj tra-irnq aKaBaps-iag ^vX/'^' Which 
is farther cleared by that of Numb. xix. 
11. " He that touches the dead body of 
any man," qui tetis;erit cadaver hominis ; 
and ver. 13. " Whosoever toucheth the 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 351 



Psalmist used, and in the Greek, which the apostle used, and we 
translate the soul, is elsewhere used for the body of a dead man, 
and translated so. And when we read in Moses of a prohibition 
given to the high-priest or the Nazarite, of going to or coming 
near a dead body, and of the pollution by the dead ; the dead body 
in the Hebrew and the Greek is nothing else but that which else- 
where signifieth the souL And Mr. Ainsworth, who translated the 
Pentateuch nearer the letter than the sense, hath so delivered it 
in compliance with the original phrase ; and may be well inter- 
preted thus by our translation: *Ye shall not make in your flesh 
any cutting for a soul,' that is, "for the dead." (Lev. xix. 28.) 
' For a soul he shall not defile himself among the people,' that is, 
•'there shall none be defiled for the dead among his people." 
(Lev. xxi. L) * He that toucheth any thing that is unclean by a 
soul,' that is, ^' by the dead :" (Lev. xxii. 4.) * Every one defiled 
by a soul,' that is, " by the dead :" (Numb. v. 2.) ' He shall 
not come at a dead soul,' that is, " he shall come at no dead 
body." (Numb. vi. 6.) Thus Ainsworth's translation sheweth, 
that in all these places the original word is that which originally 
signifieth the sow/; and our translation teacheth us, that though 
in other places it signifieth the soul, yet in these it must be 
taken for the body, and that body bereft of the soul. 

Secondly, The word=^ which the Psalmist used in Hebrew, 



dead body of any man that is dead," 
Omnis qui tetigerit humanee anim(Z morti- 
cinum. Therefore the 1^53 and -^vx/i in 
Lev. xxix. 4. do signify the cadaver or 
inorticinum ; as also Numb. v. 2. " Who- 
soever is defiled by the dead," NOD 
tS'SJ'? TTavTa aza&agTov Im ■\'V')(jn, pollutiim 
super moi'tiio. And U'El^ NQta amQapro^ IttI 
•^vx?, Hag. ii. 13. is rightly translated, 
one that is unclean by a dead body. Thus 
several times and 4'"X^ taken for 
the body of a dead man ; that body 
which polluted a man under the Law by 
the touch thereof. And Maimonides hath 
observed, that there is no pollution from 
the body till the soul be departed. There- 
fore and -^^x^ did signify the body 
after the separation of the soul. And this 
was anciently observed by St. Augustin, 
that the soul may be taken for the body 
only : ' Animae nomine corpus solum posse 
significari, modo quodam locutionis osten- 
ditur, quo significatur per id quod conti- 
netur illud quod continet ; sicut ait qui- 
dam, Vina coronant, {Virg, ^n. vii. 147.) 
cum coronarentur vasa vinaria ; vinum 
enim continetur, et vas continet. Sicut 
ergo appellamus Ecclesiam Basilicam, 
qua continetur populus, qui vere appel- 
latur Ecclesia, ut nomine Ecclesise, id 
est, populi qui continetur, significemus 
locum qui continet : ita quod animai cor- 
poribus continentur, intelligi corpora filio- 
rum per nomiualas aniraas possunt. Sic 



enim melius accipitur etiam illud, quod 
Lex inquinari dicit eum, qui hitraverit 
super anitnam mortuam, hoc est, super de- 
functi cadaver ; ut nomine animaj mortuai 
mortuum corpus intelligatur, quod ani- 
mam continebat, quia et absente populo, 
id est Ecclesia, locus tamen ille nihilo- 
minus Ecclesia nuncupatur.' Epist. 157. 
al. 190. ad Optatum, de Animarum Ori- 
gine, c. 5. §. 19. 

* The Hebrew word is biNlf, the Greek 

TaX£i'4-£j; •\'V'Xn'i [xov Et; a^nv, (or tig atov, as 
it is read in the Acts and in the IPsalms, 
also by the ancient MS. at St. James's.) 
And these generally run together, and 
sometimes signify no more than the grave, 
as Gen. xxxvii. 35. where Jacob thinking 
that his son Joseph had been dead, breaks 
out into this sad expression, *3n-'7N mN-*D 
n'^XU' b^X "Otj iiara$n(TOf*at crpo; tov vlov 
fAou mvQZv eU aihu, which we translate, 
For I will go down into the grave unto my 
son mourning, upon the authority of the 
ancient Targums. For although that of 
Onkelos keeps the original word 
yet the Jerusalem Targum and that of 
Jonathan render it Nnmnp *nb, in domum 
sepulcri : and the Persian Targum, to the 
same purpose nriis ; as also the Arabic 
translation, Imo descendam ad pulverem 
moesttis dejilio meo. So Gen. xlii. 38. 

fjiQV ro yrt^aq fxsra. hvTrrig el? x^ou' which we 



352 



ARTICLE V. 



and the apostle in Greek, and is translated helly doth certainly 
in some other places signify no more than the grave, and is 
translated so. As where Mr. Ainsworth followeth the word, 
* For I will go down unto my son mourning to hell our trans- 
lation, aiming at the sense, rendereth it, " For I will go down 
into the grave unto my son mourning/' (Gen. xxxvii. 35.) So 
again he, ^ Ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow unto 
hell/ that is, 'Uo the grave." (Gen. xlii. 38.) And in this 
sense we say, the Lord killeth and maketh alive : hebringeth 
down to the grave, and bringeth up." (1 Sam. ii. 6.) 

Now being the soul is sometimes taken for the body deserted 
by the soul, and hell is also sometimes taken for the grave, the 
receptacle of the body dead : therefore it is conceived that the 
prophet did intend these significations in those words, Thou 
shalt not leave my soul in hell and consequently, the Article 
grounded on that Scripture must import no more than this: 
Christ in respect of his body bereft of his soul, which was re- 
commended into, and deposited in, the hands of his Father, 
descended into the grave. 

This exposition hath that great advantage, that he which 
first mentioned this descent in the Creed, did interpret it of 
the burial ; and where this Article was expressed, there that 
of the burial was omitted. But notwithstanding those advan- 
tages, there is no certainty of this interpretation : first. Because 
he which did so interpret, at the same time, and in the tenor 
of that expression, did acknowledge a descent of the soul of 
\ Christ into hell and those other Creeds which did likewise 
omit the burial, and express the descent, did shew, that by 
that descent, they understood not that of the body, but of the 
soul.t Secondly, Because they which put these words into 
the Roman Creed, in which the buria! was expressed before, 
must certainly understand a descent distinct from that; and 



translate, Then shall ye bring down my 
gray hairs with sorrow to the grave: where 
the Jerusalem Targum and that of Jona- 
than have it again Krinnp "Zb ; and the 
Persian again nan in sepiilcrum ; the 
Arabic ""inbx "bx fd pulverem, or ad ter- 
ram. And it is observed by the Jewish 
commentators that those Christians are 
mistaken who interpret those words spoken 
by Jacob, I will go down into sheol, of 
hell ; declaring that sheol there is nothing 
else but the grave. 

* Ruffinus, who first mentioned this 
Article, did interpret it of the grave, as 
we have already observed ; but yet he 
did believe a descent distinct from that, 
in the Exposition of the Creed : ' Sed et 
quod in infernum descendit, evidenter 
prfenunciatur in Psalmis,' &c. and then 
citing that of St. Peter : ' Unde et Petrus 
dixit. Quia Christus mortificatus came, tivi- 
Jicatus autem sjpiritu : in ipso, ait, et eis qui 



in carcere inclusi erant in diebus Noe, in 
quo etiam quid operis egerit in inferno 
declaratur,' §. 27. as we before more 
largely cited the same place. 

t I shewed before, that in the Creed 
made at Sirmium there was the descent 
mentioned, and the burial omitted, and 
yet that descent was so expressed, that 
it could not be taken for the burial : be- 
sides now I add, that it was made by the 
Arians, who in few years before had 
given in another Creed, in which both 
the burial and the descent were men- 
tioned ; as that of Nice in Thracia : 
a7iroQa.vovra,, xai Ta<psvTa, Kctt si? to, kclto.- 
^Qina xarexQavra, ov avrog 6 a^ng l-rpfj.aZ.t)/. 
Theodoret, Hist. 1. ii. c. 21. and not long 
after gave in another at Constantinople 
to the same purpose : a-rav^ccQivra., Ka] 
aTro&avovTtt, xai ratpbra, aa.] sU to, xara- 
yBovia. ^isXr)\uB6ra, ov nva Kot alroq o aJuj 
'i'STTK^sv. iSocrat. lib. ii. c. 41. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 353 



therefore, though it might perhaps be thought a probable in- 
terpretation of the words of David, especially taken as be- 
longing to David, yet it cannot pretend to be an exposition of 
the Creed as now it stands. 

The next opinion is, that the soul may well be understood 
either for the noble part of man distinguished from the body ; 
or else, for the person of man consisting of both soul and body, 
as it often is ; or, for the living soul, as it is distinguished from 
the immortal spirit : but then the term hell shall signify no 
place, neither of the man, nor of the body, nor of the soul ; 
but only the state or condition of men in death, during the se- 
paration of the soul from the body. So that the prophecy 
shall run thus, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell," that is, 
Thou shalt not suffer me to remain in the common state of the 
dead, to be long deprived of my natural life, to continue with- 
out exercise, or power of exercising my vital faculty : and then 
the Creed will have this sense, that Christ was crucified, dead, 
and buried, and descended into hell; that is, he went unto the 
dead, and remained for a time in the state of death, as other 
men do. 

But this interpretation supposeth that which can never ap- 
pear, that Hades signifieth not death itself, nor the place where 
souls departed are, but the state and condition of the dead, or 
their permansion in death ; which is a notion wholly new, and 
consequently cannot interpret that which representeth some- 
thing known and believed of old, according to the notions and 
conceptions of those times. And that this notion is wholly 
new, will appear, because not any of the ancient fathers is pro- 
duced to avow it, nor any of the heathen authors which are 
produced do affirm it : nay, it is evident that the Greeks did 
always by Hades understand a place into which the souls of men 
were carried and conveyed, distinct and separate from that place 
in which we live ; and that their different opinions shew, placing 
it, some in the earth, some under it, some in one unknown place 
of it, some in another. But especially Hades, in the judgment 
of the ancient Greeks, cannot consist with this notion of the 
state of death, and the permansion in that condition, because 
there were many which they believed to be dead, and to con- 
tinue in the state of death, which yet they believed not to be 
in Hadesy as those who died before their time, and those whose 
bodies were unburied.* Thus likewise the ancient fathers dif- 



* The opinion of the ancient Greeks 
in this case is excellently expressed by 
Tertullian, who shews three kinds of men 
to be thought not to descend ad inferos 
when they die ; the first iusepnlii, the se- 
cond aori, the third hiaoihanati : ' Credi- 
tum est, iusepultos non ante ad inferos 
redigi qnam justa perceperint.' De Ani7i}. 
c. 56. • Aiunt et immatura morte prse- 

2 



ventas eousque vagari isthic, donee reli- 
quatio compleatur a^tatis, quacum per- 
vixissent, si non intempestive obiissent.' 
Ihid. ' Proinde extorres inferum habe- 
buntur, quas vi ereptas arbitrantur, prae- 
cipue per atrocitates suppliciorum ; crucig 
dico, et securis, et gladii, et fer<e.' Ibid, 
The souls then of those whose bodies were 
unburicd were thought to be kept out of 
A 



354 



ARTICLE V. 



fered much concerning the place of the Infernus ; but never 
any doubted but that it signified some place or other :* and if 



hades till their funerals were performed, 
and the souls of them who died an un- 
timely or violent death, were kept fi-om 
the same place until the time of their na- 
tural death should come. This he farther 
expresses in the terms of the magicians, 
whose art was conversant about souls de- 
parted : * Aut optimum est hie retineri, 
secundum ahoros (i. e. aoo^ovt;), aut pessi- 
mum, secundum Bia30thanatos (/Siaio&a- 
varovg'), ut ipsis jam vocabulis utar, qui- 
bus auctrix opinionum istarum Magica 
sonat, Hostanes, et Typhon, et Dardanus, 

Tn'hk fxs slpyova-iv •^v)(^al, el'S^wXtt KafAOVToov, 

In the same manner he describes Elpenor, Odyss. A. 51. 

UpdoTn ■^v)(ri 'E\7r>ivogo; n'K^sv Irai^ou, 
Ov yd^ TCO} lT£9"a.7rT0 v'SJO ')(povoq EugyoSsi't)?. 

Where it is the observation of Eusta- 
thius : "Otj 56^a "hv rciq "EWnn, ri? rZv 
a^rdTTroov f^^ avctfAiyvvT^at rati; Xoi- 

vaTg. And the same Eustathius ob- 

E'lTTov ETi l^cuBi, Hal 6^0, <pdog risXtoio* 



et Damigeron, et Nectabis, et Bernice. 
Publica jam literatura est, quae animas 
etiam justa aetate sopitas, etiam proba 
morte disjunctas, etiam prompta huma- 
tione dispunctas, evocaturam se ab in- 
ferum incolatu pollicetur.' Ihid. c. 57. Of 
that of the imepulti, he produceth the ex- 
ample of Patroclus : ' Secundum Home- 
ricum Patroclum funus in somnis de 
Achille flagitantem, quod non alias adire 
portas iuferum posset, arcentibus eum 
longe animabus sepultorum.' Ibid. c. 56. 
The place he intended is that, Iliad. "V.Tl. 



serves an extraordinary accurateness in 
that question of Penelope concerning 
Ulysses, upon that same ground. Odyss. 
A. 831. 



here very observable that, according to 
the opinion of the Greeks, to be dead is 
one thing, and to be in hades is another ; 
and that every one which died was not in 
hades, ov ttSj t£&v«X(w? xai Iv a^ov ylvBrai, as 
Eustathius speaks. ' Legimus praeterea 
in Sexto insepultorum animas vagas esse.' 
Serv. in Eneid. iii. 67. The place which 
he intended, I suppose is this. 



To Se, Kol 6^0, 4>^;5 hXiov, ogfloTHTtt bwoUq 
KBTraf ooQ ^vvarov h ^kv fxlv, fxh 0\S7r£iv Se. 
Ourai Si- KcLi TO, eiv at^cto ^ojjLoicn, ttjo^ aK^iQEiav 
Xoyou BpfiB^n' Kara, ya^ tov Iv toTj h^g SjiXw- 
Br]<r6fxsvov 'EWwimv fjiubov, ov Ttag T£9'V>i>taj? 
xaj Iv ct^ov yivBrai, b\ fA.h nai Tfupa, ^oSf^, naBa 
Hal 0 TCu EtiptTt'Soy lfX<paivBi IToXijSa'fo?" Sctte 
TO, ri K^ri Ti^rvtluB, Kai slv aiSao ^6fA,0i<7iV, aVTt 
rou, n rj^yj rkbvws, ;t«t rk^cLTfrai. it is 

Heec omnis, quam cernis, inops inhumataque turba est j 

Portitor ille Ciiaron ; hi, quos vehit unda, sepulti. 

Nec ripas datur horrendas nec rauca fluenta 

Transportare prius, quam sedibus ossa quierunt. 

Centum errant annos, volitantque haec littora circum. — Vti^g. Mn, vi. 3 '25. 
Thus he is to be understood in the description of the funeral of Polydorus, i3S?t.iii. 62. 
Ergo instauramus Polydoro funus, et ingens 
Aggeritur tumulo tellus, — animamque sepulcro 
Condimus . 

legitime sepultum fuisse. Rite ergo, red- 
dita legitima sepultura, redit ad quietem 
sepulcri,' saith Servius, Mn. iii. 67. ; or 
rather, in the sense of Virgil, ad quietem 
inferni, according to the petition of Pali- 
nurus, JEn. vi. 371. 
Sedibus ut saltem placidis in morte quiescam. 

And in the Troades of the same poet this 
aXri, or crraiio vagubuuda insepultorum, is 
acknowledged by the chorus in these 
words, V. 1073. 

"^Sl (pl'hog, 00 Ttoai fxoi, 
Iv fjLBV <^^ijU(,Bvog aXalvBig 
A?7a7TT0g, dvu^^og. 

And when their bodies were buried, then 



Not that a?iima does there signify the body, 
as some have observed ; but that the soul 
of Polydorus was then in rest, when his 
body received funeral rites, as Servius : 
' Legimus praeterea in Sexto insepultorum 
animas vagas esse, et hinc constat non 



And that the soul of Polydorus was so 
wandering about the place where his 
body lay unburied, appeareth out of Eu- 
ripides in Hecuba, where he speaketh 
thus : V. 30. 

— Nyv uTTEg |U»Tfoj <p'i'Krig 



Tg»Ttt~ov rjh <pByyog aia)^ov(ABVog. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



355 



they had conceived any such notion as the state of death, and 
the permansion of the dead in that state, they needed not to 
have fallen into doubts or questions ; the patriarchs and the 
prophets being as certainly in the state of death, and remaining 
so, as Corah, Dathan, and Abiram are, or any person which is 
certainly condemned to everlasting flames. Though therefore 
it be certainly true that Christ did truly and properly die, as 
other men are wont to do, and that after expiration he was in 
the state or condition of the dead, in deadlihood, as some have 
learned to speak; yet the Creed had spoken as much as this 
before, when it delivered that he was dead. And although it 
is true that he might have died, and in the next minute of time 
revived, and consequently his death not (precisely taken) sig- 
nify any permansion or duration in the state of death, and there- 
fore it might be added, he descended into hell, to signify farther 
a permansion or duration in that condition : yet if hell do sig- 
nify nothing else but the state of the dead, as this opinion doth 
suppose, then to descend into hell is no more than to be dead ; and 
so notwithstanding any duration implied in that expression, 
Christ might have ascended the next minute after he descended 
thither, as well as he might be imagined to revive the next mi- 
nute after he died. Being then to descend into hell^ according 
to this interpretation, is no more than to be dead ; being no 
man ever doubted but that person was dead who died ; being 
it was before delivered in the Cueed that Christ died, or, as we 
render it, was dead: we cannot imagine but they which did add 
this part of the Article to the Creed, did intend something 
more than this, and therefore we cannot admit this notion as a 
full or proper exposition. 

There is yet left another interpretation grounded upon the 
general opinion of the Church of Christ in all ages, and upon 
a probable exposition of the prophecy of the Psalmist, taking 
the soul in the most proper sense for the spirit or rational part 
of Christ ; that part of a man which, according to our Saviour's 
doctrine, the Jews could not kill ; and looking upon hell, as a 

their souls passed into hades, to the rest. exesa reliquerat vinculis : collecta publico 

So was it with Polydorus, and that man sepeliuntur ; domus postea rite conditis 

mentioned in the history of the philoso- manibus caruit,' Plin. I. vii. Epist. 27. 

pherAthenodorus, whose wm6r« or p/iaswa This was the case of the insepulti. And 

walked after his death. * Inveniuntur for that of the bicEothanati, it is remark- 

ossa inserta catenis etimplicita, quae cor- able that Dido threateneth iEneas, ^n. 

pus asvo terraque putrefactum nuda et iv. 384. 

sequar atris ignibus absens, 

Et, cuna frigida mors anima seduxerit artus, 
Omnibus umbra locis adero. 

Upon which place Servius observes : 'Di- diem sum; vaganti mihi dabis poenas : 

cunt Physici Biaeothanatorum animas non nam te persequar, et adero quamdiu er- 

recipi in originem suam, nisi vagantes ravero semper.' 

legitimum tempusfaticompleverint ; quod * "ASn? roturoQ hfxXv asi^h^, nyovv a<pavng 

Poetse ad sepulturam transferunt, ut cen- sia] ayvooa-Toq, 6 raq ^(^^^ Ivtbu^fsv 

turn errant cninos (JEn. vi. 332.). Hoc ln'^nfAova-aq h^of^^vo^. Andreas Casar. in 

ergo nunc dicit Dido, Occisura me ante Apocal. c. 64. 

2 A 2 



356 



ARTICLE V. 



place distinct from this part of the world where we live, and 
distinguished from those heavens whither Christ ascended, into 
which place the souls of men were conveyed after or upon their 
death ; and therefore thus expounding the words of the Psalmist 
in the person of Christ : Thou shalt not suffer that soul of mine 
which shall be forced from my body by the violence of pain 
upon the cross, but resigned into thy hands, when it shall go 
into that place below where the souls of men departed are de- 
tained; I say, thou shalt not suffer that soul to continue there 
as theirs have done ; but shalt bring it shortly from thence, and 
reunite it to my body. 

For the better understanding of this exposition, there are 
several things to be observed, both in respect to the matter of 
it, and in reference to the authority of the fathers. First, there- 
fore, this must be laid down as a certain and necessary truth, 
that the soul of man, when he dieth, dieth not, but returneth 
unto him that gave it, to be disposed of at his will and pleasure, 
according to the ground of our Saviour's counsel, " Fear not 
them which kill the body, but cannot kill the soul." (Matt. x. 
28.) That better part of us therefore, in and after death, doth 
exist and live, either by virtue of its spiritual and immortal 
nature, as we believe ; or at least the will of God, and his power 
upholding and preserving it from dissolution, as many of the 
fathers thought. This soul, thus existing after death, and se- 
parated from the body, though of a nature spiritual, is really 
and truly in some place ; if not by way of circumscription, as 
proper bodies are, yet byway of determination and indistancy; 
so that it is true to say, this is really and truly present here, 
and not elsewhere. 

Again, the soul of man, which, while he lived, gave life to 
the body, and was the fountain of all vital actions, in that se- 
parate existence after death, must not be conceived to sleep, 
or be bereft and stripped of all vital operations, but still to 
exercise the powers of understanding and of willing, and to 
be subject to the affections of joy and sorrow. Upon which 
is grounded the different estate and condition of the souls of 
men during the time of separation; some of them by the 
mercy of God being placed in peace and rest, in joy and hap- 
piness ; others by the justice of the same God left to sorrow, 
pains, and misery. 

As there was this different state and condition before our 
Saviour's death, according to the different kinds of men in 
this life, the wicked and the just, the elect and reprobate: so 
there were two societies of souls after death ; one of them 
which were happy in the presence of God, the other of those 
which were left in their sins and tormented for them. Thus 
we conceive the righteous Abel, the first man placed in this 
happiness, and the souls of them that departed in the same 
faith to be gathered to him. Whosoever it was of the sons of 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



357 



Adam, which first died in his sins, was put into a place of 
torment; and the souls of all those which departed after with 
the wrath of God upon them were gathered into his sad society. 

Now as the souls at the hour of death are really separated 
from the bodies; so the place where they are in rest or misery 
after death, is certainly distinct from the place in which they 
lived. They continue not where they were at that instant 
when the body was left without life : they do not go together 
with the body to the grave ; but as the sepulchre is appointed 
for our flesh, so there is another receptacle, or habitation and 
mansion, for our spirits. From whence it foUoweth, that in 
death the soul doth certainly pass by a real motion from that 
place, in which it did inform the body, and is translated to 
that place, and unto that society, which God of his mercy or 
justice hath allotted to it. And not at present to inquire into 
the difference and distance of those several habitations (but 
for method's sake to involve them all as yet under the notion 
of the infernal parts, or the mansions below), it will appear to 
have been the general judgment of the Church, that the soul 
of Christ contradistinguished from his body, that better and 
more noble part of his humanity, his rational and intellectual 
soul, after a true and proper separation from his flesh, was 
really and truly carried into those parts below, where the souls 
of men before departed were detained ; and that by such a 
real translation of his soul, he was truly said to have descended 
into hell. 

Many have been the interpretations of the opinion of the 
fathers made of late ; and their differences are made to ap- 
pear so great, as if they agreed in nothing which concerns this 
point : whereas there is nothing which they agree in more than 
this which I have already affirmed, the real descent of the 
soul of Christ unto the habitation of the souls departed. The 
persons to whom, and end for which he descended, they differ 
in ; but as to a local descent into the infernal parts they all 
agree. Who were then in those parts, they could not certainly 
define; but whosoever were there, that Christ by the presence 
of his soul was with them, they all determined. 

That this was the general opinion of the Church, will appear, 
not only by the testimonies of those ancient writers who 
lived successively,* and wrote in several ages, and delivered 



* As Irenaeus : ' Cum enim Dominus 
in medio umbrae mortis abierit, ubi animae 
mortuorum erant, post deinde corporali- 
ter resurrexit — manifestum est, quia et 
discipulorum ejus, propter quos et bsec 
operatus est Dominus, animae abibunt in 
invisibilem locum definitum eis a Deo, 
&c.' 1. V. c. 26. Clemens Alexandrinus 
was so clearly of that opinion, that he 
thought the soul of Christ preached sal- 
vation to the souls of hell. Strom. 1. vi. 



c. 6. And Tertullian proves that the in- 
feri are a cavity in the earth where the 
souls of dead men are, because the soul 
of Christ went thither : ' Quod si Christus 
Deus, quia et homo mortuus secundum 
Scripturas, et sepultus secundum easdem, 
huic quoque legi satisfecit, forma humanae 
mortis apud inferos functus, nec ante ad- 
scendit in sublimiora coelorum quam de- 
scendit in inferiora terrarum, ut illic 
Patriarchas et Prophetas compotes sui 



358 



ARTICLE V. 



this exposition in such express terms as are not capable of 
any other interpretation ; but also because it was generally 
used as an argument against the ApoUinarian heresy ; than 
which nothing can shew more the general opinion of the 
catholics and the heretics, and that not only of the present, 
but of the precedent ages. For it had been little less than 
ridiculous to have produced that for an argument to prove a 
point in controversy, which had not been clearer than that 
which was controverted, and had not been some wav acknow- 
ledged as a truth by both. Now the error of ApoUinarius was. 
That CImst had no proper intellectual or rational soul, but that 
the Word was to him in the place of a soul : and the argu- 
ment produced by the fathers for the conviction of this error 
was. That Christ descended into hellj^ which the Apollinarians 



faceret ; habes et regionem inferum sub- 
terraneam credere, et illos cubito pellere, 
qui satis superbe non putent animas fide- 
lium inferis dignas.' De Anim. c. 55. 
rvfxvtl o-cifActrog •yevofA.svog -^v^r! raig yvfAVaig 
a-ctifxartuv oofA.i'Ksi -^v^aig. Orig.contra Celsum, 
I. ii. §. 43. * Ipsa anima, etsi fuitin abysso, 
jam non est, quia scriptum est, non dere- 
linques animam meam in inferno.' S, Am- 
bros. de Incarn. c. 5. ' Si ergo secundum 
liominem, quem Verbum Deus suscepit, 
putamus dictum esse, hodie mecum eris in 
Paradiso, non ex his verbis in ccelo exi- 
stimandus est esse Paradisus. Neque 
enim ipso die in coelo futurus erat homo 
Christus Jesus, sed in inferno secundum 
animam, in sepulcro autem secundum 
carnemi Et de came quidem, quod eo 
die in sepulcro sit posita, manifestum 
est evangelium. Quod vero ilia anima in 
infernum descenderit, apostolica doctrina 
prsedicat. Quandoquidem B. Petrus ad 
banc rem testimonium de Psalmis adhibet, 
Quoniam non derelinques animam meam in 
inferno, neque dabis sanctum tuum videre 
corrnptionem, Illud de anima dictum est, 
quia ibi non est derelicta, unde tam cito 
remeavit ; illud de corpore, quod in se- 
pulcro corrumpi celeri resurrectione non 
potuit.' S. August. Epist. 57. al, 187. ad 
Dardamim, c. 2. 5. 

KaraBag /w^exP' ?C^o''o? 

'Eitl^yifxog i<pcifXB^oig, 

Kcni^ag vno nra^raga, 

Gavarog vifxtv 'idvBct. 
^>^t^£y (76 yi^ajv Tore 
'Ai^ag 0 Tfa'Kaiysvy^g, 
Kai \aoB°pog humv 

Synes. Hymn. ix. 7. 
•VV)(}\ Si h Setct, thi it^lg cthrov Xa^oua-a trvv- 
S^ofA,r)V Tc KOI hooa-iv, KcLTaTTt'^olrme fA,lv Ei? 

(Azm, VLoX roXg heicrt Trvivf^a^i Hars<^ainro. S. 



Cyril. Alex. Dial, de Incarn. t. v. par. i. 
p. 693. 'O fxiv ra<pog avrou crZfxa fA,6vov 
vTre^B^aro, -^v^hv Si [xovnv 6 a^ng, Anast. 
apud Eiithym. Panopl. par. ii. tit. 17. 

* Postquam igitur exaltatus est, id est, a 
Judasis in cruce suspensus, et spiritum 
reddidit, unita sujb Divinitati anima ad 
iuferorum profunda descendit.' Auctor 
Serm. de tempore, ' Corpore in sepulcro 
seposito, Divinitas cum anima hominis 
ad inferna descendens vocavit de locis 
suis animas sanctorum.' Gaudentius Brix. 
Tract. 10. * In hoc Divinitas Christi vir- 
tutem suae impassibilitatis ostendit, quae 
ubique, semper et ineffabiliter praesens, 
et secundum animam suam in inferno 
sine doloribus fuit, et secundum carnem 
suam in sepulcro sine corruptione jacuit ; 
quia nec carni sucb defuit, cum animam 
suam in inferno dolere non sineret; nec 
animam suam in inferno deseruit, cum 
in sepulcro carnem suam a corruptione 
servaret.' Fulgent, ad Thrasimund. 1. iii. 
c. 31. 

* What the ApoUinarian heresy was, 
is certainly known : they denied that 
Christ had a human soul, affirming the 
Word was to him in the place of a soul, 

* Apollinaristas ApoUinarius instituit, qui 
de anima Christi a catholicis dissense- 
runt, dicentes, sicut Ariani, Deum Chri- 
stum carnem sine anima suscepisse. In 
qua quaestione testimopiis evangelicis 
victi, mentem, qua rationalis est anima 
hominis, non fuisse in anima Christi, sed 
pro hac ipsum Verbum in ea fuisse, dix- 
erunt.' S. August, de Flares. 55. Against 
this heresy the catholics argued from the 
descent into hell, as that which was ac- 
knowledged by them all, even by the 
Arians (with whom the Apollinarians in 
this agreed), as we have shewn before by 
three several creeds of theirs in which 
they expressed this descent. This is the 
argument of Athauasius in his fourth dia- 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



359 



could not deny ; and that this descent was not made by his 
Divinity, nor by his body, but by the motion and presence of 
his soul, and consequently, that he had a soul distinct both 
from his flesh and from the Word. Whereas if it could have 
then been answered by the heretics, as now it is by many, 
that his descent into hell had no relation to his soul, but to 



logue De Trinitate, which is particularly 
with an Apollinarian : "iia-we^ oIk h^vvaro 
6 @eog Iv fxvhfAdri not Iv ru'pti j/Ev£<T&ai, zlfA,h 
e7%ev to TtS'SjM.EVov (Tcifxa.' ouTfltfj ouJt ctv I'Ki'xPn 
xaraxe^iSDgtV&at tov c-e^f^o.Toq, 'corawa'^ov mv 
Hat TO. TCOMTO. Tre^lSX^OOV, si (Xh £Tp(^E TW "XJ^fi- 

^ofjtivnv -^v^hv, fxzQi' rjq ncti roTg Iv aSou evny- 
ys'Kia-aro' 5ia ya.^ avrh avaj(^<wpE~v tov croofxa- 
TOQ KBySTCLi KOI Iv A^ov yByevncrdcti' koI tovto 
ecTTt to vtb^ hfxZv Iv a^ov yevEo-^ai Ji« tw 
Kal Iv fA,vr}fA,a,Ti TS^nvai Sja to CMfxa. 
§. 7. But because these dialogues may be 
questioned as not genuine, the same ar- 
gument may be produced out of his book 
De Incarnatione Chrisli, written particu- 
larly against Apollinarius : n£tVfl>jT£ ovv, 
OTi 0 ea-ooQBV hfxZv av^^Miroq bcttiv h 
TO xai Tr{q iT^uiTnq it'Kka-iaiq ^BMwova-nq, HaX 
Tnq ^evTBpctq hctX6<reooq ^n'Kova-riq, oh fxovov £<}>' 
hfJUV TovTMV ^einvvyAvoiiv, aXXa nai ev avTw tS 

BaVaTMTOV X^tCTTOU ihUVVTO' TO fXiVTOl f^^X?^ 

Ta<pov (pQacrav, h 51 /t*Ep^p' a,^ov 5ta€2a-cf ^lai- 

p£T<i)v 51 o'vTiWV t£v TOTTCtiV 'TTOXXS jUETglW Xol 
TOU fA,lv TU^OU CCOfAaTiKilV l-nTtJEp^OjUEVOy TWV 

BTriQas-iv, ixEiiJ-e TTctpJJv to arZfxa, tov Se u.5ou 
aa-Mf.ietTov TrSiq iasi ■ragiv o Kvoioq uToo/xaTwq, 
wq av^^wnToq Ivofjiio-Qri vtio tou QavuTov; I'va 
^f/I;J^a^'? Tctiq Iv ^sa-fxaHq ;taT£p^OjU^vaj?, f/,op<pfiv 
l^iciq avETTiSEXTOv coq huTimv TaiV ^B(7[Xm 

TOV ^ctvaTov Tfapaa-Tt^a-aq, napoZs-av trctpova-aiq, 
^capph^rj TcL tio-fjik ^v/mv tmv £v ciJoy sia- 
TB'xofxivoov. 1. i. §. l3. Thus Euthymius, 
in his commentary upon the words of the 
Psalmist, " Thou shaltnot leave my soul 
in hell :" TlBna-i jtat Tnq eXm^oq Thv aWlav. 
Kal yap ovK lyHUTct'KBi^Siq , <pr)a-i, Thv ■^vx^'iV 
fxov slq a5>)V, oVoy tSJv TETHXEyTMKOTaiv at ^y- 
^ai xaTEp^ovTctr totto? ya^ oa^rtq vtto ynvairo- 
)iBiikn^aifA,kvoq ToXq Toov ci'sroQvna-KovToov ^uxaK* 
TTov Toivvv 6 "K^^oq 'ATToXXivagjoc, o TW Tt^OO"- 
Xii<J>&£t'crav a-a^na JoyjuaTi'^oJV a-^v^ov Kai 
avouv ; ooq avmToq. And from hence we may 
understand the words of Theodoret, who 
at the end of his exposition of this Psalm 
thus concludes : Outo? o ■\'a7\fMq aai Thv 
'A^siov Kcii TW Evvoylou xat 'ATToWiva^iov (p^B- 
vo^XaQeiav Ixiy^Ei. Which is in reference 
to those words, " Thou shalt not leave my 
soul in hell." In the same manner, Le- 
porius Presbyter ('quod male senserat de 
Incarnatione Christi, corrigens,' as Gen- 
nadius observeth, Illust. Vir. cat. 60. and 
particularly disavowing that of the Arians 
and Apollinarians, * Deum hominemque 
commixtum, et tali confusione carnis et 
verbi quasi aliquod corpus effectum') does 



thus express the reality and distinction 
of the soul and body of the same Christ : 
' Tarn Christus filius Dei tunc mortuus 
jacuit in sepulcro, quam idem Christus 
filius Dei ad inferna descendit ; sicut 
beatus apostolus dicit, Quod autem ascen- 
dit, quid est nisi quod descendit primum in 
inferior es partes terrcE? Ipse utique Do- 
minus et Deus noster Jesus Christus 
unicus Dei, qui cum anima ad inferna 
descendit, ipse cum anima et corpore 
ascendit ad Coelum.' Libel. Emendationis, 
p. 23. And Capreolus, bishop of Car- 
thage, writing against the Nestorian 
heresy, proveth that the soul of Christ was 
united to his Divinity when it descended 
into hell, and follows that argument, 
urging it at large ; in which discourse 
among the rest he hath this passage : 
* Tantum abest, Deum Dei filium, incora- 
mutabilem atque incomprehensibilem, ab 
inferis potuisse concludi; ut nec ipsam 
adsumptionis animam., aut exitiabiliter 
susceptam aut tenaciter derelictam : sed 
nec carnem ejus credimus contagione ali- 
cujus corruptionis infectam. Ipsius nam- 
que vox est in Psalmo, sicut Petrus inter- 
pretatur apostolus, Non derelinques animam 
meumapud inferos ,neque dahis sanctum tuum 
videre corriiptionem.' Epist. ad Hispan. p. 50, 
Lastly, The true doctrine of the incarna- 
tion against all the enemies thereof, Apol- 
linarians, Nestorians, Eutychians, and 
the like, was generally expressed by de- 
claring the verity of the soul of Christ 
really present in hell, and the verity of 
his body at the same time really present 
in the grave ; as it is excellently deliver- 
ed by Fulgentius : ' Humanitas vera Filii 
Dei nec tota in sepulcro fuit, nec tota 
in inferno ; sed in sepulcro secundum 
veram carnem Christus mortuus jacuit, et 
secundum animam ad iufernum Christus 
descendit ; et secundum eandem animam 
ab inferno ad carnem, quam in sepulcro 
reliquerat, rediit, secundum divinitatem 
vero suam, quas nec loco tenetur nec fine 
concluditur, totus fuit in sepulcro cum 
came, totus in inferno cum anima : ac pro 
hoc plenus fuit ubique Christus ; quia non 
est Deus ab humanitate quam susceperat 
separatus, quiet in anima sua fuit, ut so- 
lutis inferni doloribus ab inferno victrix 
rediret, et in came sua fuit, ut celeri re- 
surrectione corrumpi non posset.' Ab 
Thrasimund, 1. iii. c. 34. 



360 



ARTICLE V. 



his body only, which descended to the grave ; or that it was 
not a real, but only virtual, descent, by which his death ex- 
tended to the destruction of the powers of hell; or that his 
soul was not his intellectual spirit, or immortal soul, but his 
living soul, which descended into hell, that is, continued in 
the state of death : I say, if any of these senses could have 
been affixed to this Article, the ApoUinarians' answer might 
have been sound, and the catholics' argument of no validity. 
But being those heretics did all acknowledge this Article; 
being the catholic fathers did urge the same to prove the real 
distinction of the soul of Christ both from his Divinity and 
from his body, because his body was really in the grave when 
his soul was really present with the souls below ; it followeth 
that it was the general doctrine of the Church, that Christ did 
descend into hell by a local motion of his soul, separated from 
his body, to the places below where the souls of men departed 
were. 

Nor can it be reasonably objected, that the argument of 
-the fathers was of equal force against these heretics, if it be 
understood of the animal soul, as it would be if it were under- 
stood of the rational; as if those heretics had equally deprived 
Christ of the rational and animal soul. For it is most certain 
that they did not equally deprive Christ of both ; but most of 
the Apollinarians denied a human soul to Chist only in re- 
spect of the intellectual part, granting that the animal soul of 
Christ was of the same nature with the animal soul of other 
men.* If therefore the fathers had proved only that the ani- 
mal soul of Christ had descended into hell, they had brought 
no argument at all to prove that Christ had a human intellec- 
tual soul. It is therefore certain that the catholic fathers 
in their opposition to the Apollinarian heretics did declare, 
that the intellectual and immortal soul of Christ descended 
into helL 

The only question which admitted any variety of discrepance 
among the ancients was, Who were the persons to whose souls 
the soul of Christ descended ? and that which dependeth on 
that question, What were the end and use of his descent ? In 
this indeed they differed much, according to their several ap- 



* At first indeed the Apollinarians did 
so speak, as if they denied the human 
soul in both acceptations ; but afterwards 
they clearly affirmed the •\'V)(n, and denied 
the vovQ alone. So Socrates testifies of 
them : n^oTggov fxh Ixzyov ava\r]<^br]vai tov 

avQgOJTTOV VTTO TOV 0EOU Aoyov Iv TK OlMVOfxla, 

^£v a.m'Kr]<pivai, vovv U ovK £%£tv alrhv, aXX' 
eTvai TOV ©eov Aoyov avrl vou elg tov avaM- 
<^QivTa avB^cwTfov. Hist. 1. ii. c. 46. * Nam 
et aliqui eorum fuisse in Christo animam 



negare non potuerunt. Videte absurdi- 
tatem et insaniam non ferendam. Ani- 
mam irrationalem eum habere voluerunt, 
rationalem negaverunt ; dederunt ei 
animam pecoris, subtraxerunt animam 
hominis.' 5. August. Tract. 47. m loan. 
§. 8. This was so properly indeed the 
Apollinarian heresy, that it was thereby 
distinguished from the Arian. ' Nam 
Apollinarista? quidem carnis et anim.ae 
naturam sine mente adsunipsisse Domi- 
num credunt, Ariani vero carnis tantum- 
modo.' Facundus, 1. ix. c. 3. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 361 



prehensions of the condition of the dead, and the nature of the 
place into which the souls before our Saviour's death were ga- 
thered ; some looking on that name which we translate now 
hell, hades, or infernus, as the common receptacle of the souls 
of all men,* both the just and unjust, thought the soul of 



* Some of the aucient fathers did be- 
lieve that the word ah; in the Scriptures 
had the same signification which it hath 
among the Greeks, as comprehending all 
the souls both of the wicked and the just ; 
and so they took infernus in the same la- 
titude. As therefore the ancient Greeks 
did assign one for all which died, 
IlavTaj oixooq Stjitou; ttiSflj Sep^ETai* and Mi- 
vov aSjjv 7rayTS5ri|ou5-iv ^foro'r as they made 
within that one ah; two several recepta- 



cles, one for the good and virtuous, the 
other for the wicked and unjust (accord- 
ing to that of Diphilus, ap. Clem. Alex. 
Strom. V. c. 14. p. 721. 

Kat yi^ nay aS>iv Suo rpi^ovQ vofxi^ofxev, 
Mi'av imaiwj, p^arE^av a~£^uiv oJov 
and that of Plato, in Gorgia, p. 166. oZrot 
ovv iTTSiSav TiXevTvacus-i, haaa-oviriv Iv rai \ei- 

el; fxaKa^vj m^ou;, h Si eI? Tajrapov and 
that of Virgil, jEu. vi. 540. 



Hie locus est, partes ubi se via findit in ambas 
Dextera, quee Ditis magni sub moenia tendit, 
Hac iter Elysium nobis : at laeva malorum 
Exercet poenas, et ad impia Tartara mittit.) 



as they did send the best of men to ah;, 
there to be happy, and taught rewards to 
be received there as well as punishments : 
(^Asysrai Se vtto nrov fxeXiKou UiV^afov TavTi 
<nrBf>l tZv tv^i^imv iv a^ov, 

ToiTi "kafxnrzi fxevo; aeXiov 

Tav Iv&a'SE vuTira Kara}, 

<I)o(VJXopoS;ai rs Keifxwvi; 

Elcri Tr^odff-TSiov auToirv. 

PLut. de Consolat. ad Apollun. 

-^li rficroXQioi 

KsTvoi $porZv, otravra ^e^)(^QiyTe; teXa 
MoXaiT I; a^ov' toTctSe yap [xmoi; lusi 
Ztiv Iff-ri, TOi; S' aXXoic-j Travr' Ejcsr xaxa. 
Sophocl. ap. Plutarch, de And. Poet. c. 4.) 
so did the Jews also before and after our 
Saviour's time. For Josephus says, the 
soul of Samuel was brought up l| a^ov, and 
delivers the opinion of the Pharisees after 
this manner, Ant. Jud. l.xviii. c. 2. 'Add- 
varov T£ lo-^vv 'rri<rri; avToH;, elvai xai liro 
X,^QVo; imaidord; re na] rifxa; oT; a^irn; Jj 
Kaytia; eTTirrihvs-i; Iv rS $i(t) ysyove' and of 
the Sadducees after this manner : '¥u)(n; 
re rhv Sja/M.ovnv, nai ra; xa9' aSou rtfxoo^ia; Kai 
rifxa; avatfova-i. Therefore the Jews 
which thought the souls immortal did be- 
lieve that the just were rewarded, as well 
as the unjust punished, Itto p^Sovo;, or JtaS' 
ahv. And so did also most of the ancient 
fathers of the Church. There was an 
ancient book written De Universi Natura, 
which some attributed to Justin Martyr, 
some to Irenjeus, others to Origen, or to 
Caius a presbyter of the Roman Church 
in the time of Victor and Zephyrinus, a 
fragment of which is set forth by David 
Hoeschelius in his Annotations upon Pho- 
tius, delivering the state of ah; at large. 
riEgi Se aSou, Iv 6tf (Tuve^ovrai ■^u'^ai Suatojv 
Tg Kai aSixiwy, avaynaTov elireHv. Here then 
were the just and unjust in hades, but not 



in (.he same place. Ol SI llnaioi Iv ah 
vZJv /UEv (Tyvlp^ovTat, «X\' ou ra> avrS roTroo co 
nal ol ftStxoj. Mia ya^ el; rovro ro 
xrt'fioSo;, &c. There was but one passage 
into the hades, saith he ; but when that 
gate was passed, the just went on the 
right hand to a place of happiness, (ToZro 
Se ovofxa KiKXris-KOfxev koXttov 'A^^aafx) and 
the unjust on the left to a place of misery. 
OZro; 6 TTEpt aSoi; Xoyo;, h i ^^^X*' 'TavTCi^v 
xaTEp^oVTai ttj^pt nat^ov ov 6 Qeo; Sopis-ev. p. 
923. TertuUian wrote a tract, De Para- 
diso, now not extant, in which he express- 
ed thus much : ' Habes etiam de Para- 
diso a nobis libellum, quo constituimus 
omnem animam apud Inferos sequestrari 
in diem Domini.' De Anima, c. 55. St. 
Jerome on the third chapter of Ecclesi- 
astes : * Ante adventum Christi omnia ad 
inferos pariter ducebantur : unde et Ja- 
cob ad inferos pariter descensurum se 
dicit ; et Job pios et impios in inferno 
queritur retentari : et Evangelium, chaos 
magnum interpositum apud inferos ; et 
Abraham cum Lazaro, et divitem in sup- 
pliciis, esse testatur.' ad fin. And in his 
25th, al. 22nd, Epistle: * Perfacilis ad 
ista responsio est; Luxisse Jacob filium, 
quern putabat occisum, ad quern et ipse 
erat ad inferos descensurus, dicens, De- 
scendam ad filium meum higens in infernum : 
quia necdum Paradisi januam Christus 
efiregerat, necdum flammeam ill am rom- 
phasam et vertiginem praesidentium Che- 
rubin sanguis ejus exstinxerat. Unde et 
Abraham, licet in loco refrigerii, tamen 
apud inferos cum Lazaro fuisse scribitur.' 
col. 57. And again : ' Nequeo satis 
Scripturae laudare mysteria, et divinum 
sensum in verbis licet simplicibus admi- 
rari : quod, Moyses plangitur : et Jesus 
Nave, vir sanctus, sepultus fertur, et ta- 



362 



ARTICLE V. 



Christ descended unto those which departed in the true faith 
and fear of God, the souls of the patriarchs and the prophets, 
and the people of God. 

But others there were who thought hades or itifernus was 
never taken in the Scriptures for any place of happiness and 
therefore they did not conceive the souls of the patriarchs or 
the prophets did pass into any such infernal place ; and con- 
sequently, that the descent into hell was not his going to the 
prophets or the patriarchs, which were not there. For as, if it 
had been only said that Christ had gone unto the bosom of 
Abraham, or to paradise, no man would ever have believed 
that he had descended into hell ; so that, being it is only written, 
"Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell/' it seems incongruous 
to think that he went then unto the patriarchs who were not 
there. 

Now this being the diversity of opinions anciently in re- 
spect of the persons unto whose souls the soul of Christ de- 
scended at his death, the difference of the end or efficacy of 
that descent is next to be observed. Of those who did believe 
the name of Hades to belong unto that general place which 
comprehended all the souls of men (as well those who died in 
the favour of God, as those who departed in their sins), some 
of them thought that Christ descended to that place of Hades, 
where the souls of all the faithful, from the death of the righte- 



men fletus non esse scribitur. Nempe 
illud, quod in Moyse, id est, in lege ve- 
teri, sub peccato Adam omnes tenebantur 
elogio, et ad inferos descendeutes conse- 

quenter lacrymie prosequebantur In 

Jesu vero, id est, in Evangelic, per quem 
Paradisus est apertus, mortem gaudia 
prosequuntur.' Ibid. ToTr^oTspovobivaTog 
sif TOV ttS»]V Ko-rnyv vyvi S'e o QavaTo? Trpo; tov 
Xpjo-Tov Tra^aTTBfATTSi. S. Chrysost. Panegyr. 
ad Sanctas Mart. Bern, et Prosdoc. S^c. t. v. 
orat. 65. And in his Tractate proving that 
Christ is God, he makes this exposition 
of Isaiah, xlv. 2. IluXaj p(^aX>caj irvvB'Kacra} , 
Kal fxoy(\ovg cijupoilff a-vvTpi-\>a3, %ai avo'i^o) 
^ns-av^ovg ctxoteivouj, a7roKpv<poug, ao^aTovg 
avaSsi'lw a-oi' tov ai^nv outw xaXSv. EI yap xai 
a5«? riv, aXXa "^^X^g in^kru aylag, KaX criisvn 
TifAia, TOV 'A0^aa,fx, rov ^liraaK, tov 'laxaS* 
Sio kclI Bns-avpovg IxaXgo-g. This doctrine 
was maintained by all those who believed 
that the soul of Samuel was raised by the 
witch of Endor : for though he were so 
great a prophet, yet they thought that he 
was in hades ; and not only so, but under 
the power of Satan. Thus Justin Martyr 
in his Dialogue with Trypho, p. 333. 
^aivsrai S's not on itaaai oX ^vp^at t5v ovtmg 
StxajMV Jtaj TT^ecj^nTSv utto l^ova-lav sirimrov 
t£v TCjouTfltfv ^vvafjiBajv, I'ujoia Sa mu Iv ayya- 
(TTpifAvQ-j) sHs'vri 1^ avrSiv Tipayixdrm ofAoXo- 
ytXrai, Who was followed in this by 



Origen, Anastasius, Antiochenus, and 
others. 

* St. Augustin began to doubt of that 
general reason ordinarily given of Christ's 
descent into hell, to bring the patriarchs 
and prophets thence, upon this ground, 
that he thought the word infernus was 
never taken in the Scripture with a good 
sense : ' Quanquam illud menondum in- 
venisse confiteor, inferos appellatos, ubi 
justorum animee acquiescunt.' De Genesi 
ad literam, 1. xii. c. 33. ' Proinde, ut 
dixi, nondum inveni, etadhue quajro ; nec 
mihi occurrit inferos alicubi in bono posu- 
isse Scripturam, duntaxat Canonicam.' 
Ibid. ' Non facile alicubi Scripturarum 
inferorum nomen positum invenitur in 
bono.' Epist. 57. al. 187. §.6. ' Prae- 
sertim quia ne ipsos quidem inferos us- 
piam Scripturarum in bono appellatos 
potui reperire. Quod si nusquam in di- 
vinis auctoritatibus legitur, non utique 
sinus ille Abrahae, id est, secretze cujus- 
dam quietis habitatio, aliqua pars infero- 
rum fuisse credenda est. Quanquam in 
his ipsis tanti Magistri verbis, ubi ait 
dixisse Abraham, Inter vos et nos chaos 
magnum firmatum est, satis, ut opinor, ap- 
pareat, non esse quandam partem quasi 
membrum inferorum tantee illius felicitatis 
sinum.' Epist. 99. al. 16-i. §. 7. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 363 



oils Abel to the death of Christ, were detained ;^ and there dis- 
solving all the power by which they were detained below, 
translated them into a far more glorious place, and estated 
them in a condition far more happy in the heavens above. 

Others of them understood no such translation of place, or 
alteration of condition there, conceiving that the souls of all 
men are detained below still,t and shall not enter into heaven 



• This is the opinion generally received 
in the Schools, and delivered as the sense 
of the Church of God in all ages : but 
though it were not so general as the 
pchoolmen would persuade us, yet it is 
certain that many of the fathers did so 
understand it. 'O fA,h im a-ann^U rwv h 
a^ov -^^X^ 'TTa^fiBi, Ik {jtanpoov alivm Tnv a,<pi' 
^iv avrou tts^i fji,evov<rSiv. Euseb. de Demon,' 
strut. 1. X. c. 8. KaT»5x6ev ei? to, xara^Qovia, 
I'va KansiBsv "Kvrfds-nrat nrov; ^maioug. Cyril, 
Catech. iv. §. 8. "H/^teXXs yap h ^eorrjg re- 
\SioZv ra 'TTcLvra Taxara fxva-rfipiov rov TraQovq, 
Kai cvv rn ^'^PC? nc-'t'S'^Qi'iv eU Ta Hara^Qovia, 
Ivi TO l^yda-aa-dai rhv IheT tSv 'TrpoKeKoifxrifxe- 
vaiv <7-iWT«f4ttv, (pnfA,l rZv aylaiv Ttcir^ict^^Siv, 
' Translatus erat Enoch, raptus Elias : 
sed non est servus supra Dominum. Nul- 
lus enim ascendit in caelum, nisi qtd descen- 
dit de cxlo. Nam et Moysen, licet corpus 
ejus non apparuerit in terris, nusquam 
tamen in gloria coelesti legimus, nisi post- 
quam Dominus suas resurrectionis pignore 
vincula solvit inferni, et piorum animas 
elevavit.' S. Ambros. 1. iv. de Fide ad 
Gratiunum, c. 1. * Qui in eo loco detine- 
bantur sancti, vinculorum solutionem in 
Christi adventu sperabant. Nemo enim 
ab inferni sedibus liberatur nisi per 
Cbristi gratiam. Eo igitur post mortem 
Christus descendit. Ut Angelus in ca- 
minum Babylonis ad tres pueros liberan- 
dos descendit, ita Christus ad fornacem 
descendit inferni, in quo clausae justorum 
animae tenebaritur. Postquam eo de- 
scendit, inferorum claustra perfodit, diri- 
puit, vastavit, spoliavit, vinctas inde ani- 
mas liberando.' S. Hier. in Ecclesiasten. 

t Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with 
Trypho first begins : 'AK'Ka.fxh ov}s airoBm- 
CKSiv (pYifM rrtda-ag ra? ■\'V')(a.i; lyoo (ji^fxaiov ya^ 
*iv cog aXnOctK nroXq nayioiq)' oKKa ri; rag fxh 
svcriQZv Iv Hps'iTTovi 'TToi X^P^ jwlvsiv, ra; 
a^iKovi; KOI TTovn^a? Iv ;)^stgovt, tov t^? npia-ecug 
BK^xof^Bvag ^povov TOTS. p. 223. After him 
Irenagus : ' Cum Dominus in medio um- 
brae mortis abierit, ubi animi mortuorum 
erant, post deinde corporaliter resurrexit, 
et post resurrectionem assumptus est; 
manifestum est quia et discipulorum ejus, 
propter quos et haec operatus est Domi- 
nus, animae abibunt in invisibilem locum 
definitum eis a Deo, et ibi usque ad re- 
surrectionem commorabuntur, sustinentes 
resurrectionem ; post recipientes corpora 



et perfecte resurgentes, hoc est, corpora- 
liter, quemadmodum et Dominus resur- 
rexit, sic venient in conspectum Dei. 
Nemo enim est discipulus super magi- 
strum : perfectus autem omnis erit sicut 
magister ejus. Quomodo ergo magister 
noster non statim evolans abiit, sed su- 
stinens definitum a Patre resurrectionis 
suae tempus, (quod et per Jonam mani- 
festum est) post triduum resurgens as- 
sumptus est ; sic et nos sustinere debemus 
definitum a Deo resurrectionis nostras 
tempus praenunciatum a Prophetis, et sic 
resurgentes assumi, quotquot Dominus 
hoc dignos habuerit.' Adv. Hcsres. 1. 
V. c. 26. Tertullian followeth Irenaeus 
in this particular : ' Habes et regionem 
inferam subterraneam credere et illos cu- 
bito pellere, qui satis superbe non putent 
animas fidelium inferis dignas, servi super 
Dominum et discipuli super magistrum, 
aspernati si forte in Abrahee sinu exspec- 
tandae resurrectionis solatium carpere.' 
De Anim, c. o5. ' Nulli patet coelum, 
terra adhuc salva, ne dixerim clausa. 
Cum transactione enim mundi reserabun- 
turregna coelorum.' Ibid. ' Earn itaqae 
regionem sinum dico Abrahaj, etsi non 
coelestem, sublimiorom tamen inferis, in- 
terim refrigerium prjebituram animabus 
justorum, donee consummatio rerum re- 
surrectionem omnium plenitudine mer- 
cedis expungat.' Adv. Marcion. 1. iv. c. 
34. ' Omnes ergo animae penes inferos 1 
Inquis. Velis et nolis, et supplicia jam 
illic et refrigeria habes, pauperem et di- 
vitem. Cur enim non putes animam et 
puniri et foveri in inferis, interim sub 
exspectatione utriusque judicii in quadam 
usurpatione et Candida ejus V De Anima, 
c. 58. St. Hilary, in his Commentary 
upon these words of the Psalm, ' Dominus 
custodiet et introitiim tuum et exitum tumn 
ex hoc et usque in seculiun : Non enim tetn- 
poris hujus et seculi est ista custodia, non 
aduri sole atque luna, et ab omni malo 
conservari : sed futuri boni exspectatio 
est, cum exeuntes de corpore ad introitum 
ilium regni coelestis per custodiam Do- 
mini fideles omnes reservabuntur, in sinu 
scilicet interim Abrahae collocati, quo 
adire impios interjectum Chaos inhibet, 
quousque introeundi rursum in regnum 
coelorum tempus adveniat. Custodit er- 
go Dominus exitum, dum de corpore ex 



364 



ARTICLE V. 



until the general resurrection. They made no such distinction 
at the death of Christ, as if those which believed in a Saviour 
to come should be kept out of heaven till he came, and those 
which now believe in the same Saviour already come, should 
be admitted thither immediately upon their expiration. 

But such as thought the place in which the souls of the pa- 
triarchs did reside could not in propriety of speech be called 
hell, nor was ever so named in the Scriptures, conceived, that 
as our Saviour went to those who were included in the proper 
hell, or place of torment, so the end of his descent was to de- 
liver souls from those miseries which they felt, and to translate 
them to a place of happiness and a glorious condition. They 
which did think that hell was wholly emptied, that every soul 
was presently released from all the pains which before it suf- 
fered, were branded with the name of heretics :* but to believe 



euntes secreti ab impiis interjecto Chao 
quiescunt. Custodit et introitum, dum 
nos in aeternum illud et beatum regnum 
introducit.' Tract, in Psal. cxx. §. 16. 
And at the end of the second Psalm; 

• Judicii enim dies vel beatitudinis retri- 
butio est seterna, vel poense : tempus vero 
mortis habet unumquemque suis legibus, 
dum ad judicium unumquemque aut Abra- 
ham reservat aut poena.' $. 48. Thus 
Gregory Nyssen still leaves the patriarchs 
in Abraham's bosom, in expectation of 
admittance into heaven : Kai yap ol 'srspl 
Tov 'A^paafA, 'jrarpidp^ai rov jWEV ISe'i'v ra aya,- 
Qk rriV ImQufxiav 'ia^ov, ua] ovk avwav I'ffi^n- 
ToZvrtq rhv lirov^kviov Trar^'i^ct KaQit; <pr}criv o 

p^«§{V eWi, roZ @BOv K^Birrov ri Ttcpl hy,aiv ir^a- 
Q'Ki-\>afxivov, jettTa tw tov TlavXov (pccvhv, I'vct 
/UK, <pna-l, p^apl? hfjioov reXsicaBZa-i. De Homi- 
nis Opificio, c. 22. These therefore which 
conceived that the souls of the godly now 
after Christ's ascension do go unto the 
bosom of Abraham, where the patriarchs 
and prophets were and are, and that both 
remain together till the general resurrec- 
tion, did not believe that Christ did there- 
fore descend into hell, that he might trans- 
late the patriarchs from thence into heaven. 

* St. Augustin in his book De Here- 
sibus reckons this as the seventy-ninth 
heresy : * Alia, descendente ad infernos 
Christo credidisse incredulos, et omnes 
inde existimat liberatos.' And though he 
gives the heresy without a name, as he 
found it in Philastrius, yet we find the 
opinion was not very singular. For Euo- 
dius propounded it to St. Augustin as a 
question in which he desired satisfaction : 

* An descendens Christus omnibus evan- 
gelizavit, omnesque a tenebris et poenis 
per gratiam liberavit, ut a tempore re- 
surrectionis Domini judicium exspectetur 
exinanitis inferis V Ep. 98. al. 163. ad 



S. August. And in bis answer to that 
question, he looks not upon the affirma- 
tive part as a heresy, but as a doubtful 
proposition. His resolution, first, is, that 
it did not concern the prophets and the 
patriarchs, because he could not see how 
they should be thought to be in hell, and 
so capable of a deliverance from thence : 
' Addunt qaidam hoc beneficium antiquis 
etiam Sanctis fuisse concessum, Abel, 
Seth, Noe, et domui ejus, Abraham, 
Isaac, et Jacob, aliisque patriarchis et 
prophetis, ut cum Dominus in infernum 
venisset, illis doloribus solverentur. Sed 
quonam modo intelligatur Abraham, in 
cujus sinum pius etiam pauper ille sus- 
ceptus est, in illis fuisse doloribus, ego 
quidem non video : explicant fortasse qui 
possunt.' Epist. 99. al. 164. ad Euodium, 
$. 6, 7. Et paulo post : ' Unde illis justis, 
qui in sinu xlbrahae erant cum ille in in- 
ferna descenderet, nondum quid contu- 
lisset inveni, a quibus eum secundum 
beatificam praesentiam suae Divinitatis 
nunquam video recessisse.' §. 8. And 
yet in another he will not blame them 
that believed the contrary, nor did he 
think their opinion absurd : * Si enim 
non absurde credi videtur, antiques 
etiam Sanctos, qui venturi Christi tenue- 
runt fidem, locis quidem a tormentis im- 
piorum remotissimis, sed apud inferos, 
fuisse, donee eos inde sanguis Christi ad 
ea loca descensus erueret, &cc.' De Civi-- 
tate Dei, 1. xx. c. 15. His second reso- 
lution was, that Christ did by his descent 
relieve some out of the pains of hell, 
taking hell in the worst sense : ' Quia 
evidentia testimonia et infernum com- 
memorant et dolores, nulla causa occur- 
rit, cur illo credatur venisse Salvator, 
nisi ut ab ejus doloribus salvos faceret.' 
Epist. 99. al. 164. §. 8. ' Quamobrem te- 
neamus firmissime quod fides habet fun- 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



365 



that many were delivered, was both by them and many others 
counted orthodox. 

The means by which they did conceive that Christ did free 
the souls of men from hell, was the application of his death 
unto them, which was propounded unto those souls by preach- 
ing of the Gospel there that as he revealed here on earth the 



datissima auctoritate finnata, quia Chri- 
stus mortuus est secundum Scripturas, et 
quia sepultus est, et quia resurrexit tertia 
die secundum Scripturas ; et caetera quae 
de illo testatissima veritate conscripta 
sunt. In quibus etiam hoc est, quod 
apud inferos fuit, solutis eorum dolori- 
bus, quibus eum erat impossible teneri ; 
a quibus etiam recte intelligitur solvisse 
et liberasse quos voluit.' Ibid. §. 14. His 
third resolution was, that how many 
these were which were delivered out of 
hell was uncertain, and therefore teme- 
rarious to define : ' Sed utrum omnes 
quos in eis invenit, an quosdam quos illo 
beneficio dignos judicavit, adhuc requi- 
re.' Ibid. §. 8. ' Hoc scilicet quod scri- 
ptum est, Solutis doloribus inferni, non in 
omnibus, sed in quibusdam accipi po- 
test, quos ille dignos ista liberatione ju- 
flicabat : ut neque frustra illic descen- 
disse existimetur, nuUi eorum profuturus 
qui ibi tenebantur inclusi ; nec tamen 
sit consequens, ut quod Divina quibus- 
dam misericordia justitiaque concessit, 
omnibus concessum esse putandum sit.' 
Ibid. §. 5. * Potest et sic, ut eos dolores 
eum solvisse credamus quibus teneri ipse 
non poterat, sed quibus alii tenebantur 
quos ille noverat liberandos. Verum qui- 
nam isti sunt temerarium est definire. 
Si enim omnes omnino dixerimus tunc 
esse liberatos qui illuc inventi sunt, quis 
non gratuletur, si hoc possimus ostenderel' 
Ibid. §. o, 4. Thus the opinion of St. 
Augustin is clear, that those which de- 
parted in the faith of Christ were before 
in happiness and the beatifical presence 
of God, and so needed no translation by 
the death of Christ ; and of those which 
were kept in the pains of hell, some were 
loosed and delivered from them, some 
were not ; and this was the proper end 
or effect of Christ's descent into hell. 
Thus Capreolus : ' Ipse in homine est 
visitare inferorum dignatus abstrusa, et 
praspositos mortis prassentia invictae ma- 
jestatis exterruit, et propter liberandos 
quos voluit, inferorum portas reserari 
prsecepit,' Epist. ad Hispanos, p, 49. St. 
Ambrose : * Ipse autem inter mortuos liber 
remissionem in inferno positis, soluta 
mortis lege, donabat.' De Incarn. c. 5. 

aVawsTaixa? TTuXaj, EgHjUov TB xai fxivov «<})£(? 
l«IT(re T5V liaZoKov ana-rn. S, Cyril. Homil. 



Pasch. 7. t. V. par. 2. p. 91. Who speaks 
full as high of those words of Euodius, 
or that heretic, whosoever it was, which 
is mentioned, though not named, by 
Philastrius, lib. de Heres. 74. For E^yiy.o? 
ml (xoMoi; ^laBo'Koi;, is as much as, inferi ex- 
inaniti ; and xevaSs-a? tov Qavarov fj^v^ov 
(which he useth in another homily)" is 
the same. 

* This preaching of the Gospel to the 
dead, was the general opinion of the fa- 
thers, as the end of his descent, or means, 
by which that good was wrought for the 
souls below, which was effected by his 
death. ' Eapropter Dominum in ea quae 
sub terra descendisse, evangelizantem et 
illis adventum suum, remissam peccato- 
rum exsistentem his qui credunt in eum. 
Crediderunt autem in eum omnes qui 
sperabant in eum, id est, qui adventum 
ejus praenunciaverunt, et dispositionibus 
ejus servierunt, Justi, et Prophetae, et 
Patriarchae, quibus similiter ut nobis re- 
misit peccata.' Irenceus, adv. Hcer. 1. iv. 
C. 45. 'En^yBi ya^yoTfxat, xal 6 looTtj^, Ittj to 
<rct)^eiv Bfyov alroZ' oTTSp ouv xai ttettoijixev, 
Tovi; slg avrov Ttiirrtua'ai 0sQovKnfxivovg Sia. 
rov nn^vyfxaroq, mot itot Iryp^ov yiyovotiq, 
kXuvs-at; eli; aoormflav. Ei ^ev oZv o Kypjoj Jt' 
ovth BTS^cv etf ttSou xaT>j\9ev, ri tia. to 
SvayyiXia-aa-Qat, ujc'^i^ xaT^X&ev, ^toj Trhraq 
iha.yyi'h.ia-aa-hai, r\ fxovov? 'E^pa'iov;. Ei /xh 
ovv TTaVTiic, s-oo^na-ovrai tEravrE? ol TTKmva-av- 
TEj, xav £^ lQvu>v ovte; tj^oktiv, l^ofJioXoyrxra- 
(xsvoi ri^n exeT". Clem. Alex. Strom. 1. vi. c. 6. 
TfjnjUEpof yag avE^i'o; nn^v^aq nai to?? Iv <J)t;- 
Xax? Tinvfxaa-i. WKri^ea-rart] yap OLnaii; h 
T)5j <f^{Xav9•p^w7r^af ivi^st^ti; nv, fxh /xovov 
avaaaicrai (Spnfju, toI; e'tj ?^oi)vraq i'jii t^j yn<;, 
aKKa. neu toT? ri^n xaToip^OjUEVoi?, xat Iv ToXq 
rriq aBva-aov fJi-vxcnq mQvfxsvoii; htmorcc, nara 
TO ysy^Afxfjievov, Siann^v^ai Trjv a<p£<riv. S. 
Cyril. Alex, in loan. 1. xi. c. 2. p. 933. 
noXXaj^ou ^la/xctfiTvpsrai h y^a<pri, ov t^ootov 
roTg TuviXtt^E ^uxrt, tov auTov xal ToXq h a^ou 
ha X^taTov TriV a7roXuT§<w<rjv ^apayevs(r^ai. 
Aiyti yap 6 roov fA,a.BnTciov )iopv<^a'ioq, Ei; tolIto 
ya^ aTTsdave xal avBcnt], I'va, nal VBH^Siv nai 
^ai\rxv Xv^iBva-ri' na] Trayuv, To~5 Iv (puXanri 
m^evQelq Im^v^z mivfAaa-iv, I'va y.^i6oos-i fj.lv 
a-apiCi, ^oKTi Se Trvivy.ari' rovrBcriv, oTTuiq ol 
fXBV airia-roi, xat S'la toCto afxaprooXol, fj^s/xs- 
vijxoTE? HaraK^iBuia-iv, an o'XoxXjjpo;? 
ysyovoTB?, xal Sip^oTO/ocn&£VT£? tov TcvtvfxaToV 
0(701 51 xav Iv ahov XpiarS tt! SixajotriJvj) tte- 
'jriiTTivxacri, Trjg mnvfxaTinnq BV'^^oc-imq airo- 
"KavcuTi. Jobius apud Photitim, 1. ix. c. 38. 



366 



ARTICLE V. 



will of God unto the sons of men, and propounded himself as 
the object of their faith, to the end that whosoever believed 
in him should never die ; so after his death he shewed himself 
unto the souls departed, that whosoever of them would yet 
accept of and acknowledge him should pass from death to life. 

Thus did they think the soul of Christ descended into hell 
to preach the Gospel to the spirits there, that they might receive 
him who before believed in him, or that they might believe in 
him who before rejected him. But this cannot be received as 
the end, or way to effect the end, of Christ's descent : nor can 
I look upon it as an illustration of this Article, for many rea- 
sons. For, first, I have already shewn that the place of St. 
Peter, so often mentioned for it, is not capable of that sense, 
nor hath it any relation to our Saviour after death ; secondly, 
The ancients seem upon no other reason to have interpreted 
this place of St. Peter in that manner, but because other 
Apocryphal Writings led them to that interpretation, upon the 
authority whereof this opinion only can rely. A place of the 
prophet Jeremy was first produced,* that * The Lord God of 
Israel remembered his dead, which slept in the land of the 
grave, and descended unto them, to preach unto them his sal- 
vation.' But being there is no such verse extant in that pro- 
phet or any other, it was also delivered that it was once in the 
translation of the Septuagint, but rased out from thence by the 
Jews, which as it can scarcely be conceived true, so if it were, 
it would be yet of doubtful authority, as being never yet found 
in the Hebrew text. And Hermes, in his book called the 
Pastor, was thought to give sufficient strength to this opinion ;f 



* Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with 
Trypho the Jew : Kal a?ro raov 'Koyccv rou 
avTOv 'lep£|on'oy ofAoixg ravra Trsptlxo^av, 'E,u- 

avTou tSv KeKotfxnfjt'Svciov elg ')(ci}^a.roq, no,) 
xrtT£0ij iT^oq avTOvq sva.yyB'Kia-asr^ai cthroiqiro 
a-toth^iov avTolj. p. 298. This place is first 
brought by Irenaeus, to prove that he 
which died for us was not only man but 
God : ' Et quoniam non solum homo erat 
qui moriebatur pro nobis, ait Esaias, Et 
commemoratus est Dotninus Sanctus Israel 
mortuorum suorum, quia (leg. qui) dormie' 
rant in terra sepultioiiis, etdescendit ad eos, 
evangelizare salutem qua est ah eo, ut sal- 
varet eos.' Adv. H<£res. 1. iii. c. 23. Only 
he names Isaiah instead of Jeremiah, 
whom he rightly names again : ' Sicut 
Hieremias ait, Recommemoratus est Do- 
minus Sauctus Israel mortuorum, &c.' I. 
iv. 0. 39. And as there, so more plainly, 
1. V. c. 26. applies it to the soul of Christ 
while it was absent from his body : 
' Nunc autem tribus diebus conversalus 
est ubi erantmortui, quemadmodum pro- 
phetia ait de eo, Commemoratus est Domi- 
nus Sanctorum (lege, Sanctus Israel) mor- 



tuorum suorum, eorum qui ante dormierunt 
in terra stipulationis (lege, sepultionis), et 
descendit ad eos, extrahere eos, et salvare 
eos.' Thus did Irenaeus make use of this 
verse, to shew Christ preached unto the 
dead, rather than that of St. Peter ; and 
yet there is no authority in it. For it is 
not to be found in the Hebrew text, and 
Justin Martyr charges the Jews only of 
rasing it out of the LXX. which how 
they could do out of those copies which 
were in the Christians' hands is scarce 
intelligible ; and yet it is not now to be 
found there. 

t Clemens Alexandrinus first brings a 
strange place of Scripture to prove 
Christ's preaching in hell, Strom. 1. vi. 
C. 6. AioTTip 0 Kvpioq, slnyyiXiTaro aai roTq 
Iv a^ov. <t>ria-i y ovv h ypatpv, Asysi o n^nq 
avoXeia, El^oq fxh avrov ovk Ei'SojuEy, (pconv H 
avrov huova-afxtr which he thus iuterprets : 
Ov)(^ 0 Tovro? SWou (pccvhv XaQciv sIttbv ra. 
TTposipnfj.sva, aW" ol Iv a^ou nararayivrsq xat 
slq ttTToXsittV ctlrouq Iv^sSojjiotej, Ka^a'STSP ex 
Tivo; vsojq elq QaXaa-crav Buovreq aTToppi^avrBq' 
avrol Tolvvv Bialv ol BTta.KQvira.vTBq t«j &£i'a; 

^vvafABajq kcli <3^a>mq' and then eeemiug to 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



367 



whereas the book itself is of no good authority, and in this 
particular is most extravagant ; for he taught that not only the 
soul oi Christ, but also the souls of the apostles, preached to 
the spirits below; that as they followed his steps here, so did 
they also after their death, and therefore descended to preach 
in hell. 

Nor is this only to be suspected in reference to those pre- 
tended authorities which first induced men to believe it, and 
to make forced interpretations of Scripture to maintain it ; but 
also to be rejected in itself, as false and inconsistent with the 
nature, scope, and end, of the Gospel (which is to be preached 
with such commands and ordinances as can concern those only 
which are in this life), and as incongruous to the state and con- 
dition of those souls to whom Christ is supposed to preach. 
For if we look upon the patriarchs and prophets, and all saints 
before departed, it is certain they were never disobedient in 
the days of Noah ; nor could they need the publication of the 
Gospel after the death of Christ, who by virtue of that death 
were accepted in him while they lived, and by that acceptation 
had received a reward long before. If we look upon them who 
died in disobedience, and were in torments for their sins, they 
cannot appear to be proper objects for the Gospel preached. 
The rich man, whom we find in their condition, desired one 
might be sent from the dead to preach unto his brethren then 
alive, lest they also should come unto that place ; but we find 
no hopes he had that any should come from them which were 
alive to preach to him. For if the living, who " heard not 
Moses and the prophets, would not be persuaded though one 
rose from the dead (Luke xvi. 31.) surely those who had been 
disobedient unto the prophets, should never be persuaded after 
they were dead. 

Whether therefore we consider the authorities first introduc- 
ing this opinion, which were apocryphal ; or the testimonies of 
Scripture, forced and improbable; or the nature of this preach- 
ing, inconsistent with the Gospel; or the persons to whom 
Christ should be thought to preach (which, if dead in the faith 
and fear of God, wanted no such instruction; if departed in 



aim at the place of St. Peter, he passes 
to another proof, which he had produced 
in his second book : AiSejKTat xav 
JsuTspw IrpccfxctTBi, roiii ' Amoa-ro'Kovg, ano- 
hovOooi; ToJ Kv^la), Koi tolij bv a^ou sv-uyye- 
"KiTfABvov^' which he there proved by 
the authority of his book called Pastor, 
and attributed to Hermes : 'O 'E§fA,ri<; ^1 

<{»)<ri roug ^ ATtoara'Kovi xai toi;; S'jSa- 

o-KaKovQ, TOL)? Km^v^aMraq to ovofxa, tov v\ov 
rov @iQv, Koi woi/ww^EVTa?, rri Ivvafj-n no), tk 
m'tTTSt xti^v^ai ToT; TrgojtExoJ/ccwjulvoi?. Sh'om, 
1. ii. c. 9. which words are thus in the 
old Latin translation of Hermes, I. iii. 
Sim, 9. ' Quoniam hi Apostoli et doc- 



tores qui prcedicaverunt nom^en Filii 
Dei, cum habentes fidem ejus et potesta- 
tem defuncti essent, prajdicaverunt his 
qui ante obierunt.' And then Clemens 
supplies that authority with a reason of 
his own, that as the apostles were to 
imitate Christ while they lived, so they did 
also imitate him after death : 'E^^^nv yap, 
olfxcti, wa-<nB^ xavrauSa, cjtoj? kmbTo-b rovq 
a^ia-TO'jg tZv fAaQnTZv fxifj^tirai; yBVBsSrai rov 
StScto-xaXou. Stromat. 1. Ti. c. 6. And 
therefore they preached to the souls ia 
hell as Christ did before them. This is 
the doctrine of Clemens Alexandriuus 
out of Lis Apocryphal Authorities. 



368 



ARTICLE V. 



infidelity and disobedience, were unworthy and incapable of 
such a dispensation), this preaching of Christ to the spirits in 
prison cannot be admitted either as the end, or as the means 
proper to effect the end, of his descent into hell. 

Nor is this preaching only to be rejected as a means to pro- 
duce the effect of Christ's descent; but the effect itself pre- 
tended to be wrought thereby, whether in reference to the just 
or unjust, is by no means to be admitted. For though some of 
the ancients thought, as is shewn before, that Christ did there- 
fore descend into hell, that he might deliver the souls of some 
which were tormented in those flames, and translate them to a 
place of happiness: yet this opinion deserveth no acceptance, 
neither in respect of the ground or foundation on which it is 
built, nor in respect of the action or effect itself. The autho- 
rity upon which the strength of this doctrine doth rely, is that 
place of the Acts, (ii. 24.) ivhom God hath raised up, loosing the 
pains of hell, for so they read it; from whence the argument is 
thus deduced : God did loose the pains of hell when Christ was 
raised. But those pains did not take hold of Christ himself, 
who was not to suffer any thing after death ; and consequently 
he could not be loosed from or taken out of those pains in 
which he never was : in the same manner the patriarchs and 
the prophets, and the saints of old, if they should be granted 
to have been in a place sometimes called hell, yet were they 
there in happiness, and therefore the delivering them from 
thence could not be the loosing of the pains of hell : it follow- 
eth then, that those alone who died in their sins were in- 
volved in those pains, and when those pains were loosed, then 
were they released; and being they were loosed when Christ 
was raised, the consequence will be, that he, descending into 
hell, delivered some of the damned souls from their torments 
there. 

But, first, though the Latin translation render it so, the pains 
of hell though some copies, and other translations, and divers 
of the fathers, read it in the same manner; yet the original and 
authentic Greek acknowledgeth no such word as hell, but pro- 



* The Vulgar Latin renders it thus, 

Quern Dens siiscitavit, solutis dolnribus in- 
ferni : so also the Syriac, n-bnn N")ltn 
bviri. So some of the ancient fathers 
read it : as Irenasus, I. iii. c. 12. or rather 
his interpreter : ' Quera Deus excitavit, 
solutis doloribus inferorum :' Capreolus 
bishop of Carthage: * Resolvere, sicut 
scriptum est, inferorum parturitiones.' 
Epist. ad Fit. et Constant, p. 48. and before 
these Poljcarpus : "Ov nysipsv o 0£o? Kvs-ag 
Ta? wJTvaj rov a^ov Quern resuscitavit Deus, 
dhsolvens dolores inferni. Epist. ad Phil. 
§. 1. whom 1 suppose Grotius un/^.erstood, 
when he cited Barnabas ; and thus St. 
Augustin read it, and laid the stress of 



his interpretation upon this reading : ' Quia 
evidentia testimonia et infernum comme- 
morant et dolores, &c.' Epist. 99. al. id-i. 

8. But in the original Greek it is ge- 
nerally written iSrva? ^avirou, and in all 
these many copies of it, only that of Pe- 
trus Fraxardus, and two of the sixteen 
copies which Robertus Stephanus made 
use of, read it aSou. And this mistake was 
very easy, for in the eighteenth Psalm, 
verse the fifth, there is m?3 "bin ojSTve? 
2fava.rou, and verse the sixth, bixu* *bnn 
co^TvBi; ahv. And we find twice in the Pro- 
verbs, xiv. 12. and xvi. 25. mo "D"!! trans- 
lated ij:vB,uhct ttJoy, and 2 Sam. xxii. 6. 
blXT:" ^"ran x^mg ^avirou. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



369 



pounds it plainly thus, whom God hath raised up, loosing the 
pains of death. Howsoever, if the words were so expressed in 
the original text, yet it would not follow that God delivered 
Christ out of those pains in which he was detained any time, 
much less that the soul of Christ delivered the souls of any 
other; but only that he was preserved from enduring them.* 

Again, as the authority is most uncertain, so is the doctrine 
most incongruous. The souls of men were never cast into in- 
fernal torments, to be delivered from them. The days which 
follow after death were never made for opportunities to abetter 
life. The angels had one instant either to stand or fall eter- 
nally ; and what that instant was to them, that this life is unto 
us. We may as well believe the devils were saved, as those 
souls which were once tormented with them. For it is an 
"everlasting fire," (Matt. xxv. 41.) an everlasting punish- 
ment," (Ibid. 46.) a worm that dieth not." (Mark ix. 44.) 
Nor does this only belong to us who live after the death of 
Christ, as if the damnation of all sinners now were ineluctable 
and eternal, but before that death it were not so; as if faith 
and repentance were now indispensably necessary to salvation, 
but then were not. For thus the condition of mankind before 
the fulness of time, in which our Saviour came into the world, 
should have been far more happy and advantageous than it 
hath been since.t But neither they nor we shall ever escape 
eternal flames, except we obtain the favour of God before w^e 
be swallowed by the jaws of death. *' We must all appear be- 
fore the judgment-seat of Christ, that every one may receive 
the things done in his body:" (2 Cor. v. 10.) but if they be in 
a state of salvation now by the virtue of Christ's descent into 
hell, which were numbered among the damned before his death, 
at the day of the general judgment they must be returned into 
hell again; or if they be received then into eternal happiness, 
it will follow either that they were not justly condemned to 
those flames at first, according to the general dispensations of 
God, or else they did not receive the things done in their body 
at the last; which all shall as certainly receive as all appear. 
This life is given unto men to work out their salvation with 
fear and trembling, but after death cometh judgment, reflecting 
on the life that is past, not expecting amendment or conversion 
then. He that liveth and belie veth in Christ shall never die ; 

* ' Quod si movet, quern admodum ac- Great: * Si fideles nunc sine operibus bo- 

cipiendum sit inferni ab illo solutos do- nis non salvantur, et infideles ac reprobi 

lores (neque enim coeperat in eis esse sine bona actione, Donaino ad inferos de- 

tanquam in vinculis, et sic eos solvit tan- scendente, salvati sunt; melior illorum 

quam si catenas solvisset quibus fuerat sors fuit qui incarnationem Domini rnini- 

alligatus): facile est intelligere, sic eos me viderunt, quam horum qui post iucar- 

solutos esse quemadmodum solvi possunt nationis ejus mysterium nati sunt. Quod 

laquei venantium, ne teneant; non quia quantae fatuitatis sit dicere, ipse Dominus 

tenuerunt.' 5. August. Epist. 99. al. 164;^ testatur discipulis dicens, Multi reges et 

3. prophet(f voluerinit videre quce ros videtis, et 

t This is the argument of Gregory the non viderunt.' 1. vi. c. 179. epist. 1.5. 

2 13 



370 



ARTICLE V. 



he that believeth though he die, yet shall he live ; but he that 
dieth in unbelief, shall neither believe nor live. And this is as 
true of those which went before, as of those which came after 
our Saviour, because he was the Lamb slain before the foun- 
dation of the world. I therefore conclude, that the end for 
which the soul of Christ descended into hell, was not to deliver 
any damned souls, or to translate them from the torments of 
hell unto the joys of heaven. 

The next consideration is, whether by virtue of his descent 
the souls of those which before believed in him, the patriarchs, 
prophets, and all the people of God, were delivered from that 
place and state in which they were before ; and whether Christ 
descended into hell to that end, that he might translate them into 
a place and state far more glorious and happy. This hath been 
in the later ages of the Church the vulgar opinion of most men, 
and that as if it followed necessarily from the denial of the 
former: He delivered not the souls of the damned,^' therefore 
he delivered the souls of them which believed, and of them 
alone : till at last the Schools have followed it so fully, that 
they deliver it as a point of faith and infallible certainty,t that 
the soul of Christ descending into hell, did deliver from thence 
all the souls of the saints which were in the bosom of Abraham, 
and did confer upon them actual and essential beatitude, which 
before they enjoyed not. And this they lay upon two grounds : 
first. That the souls of saints departed saw not God ; and se- 
condly. That Christ by his death opened the gate of the king- 
dom of heaven. 

But even this opinion, as general as it hath been, hath nei- 
ther that consent of antiquity, nor such certainty, as it pre- 
tendeth, but is rather built upon the improbabilities of a worse. 
The most ancient of all the fathers,} whose writings are extant. 



* So Gregory the Great, after he had 
proved that none of the damned were re- 
leased by Christ's descent, thus infers and 
concludes : • Haec itaque omnia pertrac- 
tantes nihil aliud teneatis nisi quod vera 
fides per catholicam ecclesiam docet ; 
quia descendens ad inferos Dominus illos 
solummodo ab inferni claustris eripuit, 
quos viventes in came per suam gratiam 
in fide et bonaoperatione servavit.' 1. vi. 
c. 179. Efist. 15. So Isidore Hispalen- 
sis by way of opposition : ' Ideo Dominus 
in inferna descendit, ut his, qui ab eo non 
poenaliter detinebantur, viam aperiret re- 
vertendi ad coelos.' Sentent. I. i. c. 16. 
So Venerable Bede upon the place of St. 
Peter, 1 Ep. iii. 1 9. ' Catholica fides ha- 
bet, quia descendens ad inferna Dominus 
non incredulos inde, sed fideles tantum- 
raodo suos educens, ad ccelestia secum 
regna perduxerit ; neque exutis corpore 
animabus et inferorura carcere inclusis, 
sed in hac vita vel per seipsum, vel per 



suorura exempla sive verba fidelium, quo- 
tidie viam vitae demonstret.' 

t These are the words of Suarez: * Primo 
ergo, certum est Christum descendendo 
ad inferos animabus Sanctis, quae in sinu 
Abrahae erant, essentialem beatitudinem 
et CcGtera animae dona quae illam cpnse- 
quuntur contulisse. Hoc de fide certum 
existimo ; quia de fide est, illas animas 
non vidisse Deum ante Chrlsti mortem. 
Deinde est de fide certum, Christum per 
mortem aperuisse hominibus januam re- 
gni ; ideoque de fide etiam certum est, 
animas sanctorum omnium post Christi 
mortem decedentium (si nihil purgandxmi 
habeant) statim videre Deum. Ergo idem 
est de praedictis animabus.' In Stiam 
partem D. Thome, Disputat. 43. sect. 3. 

f We have shewn this before to have 
been the opinion of the most ancient, pro- 
ducing the express testimonies of Justin 
Martyr, Irenasus, Tertullian, Hilary, Gre- 
gory Nisscn. So also Novatian: 'Qua? 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 



371 



were so far from believing that the end of ChrisVs descent into 
hell was to translate the saints of old into heaven, that they 
thought them not to be in heaven yet, nor ever to be removed 
from that place in which they were before Christ's death, until 
the general resurrection. Others, as we have also shewn, 
thought the bosom of Abraham was not in any place which 
could be termed hell: and consequently, could not think that 
Christ should therefore descend into hell to deliver them which 
were not there. And others yet, which thought that Christ 
delivered the patriarchs from their infernal mansions, did not 
think so exclusively or in opposition to the disobedient and 
damned spirits, but conceived many of them to be saved as 
well as the patriarchs were, and doubted whether all were not 
so saved or no.* Indeed I think there were very few (if any) 
for above five hundred years after Christ, which did so believe 
Christ delivered the saints out of hell, as to leave all the 
damned there ; and therefore this opinion cannot be grounded 
upon the prime antiquity, when so many of the ancients be- 
lieved not that they were removed at all, and so few acknow- 
ledged that they were removed alone. 

And if the authority of this opinion in respect of its antiquity 
be not great, the certainty of the truth of it will be less. For, 
first, if it be not certain that the souls of the patriarchs were in 
some place called hell after their own death, and until the death 
of Christ; if the bosom of Abraham were not some infernal 
mansion, then can it not be certain that Christ descended into 
hell to deliver them. But there is no certainty that the souls 
of the just, the patriarchs, and the rest of the people of God, 

infra teiTam jacent, neque ipsa sunt di- Christus eduxerit, dubitari quoquo modo 
gestis et ordinatis potestadbus vacua. potest — Et juxta haec possent intelligi 
Locus enim est quo piorum animaj impio- Nazianzenus et Augustinus.' In terliam 
rumque ducantur, futuri judiciiprsejudicia ■partem D. Thomce, dhp. 43. sect. 3. But 
sentientes.' Lib.de Trinitate, c. 1. tbis will by no means solve tbeir autbo- 
• We bave already sbewn tbat many rities ; for neitber of tbem did doubt or 
did believe all tbe damned souls were question whetber some of tbe damned 
saved tben; and St. Augustin bad bis were released, but wbetber all were re- 
adkuc requiro, wben be wrote unto Euo- leased or some only : wbicb Suarez did 
dius concerning tbat opinion. Beside, very well perceive, and tberefore was 
tbe doubt of tbat great divine Gregory ready in tbe same sentence witb anotber 
Nazianzen is very observable, who in bis answer : ' Quanquam Nazianzenus non 
2nd Oration de Paschate batb tbese words : videatnr ilia scripsisse verba, quoniam de 
"Av £(s- a^ov nariri, o-vynaTBXQs' yvooBi nai ra bac veritate dubitaret, sed solum ut pro- 
ixsTa-e tov Xfij-rov ixva-Thfta.' Ti'? h olncvojuia. poneret quid de boo mysterio inquirere 
VK? iiTTXng KaTa^aa-scmg ; Ti'j oXo'j/o?; a-sj-'KZg ac scire oporteat.' Ibid, Wbicb is as 
(Tci^si TTavrag sviipavBlg, rj ndnsi rovq 7ria-reu- much as to say, tbat he was satisfied of 
ovrai; Orat. xlii. p. 693. Where bis ques- the truth, but desired to satisfy no man 
tion is clearly tbis. Whether Christ ap- else : whereas it is clear tbat it was a 
pearing in hell did save all without ex- doubt in bis age, as we bave before shewn, 
caption, or did save there as be does here, and that he would leave it still a doubt 
only such as believed 1 To tbis it is an- and undetermined. And as for the other : 
swered by Suarez two ways, tbat it is tbe * Augustinus recte potest intelligi de ani- 
ordinary and universal law that none of mabus Purgatorii :' Ibid, it is certainly 
the damned should be saved : • An vero false, unless they will enlarge tbat pur- 
ex speciali privilegio sua voluntate et ar- gatory as wide as bell ; for tbe question 
bitrio aliquem damnatum ex Gehenna was of emptying that. 

2 B 2 



372 



ARTICLE V. 



were kept in any place below, which was, or may be called the 
hell : the bosom of Abraham might well be in the heavens 
above, far from any region where the devil and his angels were ; 
the Scriptures no where tell us that the spirits of just men 
went unto or did remain in hell ; the place in which the rich 
man was in torments after death is called hell, but that into 
which the angels carried the poor man's soul is not termed so. 
There was a vast distance between them two, nor is it likely 
that the angels which see the face of God should be sent down 
from heaven to convey the souls of the just into that place, 
where the face of God cannot be seen. When God translated 
Enoch, and Elias was carried up in a chariot to heaven, they 
seem not to be conveyed to a place where there was no vision 
of God ; and yet it is most probable, that Moses was with Elias 
as well before as upon the mount: nor is there any reason to 
conceive that Abraham should be in any worse place or condi- 
tion than Enoch was, having as great a testimony that he 
pleased God" as Enoch had. (Heb. xi. 5.) 

Secondly, It cannot be certain that the soul of Christ deli- 
vered the souls of the saints of old from hell, and imparted to 
them the beatifical vision, except it were certain that their souls 
are in another place and a better condition now than they were 
before. But there is no certainty that the patriarchs and the 
prophets are now in another place and a better condition than 
they were before our blessed Saviour died ; there is no intima- 
tion of any such alteration of their state delivered in the Scrip* 
tures ; there is no such place with any probability pretended 
to prove any actual accession of happiness and glory already 
past. " Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit 
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of 
heaven:'' (Matt. viii. 11.) there then did the Gentiles which 
came in to Christ find the patriarchs, even in the kingdom of 
heaven; and we cannot perceive that they found them any 
where else than Lazarus did. For the description is the same, 
" There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall 
see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in 
the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 
xiii. 28.) For as the rich man '* in hell lift up his eyes being 
in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off," (Luke xvi. 23.) before 
the death of Christ; so those that were in weeping and 
gnashing of teeth, saw Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and 
the prophets," when the Gentiles were brought in. 

Thirdly, Though it were certain that the souls of the saints 
had been in a place called hell, as they were not; though it 
were also certain that they were now in a better condition than 
they were before Christ*s death, as it is not : yet it would not 
follow that Christ descended into hell to make this alteration ; 
for it might not be performed before his resurrection, it might 
not be effected till his ascension, it might be attributed to the 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 373 



merit of his passion, it might have no dependence on his de- 
scension. I conclude therefore that there is no certainty of 
truth in that proposition which the Schoolmen take for a mat- 
ter of faith, that Christ delivered the souls of the saints from 
that place of hell which they call limbus of the fathers, into 
heaven; and for that purpose after his death descended into 
hell. 

Wherefore being it is most infallibly certain that the death 
of Christ was as powerful and effectual for the redemption of 
the saints before him, as for those which follow him; being 
*Uhey did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the 
same spiritual drink;" (1 Cor. x. 3, 4.) being Abraham is the 
father of us all," and we now after Christ's ascension are called 
but to walk in the steps of the faith of that father;" (Rom. 
iv. 16. 12.) being the bosom of Abraham is clearly propounded 
in the Scriptures, (Luke xvi. 22.) as the place into which the 
blessed angels before the death of Christ conveyed the souls of 
those which departed in the favour of God, and is also pro- 
mised to them which should believe in Christ after his death ;^ 
being we can find no difference or translation of the bosom of 
Abraham, and yet it is a comfort still to us that we shall go to 
him,f and while we hope so never fear that we shall go to hell : 
I cannot admit this as the end of Christ's descent into hell, to 
convey the souls of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and those 
which were with them, from thence ; nor can I think there was 
any reference to such an action in those words, ''Thou shalt 
not leave my soul in hell." 



• Although the bosom of AbraJtam in 
express and formal terms be spoken only 
of Lazarus, whom Christ being yet alive 
in the flesh supposed dead ; yet the same 
bosom is virtually and in terms equiva- 
lent promised to those which should af- 
terwards believe. For the joys of the life 
to come are likened to a feast, in which, 
according to the custom then in use, they 
lay down with the head of one toward 
the breast of the other, who is therefore 
said to lie in his bosom, as we read of St. 
John, riv avanitfAivog ev tS hoX'stm 'Ijktou* 
John xiii. 23. thus in that heavenly feast 
in the kingdom of God, Lazarus is, am- 
KEifABvo!; Iv to; koXttix "aQ^o.^^' Luke xvi. 23. 
and Matt. viii. il. Christ saith, that 
*' many shall come from the east and from 
the west," no.) avanT^iBha-oVTat fxtra ^AQ^aafx, 
discumbeiit cum Abrahamo, " sit down 
with Abraham," as we translate it after 
our custom, at the same feast, that is, 
avciK\i6na-ovrai Iv toT? xoXttoj? rov 'AQ^aa/x, 
&c. as Euthymius : ' Quia Deus Abraham, 
coeli conditor, Pater Christi est; idcirco 
in regno ccelorum est et Abraham, cum 
quo accubiturae sunt nationes quae credi- 
derunt in Christum filiumcreatoris.' ad loc. 



t St. Augusiin often shews the comfort 
which he had in going to the bosom of 
Abraham : as in the case of his friend Ne- 
bridius : * Nunc ille vivit in sinu Abra- 
ham. Quicquid illud est quod iilo signi- 
ficatur sinu, ibi Nebridius mens vivit, 
dulcis amicus meus, tuus autem, Domine, 
adoptivus ex liberto filius, ibi vivit. Nam 
quis alius tali animee locus'!' Confess. 1. 
ix. c. 3. And he seats that place (as un- 
certain as before) where it was before : 
* Post vitam istam parvam nondum eris 
ubi erunt Sancti, quibus dicetur, Venite 
benedicti Pair is, percipite regnum quod lo- 
bis paratum est ab initio mundi. Nondum 
ibi eris, quis nescit \ Sed jam poteris ibi 
esse, ubi ilium quondam ulcerosum pau- 
perem dives ille superbus et sterilis in 
mediis suis tormentis vidit a longe requi- 
escentem.' Concio 1. 10. in Psal. xxxvi. 
And this he necessarily takes for a suffi- 
cient comfort to a dying Christian, who 
seats that place ' in conspecta Domini,' 
de Civit. Dei, 1. i. c. 12. and looked upon- 
them which were in it, as upon those, ♦ a 
quibus Chriotus secundum beatificam 
prsesentiam nunquam recessit.' Epist. 99. 
al. 164. 8. 



374 



ARTICLE V. 



Another Opinion bath obtained, especially in our Church, 
that the end for which our Saviour descended into hell, was to 
triumph over Satan and all the powers below within their own 
dominions. And this hath been received as grounded on the 
Scriptures and consent of fathers. The Scriptures produced 
for the confirmation of it are these two, "having spoiled prin- 
cipalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumph- 
ing over them:" (Col. ii. 11.) and, "when he ascended up on 
high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now 
that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first 
into the lower parts of the earth ?"(Eph. iv. 8, 9.) By the con- 
junction of these two they conceive the triumph of Christ's de- 
scent clearly described in this manner: * Ye were buried with 
Christ in baptism, with whom ye were also raised ; and when 
ye were dead in sins, he quickened you together with him, for- 
giving your sins, and cancelling the hand-writing of ordinances 
that was against us, and spoiling powers and principalities, he 
made an open show of them, triumphing over them in himself.'* 
(Col. ii. 12 — 15.) That is, say they, ye died and were buried 
with Christ, who fastened the hand-writing of ordinances to 
the cross, that he might abolish it from having any right to tie 
or yoke his members. Ye likewise were quickened, and raised 
together with Christ, who spoiled powers and principalities, 
and triumphed over them in his own person. So that these 
words, '^spoiling principalities and powers," are not referred 
to the cross but to Christ's resurrection. This triumph over 
Satan and all his kingdom, the same apostle to the Ephesians 
setteth down as a consequent to Christ's death, and pertinent 
to his resurrection, "Ascending on high, he led captivity cap- 
tive:" and this, "he ascended: what meaneth it, but that he 
descended first into the lower parts of the earth V (Eph. iv. 
8, 9.) So that ascending from the lower parts of the earth, he 
"led captivity captive," which is all one with *' he triumphed 
over powers and principalities." With this coherence and 
conjunction of the apostle's words, together with the interpre- 
tation of the ancient fathers, they conceive it sufficiently de- 
monstrated, that C/?Ws^ after his death, and before his resurrec- 
tion, in the lowermost parts of the earth, even in hell, did lead 
captivity captive, and triumphed over Satan. 

But notwithstanding, I cannot yet perceive either how this 
triumph in hell should be delivered as a certain truth in itself, 
or how it can have any consistency with the denial of those 
other ends, which they who of late have embraced this opinion 
do ordinarily reject. First, I cannot see how the Scriptures 
mentioned are sufficient to found any such conclusion of them- 
selves. Secondly, I cannot understand how they can embrace 
this as the interpretation of the fathers, who believe not that 
any of the souls of the damned were taken out of the torments 

* C. Bilson, p. 294. 



• 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 375 

of hell, or that the souls of the saints of old were removed from 
thence by Christ's descent; which were the reasons why the 
fathers spake of such a triumphing in hell, and leading capti- 
vity captive there. 

That the triumphing in the Epistle to the Colossians is not 
referred to the cross, but to the resurrection^ cannot be proved : 
the coherence cannot enforce so much : no logic can infer such 
a division, that the blotting out of the hand-writing belongeth 
precisely to our burial with him ; and the triumphing over prin- 
cipalities and powers, particularly to our being quickened together 
with him; or that the blotting out was performed at one time, 
and the triumphing at another. Our present translation attri- 
buteth it expressly to the cross, rendering the last words, "tri- 
umphing over them in it/' that is, in the cross, mentioned in 
the former verse; and though anciently it have been read tri- 
umphing over them in himself , yet still there are these two great 
advantages on our side ;* first. That if we read, in it, it proves 
the triumph spoken of in this place performed upon the cross; 
and if we read in himself, it proveth not that the triumph was 
performed in any other place, because he was himself u^on the 
cross. Secondly, The ancient fathers of the Greek Church read 
it as we do, in it,\ and interpret the triumph of his death ; and 
those others of the Latin Church, which did read it otherwise, 
did also acknowledge with the Greeks the cross not only to be 
the place in which the victory over Satan was obtained, but 
also to be the trophy of that victory, and the triumphal chariot.J 



* So the Vulgar Latin, Palam trium- 
phans illos in semetipso ; as also the Syriac 
naiDpn. So Novatian de Tr'm. c. 16. 
' Triumphans illis in semetipso.' St. Hi- 
lary : ' Triumphantes eos in semetipso.' 
Tract, in Psal. cxliii. §. 4. So St. Am- 
brose, St. Augustin, and Pacianus. ad loc. 

t CEcumenius sheweth their reading : 
®piaf/,Qeu(rag avrovg Iv avrS)' and interpre- 
tation : GftdfxQog KiyETUi h Kara, rZv hTrao- 

avTov 5'(a rou crraugoy, TovricrTiv hUna-z, xai 
nar avrov ^^ictfxQov vorjrov a'TveriXza-e. Com. 
in Cotoss. c. 7. 'Ev avrS then is 5ia tov 
ff-rav^ou, and this ^^iafx^o!; vohto? on the 
cross will no way agree with that actual 
triumph in hell. But Theophylact yet 
more clearly : ©^lafxQtvs-ai; alrovq Iv alrcS, 

TOVTBO-TtV, Iv TW (TTaV^S TOVS ^AifXOVaQ rjTTaj- 

fxivovg hi^a,{. ®piafxQog ya^ XEyerai, orav 
Tzj awo v/ka; tro\i[xloov l7rav£X0<iv ^Kfxoa-ictv 
TTOfXTThv reXn, rolg hrTtjdivrag lea-fxiovq 'sraa-i 
hiKvvajv. 'Ev a-ravfSi oZv to Tg^Trajov afr\- 
caq 0 KupJof, olitrve^ Iv Srjfxoa-ia} S-Ear^w 'EX\«- 
vm/PaifJLctioiiV, 'lov^etioov Tovg ^aifjiovag IQfiafA,- 
^eva-e. In loc. And this exposition they 
received from St. Chrysostom, who makes 
the hiyfji,arta-y.og on the cross to consist in 
the death upon it : ^Enei Tm 'ur^tiyhv sXaQsv 
9 haQoKoq vtto c-Mixaref vm^ou rhv naipiav Xet- 



Ca)v. In Ep. ad Col. Horn. 6. Where it is 
to be observed that the triumph is not at- 
tributed to the soul departed from the 
body and descended into hell, but rather 
to the body left by the soul and hanging 
on the cross : Aia. tov olnsiov c-a>fxarog vaa-iv 
r,fj.~v rhv v.a.'T avrZv x,'^^ia-afA£Vog nmv, says 
Theodoret, in loc. And before all these 
Origen most expressly : 'Visibiliter qui- 
dem Filius Dei in cruce crucifixus est, 
invisibiliter vero in ea cruce diabolus cum 
principatibus suis et potestatibus aflBxus 
est cruci. Non tibi hoc videbitur varum, 
si tibi horum testem produxero Aposto- 
lum Pauluml Quod erat contrarium nobis, 
tulit illiid de medio ajjigens cruci sua, ex- 
uens principatus et potestates traduxit, libere 
triumphans eas in ligno crucis. Ergo du- 
plex Dominicee crucis est ratio ; una ilia, 
qua dicit Petrus quod Christus crucifixus 
nobis reliquit exeinplum; et haec secunda, 
qua crux ilia trophaeum diaboli fuit, in 
quo et crucifixus est et triumphatus.' In 
Josuam, Horn. viii. * Requievit ut Leo, 
cum in cruce positus principatus et potes- 
tates exuit, et triumphavit eos cum ligno 
crucis.' Idem, ibid. 

i Tertullian, ad Marcion. 1. ii. 167. 

* Serpentis spolium, devicto principe 
mundi, 



( 



376 ARTICLE V. 

This place then of St. Paul to the Colossians cannot prove 
that Christ descended into hell, to triumph over the devil there j 
and if it be not proper for that purpose of itself, it will not 
be more effectual by the addition of that other to the Ephe- 
sians. For, first, y^q have already shewn, that the desce?iding 
info the lower parts of the earth, doth not necessarily signify his 
descent into hell, and consequently, cannot prove that either 
those things which are spoken in the same place, or in any 
other, are to be attributed to that descent. Again, if it were 
granted, that those words did signify hell, and this Article of 
our Creed were contained in them, yet would it not follow 
from that Scripture, that Christ triumphed over Satan while 
his soul was in hell ; for the consequence would be only this, 
that the same Christy who led captivity captive, descended first 
into hell. In that he ascended (and ascending led captivity cap- 
tive,) lohat is it bat that he descended Jirstl The descent, then, 
if it were to hell, did precede the triumphant ascent of the 
same person ; and that is all which the apostle's words will 
evince. Nay, farther yet, the ascent mentioned by St. Paul 
cannot be that, which immediately followed the descent into 
hell, for it evidently signifieth the ascension, which followed 
forty days after his resurrection. It is not an ascent from the 
parts below to the surface of the earth, but to the heavens 
above, an ascending up on high, e^enfar above all heavens. Now 
the leading captivity captive belongeth clearly to this ascent, 
and not to any descent which did precede it. It is not said, 
that he descended first to lead captivity captive ; and yet it must 
be so, if Christ descended into hell to triumph there : it is not 
said, when he had led captivity captive, he ascended up on high; 
for then it might be supposed, that the captives had been led 
before : but it is expressly said, ascending up on high he led cap- 
tivity captive ;^ and consequently, that triumphant act was the 



Affixit ligno refugarum immane tro- 
phaeum.' 

Prudentius Cathem, Hymn. ix. 83. 
* Die trophasum passionis, die trium- 
phalem crucem.' 
St. Hilary most expressly : * Manus ejus 
edoct(B ad helium sunt cum vicit seculum. 
'Ego enim, ait, vici mundum, cum extensus 
in crucem invictissimis armis ipsius pas- 
sionis instruitur, Et posuisti, inquit, tit 
arcum cEreum brachia mea, cum de omni- 
bus virtutibus ac potestatibus in ipso tro- 
phaeo gloriosae crucis triumphavit, et 
principatus et potestates traduxit cum 
jiducia triumphans in semetipso.' Tract, in 
Psal. cxliii. §. 4, Where it is observable 
that the father does read it in semetipso, 
and interprets it in cruce. ' Nos quoniam 
trophaeum jam videmus, et quod currum 
suum triumphator ascendit, considere- 
mus quod non arborum, non quadrijugis 
plaustri manubias de mortali hoste quee- 



sitas, sed patibulo triumphali captiva de 
seculo spolia suspendit.' S. Ambros. 1. x. 
in c. 23. S. LuciE, §. 109. and amongst 
the rest of the captives he reckons after- 
wards : ' captivum principem mundi, et 
spiritualia nequitiaj quae sunt in coelesti- 
bus.' Ibid. To this alludes Fulgentius, J. 
iii. ad Thrasim, c. 29. 'Sicoportuit pec- 
catorum nostrorum chirographum deleri, 
ut dum vetus homo noster simul cruel 
aflSigitur, tanquam in trophaeo, triumpha- 
toris victoria panderetur.' Whether there- 
fore we read it Iv avrS with the Greeks, 
that is, Iv a-ravpS, or, Iv avru with the La- 
tins in seipso, it is the same : for he tri- 
umphed over the devil by himself upon 
the cross, as in the same case it is writ- 
ten, Eph. ii. 16. Kttt aTTonaraWa^ii rohg 
afA,:pOTe^ovi; Iv kvl crifxari tcc ©saS St* tov 

* The original words do manifestly 
shew, that this triumphant act did not 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 377 

immediate effect of his ascension. So that by these two Scrip- 
tures no more can be proved than this, that Chriat triumphed 
over principalities and powers at his death upon the cross, and 
led captivity captive at his ascension into heaven. Which is 
so far from proving that Christ descended into hell to triumph 
there, that it is more proper to persuade the contrary. For 
why should he go to hell to triumph over them, over whom 
he had triumphed on the cross ? Why should he go to capti- 
vate that captivity then, which he was to captivate when he 
ascended into heaven ? 

As for the testimonies of the fathers, they will appear of 
small validity to confirm this triumphant descent as it is dis- 
tinguished from the two former effects, the removal of the 
saints to heaven, and the delivering the damned from the tor- 
ments of hell. In vain shall we pretend, that Christ descended 
into hell to lead captivity captive, if we withal maintain, that 
when he descended thither, he brought none away which were 
captive there. This was the very notion which those fathers 
had, that the souls of men were conquered by Satan, and after 
death actually brought into captivity; and that the soul of 
Christ descending to the place where they were, did actually 
release them from that bondage, and bring them out of the pos- 
session of the devil by force.* Thus did he conquer Satan, 



precede this ascent : for bad it been, 
al^fAa.'KcDTevO'itg al^fxaXccaiav aVB^v sit S^oj, 
we migbt well have expounded it thus ; 
Christ did lead sin and death and Satan 
captive ; and when he had done so, as- 
cended up on high : but being it is written 
avaBat ilq u^f'<5?, that is, having ascended zip 
on high, )i ^fxaXciOTBva-ev al^fxa'haKriav , lie 
captivated a captivity, the ascent must here 
precede the captivation, though not in 
time (as it did the giving of gifts) yet in 
nature : so that it is not proper to say, 
by captivating he ascended ; but it is 
proper to express it thus, by ascending he 
led captive a captivity. 

* So St. Jerome on that place of the 
Ephesians : ' Inferiora autem terrae in- 
femus accipitur, ad quern Dominus noster 
Salvatorque descendit, ut Sanctorum ani- 
mas, quae ibi tenebantur inclusaj, secum 
ad ccelos Victor abduceret.' And on Matt, 
xii. 29. ' Alligatus est fortis, et religatus 
in Tartarum, et Domini contritus pede ; 
et direptis sedibus Tyranni, captiva 
ducta est captivitas.' So Amoldus Car- 
notensis is to be understood, De Unctione 
Chrismatis : ' Passus est rex illudi, et vita 
occidi ; descendensque ad inferos capti- 
vam ab antique captivitatem reduxit :' 
applying it to the custom of the Church : 
Omnino convenit, ut eo tempore quo 
Christus captivos eduxit ab inferis, re- 
conciliati peccatores ad Ecclesiam re- 
ducantur.' Ibid. Thus Athanasius, when 



he speaks of Christ's triumphing over 
Satan in hell, he mentions rov a'Juv o-xuXeu- 
Osvra, hell spoiled, to wit, of those souls 
which before it kept in hold. Otherwise 
in the same oration, in Passionem et Cru- 
cem, he acknowledgeth the triumph on 
the cross : "e5ej ya^ tov nxwrnv tov ^piafx- 
Bivovra (not B^ta.fxBiv<70VTei) Holto. tou 

Bctcral^siv TO Tpoiraicv. §. '20. Thus Leo 
the emperor : ij-to? avia-rn rov aS^v alx' 
/uaXojTiVa?, Kal rotg al^^juLctXciroii; iXeu^E^ictv 
Knpu^ai;. Horn, de Resurr. And thus Ma- 
carius supposeth Christ victoriously speak- 
ing unto hell and death : Kb\svoo erol aS>j 
Kal tTKoroq, Koi &avATi, ix^aXe rag lyxexXej- 
(TiUEvaj Homil. xi. p. 62. Auctor 

libelli de Paschate, under the name of St. 
Ambrose : * Expers peccati Christus cum 
ad Tartari ima descenderet, seras inferni 
januasque confringens, vinctas peccato 
animas, mortis dominatione destructa e 
diaboli faucibus revocavit ad vitam. Atque 
ita divinum triumphum seternis characte- 
ribus est conscriptum, dum dicit, Ubi est, 
mors, acitleus tuitsl Ubi est, mors, victoria 
tua T cap. 4. And the commentaries 
under the same name : ' Gratia Dei abun- 
davit in descensu Salvatoris, omnibus 
dans indulgentiam, cum triumpho sublatis 
eis in coslum.' Ad Rom. v. 15. ' Secun- 
dum animam descendit ad inferna et spo- 
liavit principes tenebrarum ab animabus 
electorum.' Fgbert. Serm. 9. contra Cn 



378 ARTICLE V. 

spoil hell, and lead captivity captive, according to their appre- 
hension. But if he had taken no souls from thence, he had 
not spoiled hell, he had not led captivity captive, he had not 
so triumphed in the fathers' sense. Wherefore, being the 
Scriptures teach us not that Christ triumphed in hell; being 
the triumph which the fathers mention, was either in relation 
to the damned souls which Christ took out of those tormenting 
flames as some imagined, or in reference to the spirits of the 
just which he took out of those infernal habitations, as others 
did conceive; being we have already thought fit not to admit 
either of these two as the effect of Christ's descent: it follow- 
eth that we cannot acknowledge this as the proper end of the 
Article. 

Nor can we see how the prophet David could intend so 
much, as if, when he spake those words in the person of our 
Saviour, ** Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell," he should 
have intended this. Thou shalt not leave my soul separated 
from my body, and conveyed into the regions of the damned 
spirits, amongst all the principalities and powers of hell ; I 
say, thou shalt not leave me there, battering all the infernal 
strength, redeeming the prisoners, leading captivity captive, 
and victoriously triumphing over death, and hell, and Satan. 
In sum, those words of the prophet cannot admit any interpre- 
tation, involving a glorious, triumphant, and victorious con- 
dition, which is not a subject capable of dereliction. For as 
the hope which he had of his body, that it should not see cor- 
ruption, supposed that it was to be put in the grave, which 
could not of itself free the body from corruption ; so the hope 
that his soul should not be left in hell, supposeth it not to be 
in such a state, as was of itself contradictory to dereliction. 

And this leads me to that end, which I conceive most con- 
formable to the words of the prophet, and least liable to ques- 
tion or objection. We have already shewn the substance of 
the Article to consist in this, that the soul of Christ, really se- 
parated from his body by death, did truly pass unto the places 
below, where the souls of men departed were. And I conceive 
the end for which he did so, was, that he might undergo 
the condition of a dead man as well as of a living. He appeared 
here in the similitude of sinful flesh, and went into the other 
world in the similitude of a sinner. His body was laid in a 
grave, as ordinarily the bodies of dead men are ; his soul was 
conveyed into such receptacles as the souls of other persons 
use to be. All, which was necessary for our redemption by 
way of satisfaction and merit, was already performed on the 
cross ; and all, which was necessary for the actual collation 



tharos. Thus still the fathers which speak 
of spoiling hell, of leading captivity cap- 
tive, of triumphing over Satan ia his own 
quarters, are to be understood in respect 



to those souls which they thought were 
taken out of the custody, possession, 
or dominion of Satan, whether just or 
unjust. 



HE DESCENDED INTO HELL. 379 



and exhibition of what was merited there, was to be effected 
upon and after his resurrection : in the interim, therefore, there 
is nothing left, at least known to us, but to satisfy the law of 
death. This he undertook to do, and did : and though the 
ancient fathers by the several additions of other ends have 
something obscured this, yet it may be sufficiently observed 
in their writings,^ and is certainly most conformable to that 
prophetical expression, upon which we have hitherto grounded 
our explication, Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell, neither 
wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption." (Psal. xvi. 10.) 

Secondly, By the descent of Christ into hell, all those which 
believe in him, are secured from descending thither; he went 
into those regions of darkness, that our souls might never 
come into those torments which are there. By his descent he 
freed us from our fears, as by his ascension he secured us of 
our hopes. He passed to those habitations where Satan hath 
taken up possession and exerciseth his dominion ; that having 
no power over him, we might be assured that he should never 
exercise any over our souls departed, as belonging unto him. 
*' Through death he destroyed him that had the power of death. 



* Irenseus so calls his descent: 'legem 
mortuorum servare.' Adv. Hceres. I. v. c. 
^6. and St. Hilary expresses that which 
I intend very clearly : ' Morte non inter- 
ceptus est unigenitus Dei Filius ; ad ex- 
plendam quidem hominis naturam, etiam 
mord se, id est, discessioni se tanquam 
animse corporisque subjecit, et ad in- 
femas sedes, id quod homini debitum vi- 
detur esse, penetravit.' Tract, in Psal. 
liii. §. 14. And before him Tertullian : 
* Christus Deus, quia et homo mortuus 
secundum Scripturas, et sepultus secus 
easdem, huic quoque legi satisfecit, forma 
humanae mortis apud inferos functus.' 
De Anima, c. 55.'^HXQbv avTog 6 tZv TTavTav 
e-MTr)^, Koi TcLq hfjuv )(^^icticrroufA,Bvag Tiy,oof>[ag 
elg rhv hy-oov, avS' hf/.oi)V, avajUa^ tutov aurou 
vves^B^ctro aa^na,. KaTa<|)Sgo^£&tt fxerk tov 
QavctTov £1? Tov rtSnv avsSe^aTo ko.] rovro, Hcti 
xftT^xQjv 'movTlooq t\q avTov. Gelus. Act. Cone, 
Nic. 1. ii. c. 32. This St. Augustin calls 
proprietatem carnis, Cont. Felician. c. 11. 
'Scio ad inferos Divinitatem Filii Dei 
descendisse proprietate carnis; scio ad 
coelum adscendisse carnem merito Deita- 
tis.' And afterwards he calls it Injuriam 
carnis: ' Erat uno atque eodem tempore 
ipsetotus etiam in inferno, totus in coelo, 
illic patiens injuriam carnis, hie non re- 
liuquens gloriam Deitatis.' c. 14. ' Jm- 
pleta est Scriptura qn<B dicit, et cum iniqids 
reputatus est. Quod et altius intelligi 
potest, dicente de semetipso Domino, 
reputatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum: 
factus sum sicut homo sine adjutoria, inter 
mortuos liber. Vere enim reputatus est 



inter peccatores et iniquos, ut descen- 
deret ad infernum.' S. Hieron. in Isaice 
c. liii. 12. RuflSnus, in his Exposition 
of the Creed, descanting upon that place 
in the Psalms : ' Factus sum sicut homo 
sine adjutorio, inter mortuos liber. Non 
dixit homo, sed sicut homo. Sicut homo 
enim erat, quia etiam descenderat in infer- 
num ; sed inter mortuos liber erat, quia a 
morte teneri non poterat. Et ideo in uno 
natura humanae fragilitatis, in alio di- 
vinas potestas majestatis ostenditur.' §. 
29. And yet more pertinently Fulgen- 
tius : ' Restabat ad plenum nostrae re- 
demptionis effectum, ut illuc usque homo 
sine peccato a Deo susceptus descenderet; 
quousque homo separatus a Deo peccati 
merito cecidisset, id est, ad infernum, ubi 
solebat peccatoris anima torqueri, et ad 
sepulcrum, ubi consueverat peccatoris 
caro corrumpi.' Ad Thrasim. 1. iii. c. 30. 
El ovv nal avTog sWiro, Kvfioi; mv rov TTavTof, 
nai ^ta-'morni;, hcu <^u}g tmv Iv ctxothj, kcu ^uh 
Tuiv a7ravT»'V, Qclvutov ycv(7atrQai, Kcti Tr,v ilq 
a^ov KctraBctiTLV iTTiSi^a^Qai, oog av Kara TfaVTo, 
hfA-Xv ofxotw^K PC*'?'? li/w-ctfTi'a?, &cc. Andreas 
Cret. Serm. in vita7n humanam, p. 241. 
I conclude this with that exposition of 
St. Hilary upon the words of the Psal- 
mist, " If I go down into hell, thou art 
there also:" 'Humanae ista lex necessi- 
tatis est, ut consepultis corporibus ad in- 
feros animae descendant : quam descen- 
sionem Dominus ad consummationem veri 
hominis non recusavit.' Tract, in Pial 
cxxxviii. §. 22. 



380 



ARTICLE V. 



that is, the devil (Heb. ii. 14.) and by his actual descent 
into the dominions of him so destroyed, secured all which 
have an interest in him of the same freedom v*^hich he had. 
Which truth is also still preserved (though among many other 
.strange conceptions) in the writings of the fathers.* 

Having thus examined the several interpretations of this part 
of the Article, we may now give a brief and safe account there- 
of, and teach every one how they may express their faith with- 
out any danger of mistake, saying : I give a full and undoubting 
assent unto this as to a certain truth, that when all the suffer- 
ings of Christ were finished" on the cross, (John xix. 30.) 
and his soul was separated from his body, though his body 
were dead, yet his soul died not ; and though it died not, yet 
it underwent the condition of the souls of such as die; and 
being he died in the similitude of a sinner, his soul went to 
the place where the souls of men are kept who die for their 
sins, and so did wholly undergo the law of death : but because 
there was no sin in him, and he had fully satisfied for the sins 
of others which he took upon him ; therefore as God suffered 
not his Holy One to see corruption, so he left not his soul in 
hell, and thereby gave sufficient security to all those who be- 
long to Christ, of never coming under the power of Satan, or 
suffering in the flames prepared for the devil and his angels. 
And thus, and for these purposes, may every Christian say, I 
believe that Christ descended into hell. 

He rose again. 

Whatsoever variations have appeared in any of the other 
Articles, this part, of Christ's resurrection, hath been constantly 
delivered without the least alteration, either by way of addition 
or diminution.f The whole matter of it is so necessary and 
essential to the Christian faith, that nothing of it could be 
omitted ; and in these few expressions the whole doctrine is so 
clearly delivered, that nothing needed to be added. At the 
first view we are presented with three particulars : First, The 
action itself, or the resurrection of Christ, he rose again. 
Secondly, The verity, reality, and propriety of that resurrec- 



* As we read of the opinion in Tertul- 
lian's time, though not of him : * Sed in 
hoc, inquimit, Christus inferos adiit, ne 
nos adiremus. Caeterum, quod discrimen 
Ethnicorum et Christianorum, si career 
mortuis idem ?' De Anima, c. 55. ' Ergo 
aut ipsius vox est hie, Et eruisti animam 
meam ab inferno hiferiore, aut nostra vox 
per ipsum Christum Dominum nostrum ; 
quia ideo ille pervenit usque ad infernum, 
ne nos remaneremus in inferno.' S. Au- 
gust, in Psal. Ixxxv. §. 17. ITat^p^wv ya^ 
auT05 hfxcii; aviKa^e, not tetejviSv auroj hfAcLg 
ir^B<^s, Koi £lf Tcv rt.'S>iv Ka,ra.0iiivoov, hfxag avi- 



<p£^s.S. Athanas. in Omnia mihitrad.&cc.§.2. 

t For though Eusebius Gallicanus and 
Venantius Fortunatus leave out the last 
words, a mortuis, and some copies in 
Ruffinus have it not ; yet it is generally 
expressed in all the rest, which are more 
ancient than Eusebius or Fortunatus : and 
therefore that omission is to be imputed 
rather to negligence either of the author 
or the scribe, than to the usage of the 
Church in their age. * Quod die tertio 
resurrexerit a mortuis Dominiis Christus, 
nullus ambigit Christianus.' S. Aiig. in 
Vigiliis Pasdice, iii. Serm. 79. al. §. 1. 



HE ROSE AGAIN. 



381 



tion, he rose from the dead. Thirdly, The circumstance of time 
or distance of his resurrection from his death, he rose from the 
dead the third day. 

For the illustration of the first particular, and the justifica- 
tion of our belief in Christ's resurrection, it will be necessary. 
First, To shew the promised Messias was to rise from the dead ; 
and. Secondly, That Jesus, whom we believe to be the true and 
only MessiaSf did so rise as it was promised and foretold. As 
the Messias was to be the Son of David, so was he particularly 
typified by him and promised unto him. Great were the oppo- 
sitions which David suffered both by his own people and by 
the nations round about him ; which he expressed of himself, 
and foretold of the Messias, in those words, " the kings of the 
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, 
against the Lord and against his anointed," (Psal. ii. 2.) that 
is, his Christ. From whence it came to pass, that against 
the holy child Jesus, whom God had anointed, both Herod and 
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, 
were gathered together, to do whatsoever the hand and the 
counsel of God determined before to be done," (Acts iv. 27, 28.) 
which was to crucify and slay the Lord of life. But notwith- 
standing all this opposition and persecution, it was spoken of 
David, and foretold of the Son of David, " Yet have I set mine 
anointed upon my holy hill of Sion. I will declare the decree, 
the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I 
begotten thee." (Psal. ii. 6, 7.) As therefore the persecution 
in respect of David amounted only to a depression of him, and 
therefore his exaltation was a settling in the kingdom ; so 
being the conspiration against the Messias amounted to a real 
crucifixion and death, therefore the exaltation must include a 
resurrection. And being he which rises from the dead, begins 
as it were to live another life, and the grave to him is in the 
manner of a womb to bring him forth ; therefore when God 
said of his Anointed, " Thou art my Son, this day have I be- 
gotten thee," he did foretell and promise that he would raise 
the Messias from death to life. 

But because this prediction was something obscured in the 
figurative expression, therefore the Spirit of God hath cleared 
it farther by the same prophet, speaking by the mouth of David, 
but such words as are agreeable not to the person, but the 
Son of David, " My flesh shall rest in hope ; for thou wilt not 
leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One 
to see corruption." (Psal. xvi. 10.) As for the patriarch 
David, he is both dead and buried," and his flesh consumed in 
his sepulchre ; but " being a prophet, and knowing that God 
had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins 
according to the flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his 
throne ; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of 
Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did 



382 



ARTICLE V. 



see corruption.'* (Acts ii. 29 — 31.) They were both to be sepa- 
rated by his death, and each to be disposed in that place which 
was respectively appointed for them : but neither long to con- 
tinue there, the body not to be detained in the grave, the soul 
not to be left in hell, but both to meet, and being reunited, to 
rise again. 

Again, lest any might imagine that the Messias dying once 
might rise from death, and living after death, yet die again, 
there was a farther prophecy to assure us of the excellency of 
that resurrection, and the perpetuity of that life, to which the 
Messias was to be raised. For God giving this promise to his 
people, I will make an everlasting covenant with you,'* (of 
which the Messias was to be the mediator, and to ratify it by 
his death) and adding this expression, '* even the sure mercies 
of David," (Isa. Iv. 3.) could signify no less than that the Christy 
who was given first unto us in a frail and mortal condition, 
in which he was to die, should afterwards be given in an im- 
mutable state, and consequently, that he being dead should 
rise unto eternal life. And thus by virtue of these three pre- 
dictions we are assured that the Messias was to rise again, as 
also by those types which did represent and presignify the 
same. Joseph, who was ordained to save his brethren from 
death who would have slain him, did represent the Son of God, 
who was slain by us, and yet dying saved us ; and his being 
in the dungeon typified Chrisfs death ;* his being taken out 
from thence represented his resurrection ; as his evection to the 
power of Egypt next to Pharaoh, signified the session of Christ 
at the right hand of his Father. Isaac was sacrificed, and yet 
lived, to shew that Christ should truly die, and truly live again. 
And Abraham offered him up, " accounting that God was able 
to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he re- 
ceived him in a figure." (Heb. xi. 19.) In Abraham's inten- 
tion Isaac died, in his expectation he was to rise from the dead, 
in his acceptation being spared he was received from the dead, 
and all this acted to presignify, f that the only Son of God 
was really and truly to be sacrificed and die, and after death 
was really to be raised to life. What was the intention of our 
father Abraham not performed, that was the resolution of our 
heavenly Father and fulfilled. And thus the resurrection of 
the Messias was represented by types, and foretold by pro- 
phecies ; and therefore the Christ was to rise from the dead. 

* ' Post duos annos dierum, tertio in- t ' Ideo Isaac immolatus non est, quia 

cipiente, de carcere educitur Joseph. Et resurrectio Filio Dei servata est.' Prosper. 

noster Joseph Christus Dominus die tertio de Promiss. et Predict, p. i.e. 17. O'jrooq 

a mortuis resurrexit. Praesentatur Phara- yaf tov ayiov 7rv£ufA,arog to fA.sya fxvtrrhfiov 

oni ; mundo resurrectio declaratur — Data TvirinMq afX(poTEfoi(; eTri/xe^ls-avro/;, rS tt 

est Joseph a Pharaone in tota ^gypto hya.7rnfxiva) vlS Hal tS (Tv/j.7ra§a.^eix,^evri 

potestas. Et noster Joseph Christus Do- '/r^oBa.rca, aiars ^eix^hai Iv [xbv rS 7rpo0aro) 

minus post resurrectionem dicit, Data est to rov Qavarou fxua-Thpiov, Iv iS juovoysve'i 

inihi omnis potestas in ccelo et in terra.' rhv ^mw, t«v (xh ^ianoirrofxhnv rS Qavaw- 

Prosper, de Promis. et Prcedict. p. i. c. 29. Greg. Nyss. Orat. 1. in Resur. ud init. 



HE ROSE AGAIN. 



383 



That Jesus, whom we believe to be the true and only Me^- 
sias, did rise from the dead according to the Scriptures, is a 
certain and infallible truth, delivered unto us, and confirmed 
by testimonies human, angelical, and divine. Those pious 
women which thought with sweet spices to anoint him dead, 
found him alive, '* held him by the feet, and worshipped him,'* 
(Matt, xxviii. 9.) and as the first preachers of his resurrection, 
with fear and great joy ran to bring his disciples word. The 
blessed apostles follow them, to whom also he shewed him- 
self alive after his passion by many infallible proofs (Acts 
i. 3.) who " with great power gave witness of the resurrection 
of the Lord Jesus (Acts iv. 33.) the principal part of whose 
oflfice consisted in this testimony, as appeareth upon the elec- 
tion of Matthias into the place of Judas, grounded upon this 
necessity. " Wherefore of these men which have companied 
with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among 
us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his re- 
surrection." (Acts i. 21, 22.) The rest of his disciples tes- 
tified the same, to whom he also appeared, even to five 
hundred brethren at once." (1 Cor. xv. 6.) These were the 
witnesses of his own family, of such as worshipped him, such 
as believed in him. And because the testimony of an adver- 
sary is in such cases thought of greatest validity, we have not 
only his disciples, but even his enemies, to confirm it. Those 
soldiers that watched at the sepulchre, and pretended to keep 
his body from the hands of his apostles ; they which felt the 
earth trembling under them, and saw the " countenance of an 
angel like lightning, and his raiment white as snow they 
who upon that sight " did shake and became as dead men," 
while he whom they kept, became alive : even some of these 

came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the 
things that were done." (Matt, xxviii. 3, 4. 1 1.) Thus was 
the resurrection of Christ confirmed by the highest human 
testimonies, both of his friends and enemies, of his followers 
and revilers. 

But so great, so necessary, so important a mystery, had 
need of a more firm and higher testimony than that of man : 
and therefore an angel from heaven, who was ministerial in it, 
gave a present and infallible witness to it. He descended 
down, " and came and rolled back the stone from the door, 
and sat upon it." (Matt, xxviii. 2.) Nay, " two angels in 
white, sitting the one at the head, the other at the feet where 
the body of Jesus had lain, said unto the women, Why seek 
ye the living among the dead ? he is not here, but is risen." 
(John XX. 12.) These were the witnesses sent from heaven, 
this the angelic testimony of the resurrection. 

And if we receive the witness of men," or angels, the 
witness of God is greater," (1 John v. 9.) who did sufficiently 
attest this resurrection : not only because there was no other 



384 



ARTICLE V. 



power but that of God, which could effect it, but as our Saviour 
himself said, The Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the 
Father, he shall testify of me ;" adding these words to his 
apostles, " and ye shall bear witness, because ye have been 
with me from the beginning." (John xv. 26, 27.) The Spirit 
of God sent down upon the apostles did thereby testify that 
Christ was risen, because he sent that Spirit from the Father ; 
and the apostles witnessed together with that Spirit, because 
they were enlightened, comforted, confirmed, and strength- 
ened in their testimony by the same Spirit. Thus God raised 
up Jesus, " and shewed him openly, not to all the people, but 
unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to those who did 
eat and drink with him, after he rose from the dead." (Acts x. 
40, 41.) And thus, as it was foretold of the Messias, did our 
Jesus rise ; which was the first part of our inquiry. 

For the second, concerning the reality and propriety of 
Christ's resurrection, expressed in that term from the dead, 
it will be necessary first to consider what are the essential 
characters and proprieties of a true resurrection ; and, se- 
condly, to shew how those proprieties do belong and are agree- 
able to the raising of Christ. The proper notion of the resur- 
rection consists in this, that it is a substantial change by 
which that which was before, and was corrupted, is reproduced 
the same thing again. It is said to be a change, that it may 
be distinguished from a second or new creation. For if God 
should annihilate a man or angel, and make the same man or 
angel out of nothing, though it were a restitution of the same 
thing, yet were it not properly a resurrection, because it is not 
a change or proper mutation, but a pure and total production. 
This change is called a substantial change, to distinguish it 
from all accidental alterations : he which awaketh from his 
sleep ariseth from his bed, and there is a greater change from 
sickness to health ; but neither of these is a resurrection. It 
is called a change of that which was and hath been corrupted, 
because things imn:aterial and incorruptible cannot be said to 
rise again; resurrection implying a reproduction, and that 
which after it was, never was not, cannot be reproduced. 
Again, of those things which are material and corruptible,, of 
some the forms continue and subsist after the corruption of 
the whole, of others not. The forms of inanimate bodies, and 
all irrational souls, when they are corrupted, cease to be ; and 
therefore if they should be produced out of the same matter, 
yet were not this a proper resurrection, because thereby there 
would not be the same individual which was before, but only 
a restitution of the species by another individual. But when a 
rational soul is separated from its body, which is the corrup- 
tion of a man, that soul so separated doth exist, and conse- 
quently, is capable of conjunction and reunion with the body; 
and if the two be again united by an essential and vital union. 



* 



FROM THE DEAD. 



385 



from which life doth necessarily flow, then doth the same man 
live which lived before ; and consequently, this reunion is a 
perfect and proper resurrection from death to life, because the 
same individual person, consisting of the same soul and body, 
which was dead, is now alive again. 

Having thus delivered the true nature of a proper resurrec- 
tion, we shall easily demonstrate that Christ did truly and pro- 
perly rise from the dead. For, first, by a true, though miracu- 
lous, generation, he was made flesh ; and lived in his human 
nature a true and proper life, producing vital actions as we do. 
Secondly, he suffered a true and proper dissolution at his 
death; his soul being really separated, and his body left with- 
out the least vitality, as our dead bodies are. Thirdly, the 
same soul was reunited to the same body, and so he lived again 
the same man. For the truth of which, two things are neces- 
sary to be shewn upon his appearing after death ; the one con- 
cerning the verity, the other concerning the identity of his 
body. All the apostles doubted of the first ; for when Christ 
stood in the midst of them, they were affrighted, and sup- 
posed that they had seen a spirit." But he sufficiently assured 
them of the verity of his corporeity, saying, Handle me and 
see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have."^^ 
He convinced them all of the identity of his body, saying, 
" Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself;" (Luke 
xxiv. 37. 39.) especially unbelieving Thomas, " Reach hither 
thy finger, and behold my hands ; and reach hither thy hand, 
and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing." 
(John XX. 27.) The body then in which he rose, must be the 
same in which he lived before, because it was the same with 
which he died. 

And that we might be assured of the soul as well as of the 
body : First, he gave an argument of the vegetative and nutri- 
tive faculty, saying unto them, ** Have ye here any meat? and 
they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of a honey-comb, 
and he took it and did eat before them." (Luke xxiv. 41 — 43.) 
Secondly, of the sensitive part, conversing with them, shewing 
himself, seeing and hearing them. Thirdly, he gave evidence 
of his rational and intellectual soul, by speaking to them, and 
discoursing out of the Scriptures, concerning those things 
which he " spake unto them, while he was yet with them," 
(Ibid. 44.) Thus did he shew, that the body which they saw, 

* Thus Ignatius disputes against the Epist. ad Smyrn. §. 3. • Palpandam 

Aox»Tat, in his days : 'Ey« yap fxsra rhv carnem Domiuus praebuit, quam januis 

avaa-Tua-iv lv a-a^Ki avrov olSa. Jtai ma-rsvM clausis introduxit — ut esse post resurrec- 

ovTct. Keti ors Tr^oi; Tovq ttspi ukr^ov SxS^ev, tipnem ostenderet corpus suum et ejusdem 

£<f)>) avroiq, Xa)S£T£, ■\'ri-Ka<^r,a-a'rk (xi nai iJsts naturae et alterius gloriae.' Greg. Magn. 

oTi om slfA.1 ^atfAoviov. Kat sI^ik; avrov Horn. 26. ui Evang. ' Resurrexit Christus, 

nj^avTo Kat ifricrrivira.v , K^arn^iV^iq aa^yX absoluta res est. Corpus erat, caro erat, 

a-jToZ Kai raJ miv/xa-ri. Mera ^£ Tiiv ava- pependit in cruce, positus est in sepulcro, 

erracriv a-vve<pcty?v ahroiq y.aX ffvUTriiv oo; a-a.^- exhibuit illara vivam qui vivebat in ilia.' 

KiKoq, Kai-rre^ msufA,ariKSiq hvcufABvog t«j Uarfi. 5. Aug. Serin, de Temp. 147. al. 242. $. 1. 

2 c L 



386 



ARTICLE V. 



was truly and vitally informed with a human soul. And that 
they might be yet farther assured that it was the same soul, by 
which that body lived before/^ he gave a full testimony of his 
Divinity by the miracle which he wrought in the multitude of 
fishes caught, by breathing on the apostles the Holy Ghost, 
and by ascending into heaven in the sight of his disciples. 
For being no man ascended into heaven but he which came 
from heaven, the Son of man which was in heaven," (John 
iii. 13.) being the Divinity was never so united to any human 
soul but only in that person, it appeared to be the same soul 
with which he lived and wrought all the miracles before. To 
conclude, being Christ appeared after his death with the same 
body in which he died, and with the same soul united to it, it 
followeth that he rose from the dead by a true and proper resur- 
rection. 

Moreover, that the verity and propriety of Christ's resurrec- 
tion may farther appear, it will be necessary to consider the 
cause thereof, by what power and by whom it was effected. 
And if we look upon the meritorious cause, we shall find it to 
be Christ himself. For he by his voluntary sufferings in his 
life, and exact obedience at his death, did truly deserve to be 
raised unto life again.f Because he drank of the brook in the 
way, because he humbled himself unto death, even to the death 
of the crT)ss, therefore was it necessary that he should be ex- 
alted, and the first degree of his exaltation was his resurrec- 
tion. Now being Christ humbled himself to the sufferings 
both of soul and body ; being whatsoever suffered, the same 
by the virtue and merit of his passion was to be exalted ; being 
all other degrees of exaltation supposed that of the resurrec - 
tion ; it followeth from the meritorious cause, that Christ did 
truly rise from the dead with the same soul and the same body, 
with which he lived united, and died separated. 

The efficient cause of the resurrection of Christ is to be 
considered either as principal or instrumental. The principal 
cause was God himself ; for no other power but that which is 
omnipotent, can raise the dead. It is an act beyond the acti- 
vity of any creature, and junproportionate to the power of any 
finite agent. "This Jesus hath God raised up (saith the apo- 
stle), whereof we all are witnesses." (Acts ii. 32.) And gene- 
rally in the Scriptures as our, so Christ's, resurrection is attri- 
buted unto God ; and as we cannot hope after death to rise to 



* * Ideo clausis ad discipulos ostiis 
introibat, et flatu suo dabat Spiritum 
Sanctum, et dato intelligentiae lumiiie, 
sanctarum Scripturarum occulta pande- 
bat; et rursus idem vulnus lateris, fixuras 
clavorum, et omnia recentissimae pas- 
sionis signa monstrabat, ut agnosceretur 
in eo proprietas divinaa humanajnue na- 



turae individua permanere.' JLeo, Serm. 1. 
de Resurrectione, c. 3. 

t ' Ut mediator Dei et hominum homo 
Christus Jesus resurrectione clarificaretur, 
prius hurailiatus est passione : non enim 
a mortuis resurrexisset, si mortuus noa 
fuisset. Humilitas claritatis est meritum, 
claritas humilitatis est praemium,' >S. Au.- 
pxist. Tract, 104. '" loan, 3. 



4 



FROM THE DEAD. 



387 



life again without the activity of an infinite and irresistible 
power, no more did Christ himself, who was no otherwise 
raised than by an eminent act of God's omnipotency ; which 
is excellently set forth by the apostle, in so high an exaggera- 
tion of expressions, as I think is scarcely to be paralleled in 
any author, that we may know what is the exceeding great- 
ness of his power to usward who believe, according to the 
working of the might of his power which he wrought in Christ, 
when he raised him up from the dead."^ (Eph. i. 19.) Being 
then omnipotency is a divine attribute, and infinite power 
belongs to God alone ^ being no less power than infinite could 
raise our Saviour from the dead : it foUoweth, that whatsoever 
instrumental action might occur, God must be acknowledged 
the principal agent. 

And therefore in the Scriptures the raising of Christ is attri- 
buted to God the Father (according to those words of the 
apostle, Paul an apostle, not of men, neither by men, but by 
Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the 
dead," Gal. i. 1.) ; but it is not attributed to the Father alone. 
For to whomsoever that infinite power doth belong, by which 
Christ was raised, that person must be acknowledged to have 
raised him. And because we have already proved that the 
eternal Son of God is of the same essence, and consequently 
of the same power with the Father, and shall hereafter shew 
the same true also of the Holy Ghost ; therefore we must like- 
wise acknowledge that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost 
raised Christ from the dead.f Nor is this only true by virtue 
of this ratiocination, but is also delivered expressly of the Son, 
and that by himself. It is a weak fallacy used by the Soci- 
nians, who maintain, that God the Father only raised Christ, and 
then say, they teach as much as the apostles did, who attribute 
it always either generally unto God, or particularly to the Fa- 
ther. For if the apostles taught it only so, yet if he which 
taught the apostles, taught us something more, we must make 

* Kat Ti' TO hmk^BaXkav fxiyiQoq Tng ^uva- quickened with an active verb, r.v hh^yr,c-iv 

fxicnq alrov i\q rifxaq nrovq TtiTTtvoycaq, xaTa, h rS X^kttm iyii^aq ahrlv In viK^uiv, Ali 

rhv In^yeiav tow K^arovq rr.q l<r^ioq avrov, r,v which he set on u'or/c, all which he actuated 

Ivh^ymsv h rS X^io-tm. Which words our in Christ, when he raised him from the 

translation comes far short of, and I dead. 

doubt our language can scarce reach it. f ' Quis nisi solus Filius resurrexit? 

For first, here are ^Cvaf^n;, aud lerxvq> two Quia solus mori potuit, qui carnem habuit: 

words to express the power of God, and et tamen ab hoc opere, quo solus Filius 

the validity and force of it, but not suffi- resurrexit, non erat Pater alienus, de quo 

cient ; wherefore there is an addition to scriptum est, Qui suscitavit a mortuis Je- 

each of them, /otsysS-o? rr,q ^wafxsaiq, and sum. An forte se ipse non suscitavit ? Et 

xfaToj rr,q Isr^vor, two words more to ex- ubi est quod ait, Solvite templum hoc, et 

press the eminent greatness of this power triduo suscitabo iltud ? et quod potestatem 

and force, but not sufficient yet ; and habere se dicit pouendi et iteriim sumendi 

therefore there is another addition to each animam suam? Quis autem ita desipiat, 

addition, to vTrspQix'Kov fxiys^oq, and h Ivb§- ut Spiritum Sanctum resurrectionem ho- 

yeiet rov xpa.rovq, to set forth the eminence minis Christi dicat non cooperatum, cum 

and activity of that greatness ; and all yet ipsum hominem Christum fuerit opera- 

as it were but flat and dull, till it be tns.' S. Aug^ist. contra Serm. Arian.caY>. 'iS. 

2 c 2 



388 



ARTICLE V. 



that also part of our belief. They believe the Father raised 
Christ, because St. Paul hath taught them so, and we believe 
the same: they will not believe that Christ did raise himself; 
but we must also believe that, because he hath said so. These 
were his words unto the Jews, " Destroy this temple, and in 
three days I will raise it up and this is the explication of the 
apostle, **but he spake of the temple of his body,'" (John ii. 
19. 21.) which he might very properly call a temple, because 
" the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily." (Col. ii. 9.) 
And " when he was risen from the dead, his disciples remem- 
bered that he had said this unto them, and they believed the 
Scripture and the w^ord that Jesus had said." (John ii. 22.) 
Now if, upon the resurrection of Christ, the apostles believed 
those words of Christy " Destroy this temple, and 1 will 
raise it up," then did they believe that Christ raised himself ; 
for in those words there is a person mentioned which raised 
Christy and no other person mentioned but himself. 

A strange opposition they make to the evidence of this ar- 
gument, saying, that God the Father raised Christ to life,*' and 
Christ being raised to life, did lift and raise his body out of the 
grave, as the man sick of the palsy raised himself from the bed, 
or as we shall raise ourselves out of the graves when the trump 
shall sound : and this was all which Christ did or could do. 
But if this were true, and nothing else were to be understood 
in those words of. our Saviour, he might as well have said, 
' Destroy this temple, and in three days any one of you may 
raise it up.' For when life was restored unto it by God, any 
one of them might have lifted it up, and raised it out of the 
grave, and have shewn it alive. 

This answer therefore is a mere shift : for to raise a body 
which is dead, is, in the language of the Scriptures, to give 
life unto it, or to quicken a mortal body. For as the Father 
raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son 
quickeneth whom he will/'f (John v. 21.) He then which 



* ' Aliter Deus Christum suscitavit, 
aliter Christus corpus suum. Deus 
Christo vitani restituendo, Christus vita 
recuperata corpus suum levando, et e se- 
pulcro prodeundo, seque post mortem 
vivum sistendo praebendoque. Sic et pa- 
ralyticus ille erexerat corpus suum, ac- 
cepta a Christo sanitate ; sic et omnes 
mortui surgent, et ex monumentis prodi- 
bunt, recepta ab eodem Christo vita.' 
Confessinnis Sociniance Vindices. 

t 'Eysi^siv rovg vaxpoi/f and ^(woTroiEfv is 
tlie same thing ; and therefore one in the 
Apodosis answereth to both in the Pro- 
tasis, and sheweth that Christ raiseth and 
quickeneth whom he will, which demon- 
strateth his infinite and absolute power. 
KaiTo; TO, oiiSiv ^vvarai a<)>' havrov TroisHv, rui, 
oS; 9-IXSi, IvttVTt'ov Is-Tk'v. £i yk^ otiq flsXet, 



in'a;* si JiJvaTat kif kaww, ovtUTt ov; 

^sXsi. To fxh ■ya^fOotrtr^ o 7raT>jg lyEiget, rng 
Suva/xeoog ^sixwo-i rhv a'sra.pa.XXa^icLV to Se, 
ovg S'iXEj, tjj; l^ova-lag tvv WornTo,. S. CJiry- 
snst. Horn. .S8. in loan. Where it is very 
observable that though lyslpBiv rovg vsK^ohg 
and (ooovToiBiv be the same in the language 
of the Scriptures, yet lysi'pEiv and ^myouTv 
are not the same. By which observation 
the late learned Bishop of Ely, hath most 
evidently detected that Socinian cavil. 
* Si quis obstinate vocem excitabo \_syBpS>] 
urgere vult, is animadvertet quid D. 
Jesus alibi dicat, Eum qui perdiderit ani- 
mam, vivificaturum eam. Ubi si quis 
insistere vellet ipsis verbis, eum colligere 
oporteret, Credentes etiam ipsos sese vi- 
vificaturos, et a mortuis excitaturos.' 



FROM THE DEAD. 



389 



quickeneth the dead bodies of others when he raiseth them, 
he also quickened his own body, when he raised that. The 
temple is supposed here to be dissolved^ and being so, to be 
raised again ; therefore the suscitation must answer to the 
dissolution. But the temple of Christ's body was dissolved 
when his soul was separated, nor was it any other way dissolved 
than by that separation. God suffered not his *' Holy One to 
see corruption," and therefore the parts of his body, in respect 
of each to other, suffered no dissolution. Thus as the apostle 
desired to be dissolved and to be with Christ," so the temple 
of Christ's body was dissolved here, by the separation of his 
soul : for the temple standing was the body living ; and there- 
fore the raising of the dissolved temple was the quickening of 
the body. If the body of Christ had been laid down in the 
sepulchre alive, the temple had not been dissolved ; therefore 
to lift it up out of the sepulchre when it was before quickened, 
was not to raise a dissolved temple, which our Saviour pro- 
mised he would do, and the apostles believed he did. 

Again, it is most certainly false that our Saviour had power 
only to lift up his body when it was revived, but had no power of 
himself to reunite his soul unto his body, and thereby to revive 
it. For Christ speaketh expressly of himself, ** I lay down my 
life (or soul) that I might take it again. No man taketh it 
from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it 
down, and I have power to take it again." (John x. 17, 18.) 
The laying down of Christ's life was to die, and the taking of it 
again was to revive ; and by his taking of his life again, he 
shewed himself to be the'* resurrection and the life." (John xi. 



Cat. Rucov. Sect. ix. p. 334. For sys^Z 
hath manifest relation to the dead, but 
^oooyovM unto the living. And therefore 
our translation hath very well rendered 
those words, Luc. xvii. 33. oj eav a-rro'Kia-ri 
avTr,v, ^cvoyovh^si a.vTr,v, " Whosoever shall 
lose his life, shall preserve it :" so that 
^cooyoveTv -^u^nv is to preseri e life, which in- 
terpretation is most evident out of the 
antithesis of the same place : "O? liv {>j- 
T^crjjT^v ■]'V)(r,v avTOv (70070.%, a7roXE3"£i avThv. 
For aZ^cti and aTroKi^si in the former part 
are the same with a7ro'KS7Bi and ^woyomaH 
in the latter. And beside, this is the 
language of St. Luke, who, Acts vii. 19. 
says, that tlie Egyptians ill-intreated the 
Israelites, toZ woibiv bh^sto. rk Bfi<^n av- 
rZv, Elf TO fj(,h ^MoyonT^Bui, "So that they 
cast out their young children, to the end 
they might not live," that is, remain alive, 
Syr. pnD Nb"T, ne servarentur, ne viverent, 
as the Arabic. In which words there is 
a manifest reference to that place in 
Exodus, where thrice this word is used 
in that sense by the LXX. as i. 17. l^nm 
Q*^b'•^"nK Jcai B^xoyovouv Ta a§7£va, V uig. 
Trans. &ed conservabant mares, Chald. 



N''Dl"n* NQ*pT; so verse 18. s^moyoui-re ra 
aiaiva, and "2.2. xa; ttSv flnXu ^woj/oveTte alro. 
And indeed n*n in Piel is often used for 
keeping or preserving alive, and is so seve- 
ral times translated, ^o^ioyovi as well as 
(oy^M, as Jud. viii. 19. on^m lb, eI l(ooo- 
yonnsirs aLroin;, ova av aTrtynsivaifxa.?, Vulg. 
Trans. Si servassetis eos, nun vos occiderem, 
" If ye had saved them alive, I would 
not slay you." 1 Sam. xxvii. 9. n^n* nVi 
aal o'jk l^aioyom avSpa, n yvvatna, Vulg. 
Trans. Nec relinquebat viventem virum ant 
mulierem, " And left neither man nor 
woman alive." And which is yet nearer 
to our purpose, 1 Kings xx. 31. n^n* "bix 

riN LXX. sI'Tro.-? (a]oyovh7£i Tai; 
hy.oli\, V^ulg. Trans. Forsitan salvahit unimas 
nostras, " Peradventure he will save thy 
life." So that (aioyouTv in the language of 
the LXX. is to save alive, and ^myonXv -rhv 
■i^vxTiv, is to preserve one's life. So that 
St. Luke, in the text cited by the Soci- 
nians, could intend no more than that he 
which was ready to lose his life for Christ, 
should thereby preserve it, and conse- 
quently he speaks nothing of the raising 
of the dead. 



390 



ARTICLE V. 



25.) For he which was ''made of the seed of David according 
to the flesh, was declared to be the Son of God with power, 
according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the 
dead." (Rom. i. 4.) But if Christ had done no more in the re- 
surrection, than lifted up his body when it was revived, he had 
done that which any other person might have done, and so had 
not declared himself to be the Son of God with power. It 
remaineth therefore, that Christ by that power which he had 
within himself, did take his life again which he had laid down, 
did reunite his soul unto his body, from w^hich he separated it 
when he gave up the ghost, and so did quicken and revive him- 
self; and so it is a certain truth, not only that God the Father 
raised the Son, but also that God the Son raised himself.^ 

From this consideration of the efficient cause of Christ's re- 
surrection, we are yet farther assured, that Christ did truly and 
properly rise from the dead in the same soul and the same 
body. For if we look upon the Father, it is beyond all contro- 
versy that he raised his own Son : and as while he was here 
alive, God spake from heaven, saying, " This is my well-beloved 
Son;" so after his death it was the same person, of whom he 
spake by the prophet, " Thou art my Son, this day have I be- 
gotten thee," (Psal. ii. 7. Acts xiii. 33.) If we look upon 
Chiist himself, and consider him with power to raise himself, 
there can be no greater assurance that he did totally and truly 
arise in soul and body by that Divinity, which was never sepa- 
rated either from the body or from the soul. And thus we 
have sufficiently proved our second particular, the verity, reality, 
and propriety, of Christ's resurrection, contained in those words., 
He rose from the dead. 

The third particular concerns the time of Chrisfs resurrection, 
which is expressed by the third day: and those words afford a 
double consideration; one in respect of the distance of time, 
as it was after three days; the other in respect of the day, 
which was the third day from his passion, and the precise day 
upon which he rose. For the first of these, we shall shew that 
the Messias, who was foretold both to die and to rise again, 
was not to rise before, and was to rise upon the third day after 
his death ; and that in correspondence to these predictions, 
our Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, did not rise 
from the dead until, and did rise from the dead upon, the 
third day. 

The typical predictions of this truth were two, answering to 



* Kai a'KiriQoig eTf&Qsv, ooq naX a\nQxq avi- 
arna-BV savrov. S. Ignut. ad Smyrn. §. 2. ' Si 
peccati confessor revixit a morte, quis eura 
suscitavit ? Nullus mortuus est sui ipsius 
sviscitator. Ille se potuit suscitare, qui 
niortua carne non mortuus est. Etenim 
hoc suscitavit quod mortuum fuerat. Ille 
se suscitavit qui vivebat in se, in carne 



autem suscitanda mortuus erat. Non 
enim Pater solus Filium suscitavit, de 
quo dictum est ab Apostolo, Propter quod 
eum Deus exaltavit, sed etiam Dominus se- 
ipsum, id est, corpus suum : unde dicit, 
Solvite templum hoc, ct in triduo suscitabo 
illnd.' S. August, de Verb. Domin. Serm. 8. 
al. 67. §. 2. 



THE THIRD DAY. 



391 



our two considerations, one in reference to the distance, the 
other in respect of the day itself. The first is that of the pro- 
phet Jonas, who " was in the belly of the fish three days and 
three nights," and then by the special command of God he was 
rendered safe " upon the dry land," and sent a preacher of re- 
pentance to the great city of Nineveh. (Jonah i. 17. ii. 10. iii. 2.) 
This was an express type of the Messias then to come, who was 
to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations; that 
*' as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, 
so should the Son of man be three days and three nights in the 
heart of the earth (Matt. xii. 40.) and as he was restored 
alive unto the dry land again, so should the Messias after three 
days, be taken out of the jaws of death, and restored unto the 
land of the living. 

The type in respect of the day was the waved sheaf in the 
feast of the first-fruits, concerning which this was the law of 
God by Moses, When ye be come into the land which I give 
unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then shall ye bring 
a sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest : and 
he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord to be accepted for you : 
on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And 
ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf, an he-lamb 
without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto the 
Lord." (Lev. xxiii. 10 — 12.) For under the Levitical Law, all 
the fruits of the earth in the land of Canaan were profane; none 
might eat of them till they were consecrated, and that they 
were in the feast of the first-fruits. One sheaf was taken out 
of the field and brought to the priest, who lifted it up as it 
were in the name of all the rest, waving it before the Lord, and 
it was accepted for them, so that all the sheaves in the field 
Avere holy by the acceptation of that : For if the first-fruits 
be holy, the lump also is holy." (Rom. xi. 16.) And this was 
always done the day after the sabbath, that is, the paschal so- 
lemnity, after which the fulness of the harvest followed : by 
which thus much was foretold and represented, that as the 
sheaf was lifted up and waved, and the lamb was offered on 
that day by the priest to God, so the promised Messias, that 
immaculate Lamb which was to die, that priest which dying 
was to offer up himself to God, was upon this day to be lifted 
up and raised from the dead, or rather to shake and lift up and 
present himself to God, and so to be accepted for us all, that so 
our dust might be sanctified, our corruption hallowed, our mor- 
tality consecrated to eternity. Thus was the resurrection of 
the Messias after death typically represented both in the dis- 
tance and the day. 

And now in reference to both resemblances, we shall clearly 
shew, that our Jesus, whom we believe, and have already proved 
to be the true Messias, was so long and no longer dead, as to 
rise the third day ; and did so order the time of his death, that 



392 



ARTICLE V. 



the third day on which he rose, might be that very day, on 
which the sheaf was waved, the day after that sabbath men- 
tioned in the Law. 

As for the distance between the resurrection and the death 
of Christ, it is to be considered, First, generally in itself, as it 
is some space of time : Secondly, as it is that certain and de- 
terminate space of three days. Christ did not, would not, sud- 
denly arise, lest any should doubt that he ever died. It was 
as necessary for us that he should die, as that he should live ; 
and we, which are to believe them both, were to be assured as 
well of the one as of the other. That therefore we may be as- 
certained of his death, he did some time continue it. He might 
have descended from the cross before he died ; but he would 
not, because he had undertaken to die for us. ^ He might have 
revived himself upon the cross after he had given up the ghost,t 
and before Joseph came to take him down; but he would not, 
lest as Pilate questioned whether he were already dead, so we 
might doubt whether he ever died. The reward of his resurrec- 
tion was immediately due upon his passion, but he deferred the 
receiving of it, lest either of them being questioned, they both 
might lose their efficacy and intended operation. It was there- 
fore necessary that some space should intercede between them. 

Again, because Christ's exaltation was due unto his humi- 
liation, and the first step of that was his resurrection; because 
the apostles after his death were to preach repentance and re- 
mission of sins through his blood, who were no way qualified 
to preach any such doctrine till he rose again ; because the 
Spirit could not be sent till he ascended, and he could not 
ascend into heaven till he rose from the grave : therefore the 
space between his resurrection and passion could not be long; 
nor can there be any reason assigned why it should any longer 
be deferred, when the verity of his death was once sufficiently 
proved. Lest therefore his disciples should be long held in 
suspense, or any person after many days should doubt whether 
he rose with the same body with which he died, or no ; that he 
might shew himself alive while the soldiers were watching at 
the grave, and while his crucifixion was yet in the mouths of 
the people, he would not stay many days before he rose.J 

* ' De cruce descendere poterat, sed tov. S. Athanus. de Incarn. Verb. §. 26. 

differebat ut de sepulcro resurgeret.' S. Kal TgeT? hfxspag Sia rovro c-t;yE;)^»pji<r£v, 

August, in loan. Tract. 12. 6. t'vct mcrrBu^ii on aTre^avev, oL ya^ tS (rrav^Z 

t 'H5i;vflTo /UEV v.al ita.^ alri tov 2ravarou avrS fxovov ^sQaiovTcn, xai tS" 'oravraiv o^ej, 

TO a-Mfxa ^isyii^ai nal waXtv S'ei'^ai ^a;y aXXa aXXa >tal tSi X'°^'^ '^^'^ hfJts^Zv, S. Chrysost, 

HOI Tovro naXxg Trgoi'Siv o Icorh^ ov WETrotJiXS- Homil. 43. in Matt. 

El'ms ya.f av rig oXxg aiiTo TsSniKsvaj, n :f "Evsjta fxsv cZv rov hi^Qr^mi rov ^avarov 

/oojSe rlXSiov avTov tIv ^avarov l-^avnevai, el sv tS cntifxctTi r^iraiov ana-Tna-t tovtq' iva Jg 

7ra§ avra nrhv avas-rcttriv nv ini^zl^ag; Ta^* fxri Im rroXv ha.fxs'iyav Kai <pQa^sv riXeov ua-r£- 

Se )cat Iv rou StacTri/ocaTO? ovrog tov te pov avao'rhs'ag airio'Tn^n, «? ovu avro aXX' 

S'avo.Toy xat t^j avaa-rLs-zoog a.5nXov lyivs7o to I'te^ov c-ZfAra <pk^aiv (ejUEXXe yaf av rig nal Si' 

TTs^l rnt a,<p^a^cr'iag xXeo?. "oSev Iva Ssi^^n avrov )(^6)/ov aTrKrruv rZ <*)«iVojU£Vft) nai e-wi- 

VEKpov TO a-Zfxa, Kot fj,iav vTtifJ.nn fxsa-nv 6 XavSavscrSat rZv yivofAemv)' ^la, rovro ov 

Aoyog, Kot rpiraiov rouro iraciv Usi^sv a<pQa§' wXeiw rm r^iZv fjVEo-jj^ETo, ovU S'jri ttoXu rovg 



THE THIRD DAY. 



393 



Some distance tlien of time there was, but not great, between 
his crucifixion and his resurrection. 

The particular length of this space is determined in the third 
day: but that expression being capable of some diversity of 
interpretation, it is not so easily concluded, how long our Sa- 
viour was dead or buried before he revived or rose again. It 
is written expressly in St. Matthew, that as " Jonas was three 
days and three nights in the whale's belly, so should the Son 
of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." 
(xii. 40.) From whence it seemeth to follow, that Christ's body 
was for the space of three whole days and three whole nights 
in the grave, and after that space of time arose from thence. 
And hence some have conceived, that being our Saviour rose 
on the morning of the first day of the week, therefore it must 
necessarily follow, that he died and was buried on the fifth day 
of the week before, that is, on Thursday ; otherwise it cannot 
be true, that he was in the grave three nights. 

But this place, as express as it seems to be, must be consi- 
dered with the rest, in which the same truth is delivered : as 
when our Saviour said, ^' After three days I will rise again 
(Matt, xxvii. 63. Mark viii. 31.) and again, Destroy this tem- 
ple, and in three days I will build it up (John ii. 19.) or, 
** within three days 1 will build another made without hands." 
(Mark xiv. 58.) But that which is most used, both in our Sa- 
viour's prediction before his death, and in the apostles' lan- 
guage after the resurrection, is, that he rose from the dead the 
third day."t (Matt. xvi. 21. xvii.23.xx. 19. Mark ix. 31.x. 34. 
Luke ix. 22. xviii. 33. xxiv. 7. 46. Acts x. 40. 1 Cor. xv. 4.) 
Now, according to the language of the Scriptures, if Christ were 
slain and rose the third day, the day in which he died is one, 
and the day on which he rose is another, and consequently 
there could be but one day and two nights between the day of 
his death and of his resurrection. As in the case of circum- 
cision, the male child eight days old was to be circumcised, in 
which the day on which the child was born was one, and the 
day on which he was circumcised was another, and so there 
were but six complete days between the day of his birth and 
the day of his circumcision. The day of Pentecost was the 
fiftieth day from the day of the wave-offering; but in the num- 
ber of the fifty days was both the day of the wave-offering and 
of Pentecost included ; as now among the Christians still it is. 



aKova-avrag avrov TTEgt rn: avaa-raa-eoo? wagEtX- 
Kvs-sv aW' ETt TcSv anoZv avToov havXov IxP^- 
Toiv TOV "koyov, Jttti ETt Toov o<p^aXfA,S!)V avroov 

HCU ^OOVTOIV ETTJ y^i BTt, fCOl ETTi TOTTOV hrOOV, 

TMV ^avarcioa- avroov, Koi f/.a^Tv^ovvrmv tte^j tov 
^avarov rov Kv^ianov aoofAarog, avrog 6 rov 
©Eou vlog Iv r^iraiu} ^iaa-rhfxari ro •y^voy.Bvov 
VEXfov (rSifxa e'Sei^ev aBdvarov Koi a<p$ra§TOV. S. 
Athanas. de Incarn. Verb, §, 26. 



* These several phrases are used ; first, 
that Christ was in the heart of the 
earth r^eXg hfjte^ag, Kot r^sTg ninrag' se- 
condly, that he was to rise fxera t^ek 'i/t^s- 
gaf thirdly, that he would rebuild this 
temple Iv r^ia-h hfjti^aig, and Sta r^iZv hfAS^Siv 
and lastly, that he rose rn r^irn hf^B^a, 
which is the most general and constant 
form of speech. 



394 



ARTICLE V. 



Whitsunday is now the day of Pentecost, and Easter-day the 
day of the resurrection, answering to that of the wave-offering; 
but both these must be reckoned to make the number of fifty 
days. Christ then, who rose upon the first day of the week (as 
is confessed by all), died upon the sixth day of the week be- 
fore : for if he had died upon the fifth, he had risen not upon 
the third, but the fourth day, as Lazarus did.* Being then it 
is most certain that our Saviour rose on the third day ;t being, 
according to the constant language of the Greeks and Hebrews, 
he cannot be said to rise to life on the third day, who died upon 
any other day, between which and the day of his resurrection 
there intervened any more than one day : therefore those other 
forms of speech which are far less frequent, must be so inter- 
preted as to be reduced to this expression of the third day so 
often reiterated. 

When therefore we read that after three days he would raise 
the temple of his body, we must not imagine that he would 



* Lazarus is said to be Tvnx^ra.'ioi four 
days dead, that is, counting the day on 
\yhich he died, and the day on which his 
sister spake to our Saviour at his sepul- 
chre. And being he was raised then, he 
rose T« TSTa'pTJj hfxs^a,, the fourth day. Our 
Saviour rose rf, r^hri hfxi^ii, and therefore 
he was TpfTaTo? when he rose ; and so the 
fathers call him, as you may observe in 
the words last cited out of Athanasius, 
p. S9'2. 

t As we read in Plutarch : SoXek o 

ra<pa,g avrag avhveyKi. De sera Numin. Vin- 
dict. c. 11. And of that spirit in a boy 
possessed, who hated all women : 'EttbI h 
yuvri 'TTS^i rhv svtthy vB^iss, r^traiov nu/j^hov 
yafxnBiio-a Itb^cc. Philostrat. de Vit. ApoU. 
Tyan. 1. iii. c. 12. .What this t^itoaqi; is, 
the Greek grammarians will teach us. 
rr^o? JM.EV TO TToc-tt aTrnvrS TO rpta rv)(oy h tect- 

CTttga, <u7p0J to TTOa-TCV TO TflTOV h TETap- 

Tov Im TcL^eoog, tt^oc Se to TToa-Toiov to t^l- 

TOiOV h TSTajTttToV Oi'oV Wpo? TO, TTOtTTOlOg CLlT 

ov^avov Trd^u ; airayThaBi to t^ irarof tuj^ov h 
TSTa^Toioi, nyouv Tgt'T>;v hfJ.i^a,v b^u; a<p' oZ Trd- 
pBifxi ri TETtt'f Tnv. Schol. Eurip. Hecuba, ver. 
3'2. TpiTaTof then, in respect of his coming 
to or from any place, is that person which 
is now the third day in or from that place ; 
which cannot be better interpreted, as to 
the Greek language, than in the expres- 
sion of a Tertian fever, called so because 
the second accession is upon the third 
day from the first, and the third from the 
second, &c. In which case there is but 
one day between, in which the patient is 
wholly free from his disease : from whence 
TTet^h fxiav and TpjTaixai;? is the same in the 
language of the physicians. This is ex- 
cellently expressed by Alexander Aphro- 



disa;us in thatproblematical question : Aii 
Ti 0 fisv TpjTafcj £>t Bb^/xov ^''^-jjioZ ■yiyvifXByDg, 
>tal sx,°^^v jwac-Ti^oyff-av kcu xaTsXavvovcrav ^o- 
Xr;V, TTttja /Mi'av HDsTTar 6 Si a/u<|>J!/ot£pjvoj, 
Ep^aiv 'TTB^virav to <^'kiyfJLa,T^ $a.pvTf:Ti xat -^ii- 
^fioTVTi xa6' h/xi^av 6 ^b TSTa^Tafof iia. Sta 
r/xEpiv fx'ic-aiv, Probl. 10. 1. ii. The Quo- 
tidian ague hath its accessions xa6' hfxi^ar 
the Tertian vra^k fxta\ (sub. hfxB^nY) after 
one da}^ of perfect intermission ; the 
Quartan Jia ^vo hfxB^Zv [xbc-wm. Iu the 
same manner he mentions the 7r£/u7rTa~oy, 
the Bp^ofxaAoy, and lvvttTa~oy : in all which 
this is constantly observable, that the days 
of perfect intermission are fewer by two, 
than the number in the name of the fever : 
for if the fever be a tjita?':.:, the day of 
intermission is but one, if tbta^tcuoc two, 
if TrB^'Trrcuo; three, if EtSo^arcj five, if Iv- 
xaTouoq seven. Thus if our Saviour were 
one whole day in the grave,, and died the 
day before, and rose the day after, he did 
rise T:ira!o; : if he were two whole days 
in the grave, he rose rsTa^raio;. So Ari- 
stotle : Am ti o vvnTB^iVo; $ofia; TptTaToj Xn- 
ySi ; WOTs^ov 0T{ atto fXiK§a.g x,cti atr^evovg cip' 
Xfjg ; h TpiTu Se y,^l<ri[j.og. Prohlem. Sect, 
xxvi. prob. 13. Trj rpirn therefore and 
r^iTa7og is the same. For from T^trn 
comes T^iToXof, and from TETapTw tets^- 
Ta.7og, in which hfxi^a. is always under- 
stood. TETa^Taro?, TBTf'avfj.spog, Suidos, 
TfiTaio? then is T^iri/xB^og- irv^BTog r^iraXog, 
Sio, T^iTng' and TETa^Ta~of, 5ta TETaprij?. 
Thus being Christ did certainly rise t? 
t^.'tx r,iJi.i^a., he did rise according to the 
Greeks TpiTaTo;- and according to the 
same then he must also rise wap* f^iav, 
that is, one day onlv interceding between 
the day of his death and the day of his 
resurrection. 



THE THIRD DAY. 



395 



continue the space of three whole days dead, and then revive 
himself ; but upon the third day he would rise again : as Joseph 
and his mother, ■ * after three days found him in the temple," 
(Luke ii. 46.) that is, the third day after he tarried behind in 
Jerusalem. And when we read, that he was three days and 
three nights in the heart of the earth, we must not look upon 
these nights as distinct from the days,* but as Moses spake, 
" the evening and the morning," that is, the night and the day, 
"were the first day;" (Gen. i. 5.) and as the saint spake unto 
Daniel, unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and 
mornings," (Dan. viii. 14.) intending thereby so many days : nor 
must we imagine that those three days were completed after 
our Saviour's death, and before he rose ; but that upon the first 
of those three days he died, and upon the last of those three 
days he rose. As we find that ** eight days were accomplished 
for the circumcising of the child (Luke ii. 21.) and yet Christ 
was born upon the first, and circumcised upon the last of those 
eight days if nor were there any more than six whole days 



* A night and a day in the Hebrew 
language, not used to compositions, is the 
same with the Greek wxPhfxi^ov or 
vi;xTjov,inN DV ipn'-H"! a"ij;"''n''T " The even- 
ing and the morning were the first day." 
For though " God called the light day, 
and the darkness he called night," yet at 
the same time that day and that night was 
called daif. Gen. i. 5. So that the same 
word DV in the same verse signifieth both 
the natural and artificial day. And the 
evening and the morning are sometimes 
put instead of the day ; as Dan. viii. 14. 
mx?: wbTiPi D^abx -ipn my ny " Unto two 
thousand and three hundred days :" and 
verse 26, "ipnm aiyn T[nr\tn which we 
translate, "the vision of the evening and 
the morning," but might be rather trans- 
lated in reference to the former, the vision 
of the days, viz. the 2300 days before 
spoken of. Now though a day be thus 
diversely taken, yet in the measuring of 
any time, which containeth in it both days 
and nights, a day is always taken in that 
sense, in which it comprehendeth both 
day and night. Thus Galen, who is very 
punctual and exact in all his language, 
and full of expositions of the words he 
uses, to prevent mistakes, being to speak 
of the critical days, gives notice that by 
a day he understands not that space of 
time, which is opposed to the night, but 
that which comprehendeth both the night 
and the day : 'Ufxipav ^nXovon -ztrag' oXov tov 
^.oyov sl^na-ofxBvoi^, olx Ik t!j? hf^B^a^ avrrjg 
fxovt]^ a-inta-rSia-av , aXka not rnq vunrlq 'X^povow 

JtaSttTTEg 6UV, Xttt TOV [JiMva, T^iaHOVTCt hfxs^Zv 
Bivat Xkyofxiv, ov fA,6vov tovtov tov p^povov, ov 
vTTBp rtig ynt; o JjXjoj <paivBrai, 'Brpos-ayo^Bvovrsg 
hfXB^av, a'KXa jtai tov t«? vokto? alrS Tf^oa-ri' 



Qsvrs?, oiiTcioq SI TTiaq kri tov Iviavrov 'orevre 
Kcd i^movra xai TgtaJioo-i'av hfAB^mv eTv«» 
<^afA,iv. De Crisibus, 1. ii. c. 2. This is 
observed by St. Basil to be also the cus- 
tom of the Scriptures, upon these words 
in Genesis : 'Eymro oZv I<r7rept, lyimo 
wgiwt, TO rijuegovuXTJOv Xeysf ovkbti Tr^oa-nyopev- 
(7BV, hfXBpa xctl vli^, aXXa Ta? B'ffix.parovvri Ttiv 
Traa-av tu^oa-nyo^iixv aiTBysifxi. TaCrm av Kai 
Iv Traa-n nrn ypa<pK tkv <ru)rn9Bictv svpoig, Iv 
rev X?°^''" /UETp«(r£t, hfXBpai ngt9jU»/xEvaf, ovx) 
Si aal vuxTtt? /wsTa rSv fi/uegaJv. In Heiaem. 
Horn. 2. Now being generally in all com- 
putations of time, as St. Basil observeth, 
Iv rf, TOV ;)^fo'vou [XBr^ha-Bi, a day was taken 
for the whole space of day and night ; and 
as the evening and morning signifieth the 
same, that is a day : and 2300 evenings 
and mornings no more than so many days ■ 
and so three days and three nights in the 
computation of time signifieth no more 
than three days, (For " God called the 
light day, and the darkness be called 
night, and the evening and the morning 
were the first day, and the evening and 
the morning were the second day," &c.) 
being three days in the language of the 
Scripture are said to be fulfilled when the 
third day is come, though it be not wholly 
passed over ; it followeth, that to be three 
days dead, or to be three days and three 
nights dead, in the Hebrew language, 
cannot necessarily infer any more, than 
that the person spoken of did continue 
dead till the third day. 

t As we read of the circumcision of our 
Saviour, l-nrX^crSno-av hfAB^ai onroo' Luke ii. 
21. so of Zachary, IvXna-^ntrav ai h/xs^ai 
Trig hsiTov^yiag avrov' Luke i. 23. and though 
the number oktm were not expressed, yet 



396 



ARTICLE V. 



between the day of his birth and the day of his circumcision ; 
the one upon the 25th of December, the other upon the 1 st of 
January. And as the Jews were wont to speak, the priests in 
their courses by the appointment of David were to minister 
before the Lord eight days, whereas every week a new course 
succeeded, and there were but seven days' service for each 
course (the sabbath on which they began, and the sabbath on 
which they went off, being both reckoned in the eight days) ; 
so the day on which the Son of God was crucified, dead, and 
buried, and the day on which he revived and rose again, were 
included in the number of three days. And thus did our 
Saviour rise from the dead upon the third day properly, and 
was three days and three nights in the heart of the earth 
synecdochically.* 

This is sufficient for the clearing the precise distance of 
Christ's resurrection from his crucifixion, expressed in the de- 
terminate number of three days : the next consideration is, 
what day of the week that third day was, on which Christ did 
actually rise, and what belongeth to that day in relation to his 
resurrection. Two characters there are which will evidently 
prove the particularity of this third day ; the first is the de- 
scription of that day in respect of which this is called the 
thirdy after the manner already delivered and confirmed ; the 
second is the evangelist's expression of the time on which 
Christ rose. 



it is to be understood according to the 
language of the Scripture in other cases, 
and of Josephus particularly in this : 

Im hfxk^aq oKTfw, atto a-aB$a,rov ett* (rd00arov. 
Autiq. Jud. 1. vii. C. 11. 

* So St. Jerome on Jonas ii. 1. * Et erat 
Jonas in ventre piscis tribus diebus et tribus 
noctibus. Hujus loci mysterium in Evan- 
gelio Dominus exponit; et superfluum 
est, vel idipsum, vel aliud dicere quam 
exposuit ipse qui passus est. Hoc solum 
quaerimus, quomodo tres dies et tres noctes 
fuerit in corde terras. Quidam Trapacryievhv, 
quando sole fugiente ab hora sexta usque 
ad horam nonam, nox successit diei, in 
duos dies et noctes dividunt, et apponentes 
Sabbatum, tres dies et tres noctes aesti- 
mant supputandas : nos vero a-wsn'So^iH.coi 
totum intelligamus a parte ; ut ex eo quod 
Iv TTctpcLcrKsm mortiius est, unam diem sup- 
putemus et noctem, et Sabbati alteram; 
tertiam vero noctem, quae diei Dominicae 
mancipatur, referamus ad exordium diei 
alterius : nam et in Genesi nox non proe- 
cedentis diei est, sed sequentis, id est, 
principium futuri, non finis praeteriti.' To 
the same purpose St. Augastin : ' Ipsum 
autem triduum non totum et plenum fuisse 
Scriptura testis est ; sed primus t\ies a 



parte extrema totus annumeratus est; 
dies vero tertius a parte prima et ipse 
totus ; medius autem inter eos, i. e. se- 
cundus dies absolute totus viginti quatuor 
horis suis, duodecim nocturnis, et duo- 
decim diurnis. Crucifixus est enim primo 
Judaeorum vocibus hora tertia ; cum esset 
dies sexta Sabbati. Deinde, in ipsa cruce 
suspensus est hora sexta, et spiritum red- 
didit hora nona. Sepultus est autem cum 
jam sero factum esset : sic sese habent 
verba evangelii, quod intelligitur in fine 
diei. Unde libet ergo incipias, etiamsi 
alia ratio reddi potest, quomodo non sit 
contra evangelium Johannis.uthora tertia 
ligno suspensus intelligatur ; totum diem 
primum non comprehendis. Ergo a parte 
extrema totus computabitur, sicut tertius 
a parte prima. Nox enim usque ad dilu- 
culum, quo Domini resurrectio declarata 
est, ad tertium diem pertinet.' De Trinit. 
1. iv. c. 6. And after him Leo the Great : 
• Ne turbatos Discipulorum animos longa 
moestitudo cruciaret, denunciatam tridui 
moram tam mira celeritate breviavit, ut 
dum ad integrum secundum diem pars 
primi novissima et pars tertii prima con- 
currit, et aliquantum temporis spatio de- 
cideret, et nihil dierum numero deperiret.' 
De Resur. Domini, Sem. 1. c. 2. vid. Isidor. 
Feins. 1. i. Epist. 114. 



THE THIRD DAY. 



397 



The character of the day in which our Saviour died is un- 
deniable, for it is often expressly called the preparation ;^ as 
we read, they therefore laid Jesus in the garden, because of 
the Jews preparation-day, for the sepulchre was nigh at hand." 
(John xix. 42.) And " the next day that followed the prepara- 
tion,'' the chief priests and pharisees asked a guard. (Matt, 
xxvii. 62.) Now this day of preparation was the day imme- 
diately before the sabbath, or some other great feast of the 
Jews called by them the eve of the sabbath or the feast; and 
therefore called the preparation, because on that day they did 
prepare whatsoever was necessary for the celebration of the 
following festival, according to that command in the case of 
manna, It shall come to pass that on the sixth day they 
shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as 



* na^eta-Kivri, ' Parasceue interpretatur 
preparatio,' saitb St. Augustin ; deronseii. 
Evavg. 1. iii. §, bO. and in the Greek 
language it signifieth generally any pre- 
paration of what nature soever : but in 
this case it signifieth rather the time in 
which preparation was made, as Luke 
xxiii. 54. Kal hf^e^a- nv Tra^aa-neurf and that 
preparation among the Jews for the sab - 
bath, as St. Mark xv. 42. 'EtteJ h -sra^tt- 
crytevr,, o ia-ri 7r^ocrd$$a.rov' and in the edict 
of Augustus Caisar : 'Eyyvcti;re fxh ofxoXoysiv 

oJ^it? Evvarnj* Joseph. Jud. Ant. 1. xvi. c. 10. 
which is well expressed by Synesius, ep. 4. 
'UfA^ct fxlv oZv MV, rivriva ayoviriV ol 'lov^aioi 
iTci^aiTMuhv, Tnv vvKTct Tri fXBT avrhv hfxi^a, 
Xoj/Z^oVTar Kafl' riV oviivl ^i/xii la-rlv svspyof 

avTYiV ayova-iv aTT^a^iav. This wtt^aTKeuh of 
the Hebrews was answerable to the cxna 
para of the Gentiles, as the old glossary, 
Cxna pura, v^oa-u^^arov : and iu Gloss. 
Latino- At abico, * Parasceue coenapura, id 
est, prseparatio qua? fit pro sabbato.' From 
whence some of the fathers so interpret 
the eves of the Jewish sabbaths, as Ter- 
tullian : ' Dies observatis et menses et 
tempera et annos et sabbata, ut opinor, 
et coenas puras et jejunia et dies magnos.' 
Adv. Marcion. 1. v. c. 4. * Acceleratam 
vult intelligi sepulturam, ne advesper- 
asceret; quandojam propter parasceuen, 
quani coenam puram Judaei Latine usita- 
tius apudnosvocant, facere tale quid non 
licebat.' S. August. Tract. I'-^O. in loan. 
§. 5. And the ancient translators of the 
Greek fathers did use the Latin cceHa pura 
for the Greek 'sra.paa-iisvh. As the inter- 
preter of St. Chrysostom, Sertn. in NatU' 
hm loan. Bapt. ' Qua enim die conceptus 
est Dominus, eadem die et passus est : 
eadem ipsa die ccena pura fuit, in qua et 
lunaquartadecimaoccurrit.' So likewise 
the old interpreter of Irenteus: 'Parasceue, 



quae dicitur coena pura, id est, sexta feria, 
quam et Dominus ostendit passus in ea.' 
Iren. adv. Hares. I. v. c. 23. ' Mosen in 
sexta die dixisse, quae est coena pura.' 1. i. 
c. 14. 6. As therefore the cxna pura 
among the Gentiles was that time in which 
they prepared and sanctified themselves 
for their sacred solemnities, so the Jews 
did make use of that word to signify their 
sanctification, and of the Greek Tragaj-xsu^ 
to testify the preparation of all things used 
on their holy days, upon the eve thereof, 
or day before. ' Parasceue Latine prsepa- 
ratio est ; sed isto verbo Greeco libentius 
utuntur Judrei in hujusraodi observatio- 
nibus, etiani qui magis Latine quam Grasce 
loquuntur,' saith St. Augustin, Tract. 117. 
in loan. §. 2. So that the same Father 
testifieth that the Jews, speaking Latin 
in his time, did sometimes use parasceue, 
sometimes coena pura, for their eve of pre- 
paration. Otherwise in their own lan- 
guage they called it miy or Nnmjr; by 
which generally they understood the sixth 
day of the week, the day before the sab- 
bath. For so they reckoned the days of 
the week in Bereshith Rabba, xnilfn nn 
the first of the week, nn the second, arhn 
the third, NHyllX the fourth, xniTOn the 
fifth, Nnmiy the eve, xni^y the sabbath. 
Thus in Hebrew xnmiy, in Greek iraja- 
(TKBvh, in Latin coena pura, were used by 
the Jews for the same day, the Friday or 
sixth of the week ; but not for that alone, 
but for the eve of any great festival which 
answered to a sabbath ; so that they had 
their nnu'n my, and mio DVn aij;, as 
TTd^aa-Kevti rov a-a^Bdrov, and Tra^aa-Kivr, tov 
udir^cL. And when a great festival fell 
upon the Sabbath, then as the festivities 
were both one day, so the eve to both was 
the same Friday. And such was the day 
of preparation on which our Saviour was 
crucified. 



398 



ARTICLE V. 



much as they gather daily." (Exod. xvi. 5.) This preparation 
being used both before the sabbath and other festivals, at this 
time it had both relations : for, first, it was the preparation to 
a sabbath, as appeareth by those words of St. Mark, " Now 
when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that 
is, the day before the sabbath (xv. 42.) and those of St. Luke, 
"That day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on." 
(xxiii. 54.) Secondly, It was also the eve of a festival, even 
of the great day of the paschal solemnity, as appeareth by St. 
John, who saith, when Pilate sat down in the judgment-seat, 
"it was the preparation of the Passover." (xix. 14.) And that 
the great paschal festivity did then fall upon the sabbath, so 
that the same day was then the preparation or eve of both, ap- 
peareth yet farther by the same evangelist, saying, ** The Jews 
therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies 
should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath- day, for that 
sabbath was a high day;" (Ibid. 31.) that is, not only an 
ordinary or weekly sabbath, but also a great festival, even a 
paschal sabbath. Now being the sabbath of the Jews was 
constant and fixed to the seventh day of the week, it foUoweth 
that the preparation or eve thereof must necessarily be the 
sixth day of the week ; which, from the day and the infinite 
benefit accruing to us by the passion upon that day, we call 
Good Friday. And from that day being the sixth of one, the 
third must consequently be the eighth, or the first of the next 
week.* 

The next character of this third day is the expression of the 
time of the resurrection in the evangelists. "When the sab- 
bath was past," saith St. Mark, which was the day after the 
preparation on which he was buried, " Very early in the morn- 
ing the first day of the week." (xvi. 1,2.) " In the end of the 
sabbath, as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week," 
saith St. Matthew, (xxviii. 1.) Upon the first day of the 



* 'OpaTg, itZq Xeysf, oh vvv o-aBBctTO, 
e/xoi hKTa, aXXa a TTBTToima, Iv d: Ho.ret'ira.v- 
eraq ra. ravra a§)(hv hfxs^a; oySorj? iroirtcx o 
ss-riv a.K'^ov K6<rfj(,ov d^^hv Jjo Kal dyof/.lv rhv 
h/jt-Bpav rhv oySorjv elg Bu<pfios-vvKv , Iv h nal 6 'l>5- 
aovq dvBO'rn Ik vbh^Zv, Kal (pavB^oo^s'iq aVB^n 
el? rovg oL^avovi;. BarnabiB Epist. c. 15. 
'H julv cZv rSiv mevfxanxZv avaTirava-iq Iv 
xufittxfj, Iv oy^od^Bi h Kv^iaith Ivofxal^Brai. 
Theodoriis, Epist. 1. 'H^b hroXh t?? trrep;- 
rojurji; KBXBvovTa rf, oy^or} hfXB^a In 'sra\rcg 
TTB^irkfAVBiv ra ysvvdofXBva, rvTToq r.v rriq d'hrt- 
S'lvfJ? '37efjTo^«?, 51V /arBPiBr fJih^nixBv d'tuo rvg 
'nrXavm; Kal 'Ujovn^laq, ita rov d'uro V£«pI'V d\a- 
cravrog Iv fxia, rZv <ra$Bdrxv hfA-Bpa. 'iri^ov 
X^icrrov rov Kv^iou hfxZv. Mia yd^ rocv craB- 
Bdrccv it^MrD fA.ivov(ra tSv Traaoov hfJ-B^Zv Kara 
rov dfiBfxlv na'Kiv rSjv ifa<roi'V h/uB^Zv rr,; ku- 
KKoipo^iag , oy^ori Ka'KsXrai, Kal 'or^Mrr) ova-a 
fA.mi. Jusiin, Mart. Dial, cum Triijihone, 



p. 260. ' Cum in septimo die Sabbati 
nomen sit et observantia constituta ; 
tamen nos in octava die, quee et ipsa 
prima est, perfecti Sabbati festivitate 
JfEtamur.' S. Hilar. Com. in Psal. Pro!. 
§. 12. ' Haec octava sententia, quse ad 
caput redit perfectumque hominem de- 
clarat, significatur fortasse et circum- 
cisione octava die in veteri Testamento, 
et Domini resurrectione post Sabbatum, 
quod est utique octavus idemque primus 
dies.' S. August, de Serm. Dom. in monte, 
1. 1. §. 12. Ka; TO 'i^oi; Kal ro 'uiT§i7rov hfA.dg 
aTrairsi tuda-av Kv^iaKnv rifxav Kal Iv ravrri 
7ravr,yv^i^siv, BTrBi^hwB^ Iv ravrri o Kvpiog hfxuiv 
'iri^ovg XfiiTTo? T>5V BK vbkpZv d'jdaraj-iv vfMV 
BTTPvrd-JBva-B' hio Hal Iv T«~? lE^aT; j/pa<{)a~? Kal 
w^MTt] XBKXrirai, oog dp'^h l^oovg hfxZv v7rdp)(^o'j' 
ca, Hal oy^on, ars vTtTB^BBBnKv^a rov rZv 'lou- 
^aixv 5-a|3^aTi3-|<xov. Theophilus Alex. Edict. 



THE THIRD DAY. 



399 



week early in the morning," saith St. Luke. (xxiv. 1.) ''The 
first day of the week early, when it was yet dark," saith St. 
John. (xx. 1.) By all which indications it appeareth that the 
body of Christ being laid in the sepulchre on the day of the 
preparation, which was the eve of the sabbath, and continuing 
there the whole sabbath following, which was the conclusion 
of that week, and farther resting there still and remaining dead 
the night which followed that sabbath, but belonged to the 
first day of the next week, about the end of that night early in 
the morning, was revived by the accession and union of his 
soul, and rose again out of the sepulchre. 

Whereby it came to pass, that the obligation of the day, 
which was then the sabbath, died and was buried with him, but 
in a manner by a diurnal transmutation revived again at his 
resurrection. Well might that day, which carried with it a 
remembrance of that great deliverance from the Egyptian ser- 
vitude, resign all the sanctity or solemnity due unto it, when 
that morning once appeared, upon which a far greater redemp- 
tion was confirmed. One day of seven was set apart by God 
in imitation of his rest upon the creation of the world, and that 
seventh day, which was sanctified to the Jews, was reckoned 
in relation to their deliverance from Egypt. At the second 
delivery of the Law we find this particular cause assigned, 
" Remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, aud 
that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence, throiio;h a 
mighty hand and by a stretched-out arm, therefore the Lord 
thy God commandeth thee to keep the sabbath-day." (Deut. 
V. 15.) Now this could not be any special reason why the Jews 
should observe a seventh day ; first. Because in reference to 
their redemption, the number of seven had no more relation 
than any other number; secondly, Because the reason of a 
seventh day was before rendered in the body of the command- 
ment itself. There was therefore a double reason rendered by 
God why the Jews should keep that sabbath which they did ; 
one special, as to a seventh day, to shew they worshipped that 
God, who was the Creator of the World ; the other individual, 
as to that seventh day, to signify their deliverance from the 
Egyptian bondage, from which that seventh day was dated. 

Being then upon the resurrection of our Saviour a greater 
deliverance and far more plenteous redemption was wrought 
tlw^n that of Egypt, and therefore a greater observance was due 
unto it than to that, the individual determination of the day 
did pass upon a stronger reason to another day, always to be 
repeated by a seventh return upon the reference to the creation. 
As there was a change in the year at the coming out of Egypt, 
by the command of God ; " This month," the month of Abib, 
shall be unto you the beginning of months, it shall be the first 
month of the year to you ;" (Exod. xii. 2.) so at this time of a 
more eminent deliverance a change was wrought in the heb- 



4l0 



ARTICLE V. 



domadal or weekly account, and the first day is made the 
seventh, or the seventh after that first is sanctified. The first 
day, because on that Christ rose from the dead ; and the seventh 
day from that first for ever, because he who rose upon that 
day, was the same God who created the world and rested on 
the seventh day : " for by him all things were created that are 
in heaven and that are in the earth, all things were created by 
him and for him." (Col. i. 16.) 

This day did the apostles from the beginning most religiously 
observe, by their meeting together for holy purposes, and to 
perform religious duties. The first observation was perforrued 
providentially, rather by the design of God than any such in- 
clination or intention of their own : for the same day," saith 
the evangelist, that is the day on which Christ rose from the 
dead, at evening, being the first day of the week, the disciples 
were assembled for fear of the Jews." (John xx. 19.) The 
second observation w^as performed voluntarily, " for after eight 
days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them." 
(John XX. 26.) The first day of the w^eek when Christ rose by 
the providence of God, the disciples were together, but Thomas 
was absent ; upon the first day of the next week they were all 
met together again in expectation of our Saviour, and Thomas 
with them. Again, *' when die day of Pentecost was fully 
come," which was also the first day of the week, ** they were 
all with one accord in one place;" (Acts ii. 1.) and having re- 
ceived the promise of the Holy Ghost they spake with tongues, 
preached the Gospel, and the same day were added u7ito them 
about three thousand souls." (Acts ii.4l.) The same practice 
of convening, we find continued in the following years : For 

upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came to- 
gether to break bread, Paul preached unto them :" (Acts xx.7.) 
and the same apostle gave express command concerning the 
collection for the saints both of the churches of Galatia and of 
Corinth ; " Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you 
lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." (1 Cow 
xvi. 2.) 

From this resurrection of our Saviour, and the constant prac- 
tice of the apostles, this first day of the w^eek came to have 
the name of the Lord's-dai/, and is so called by St. John, who 
says of himself in the Revelation, ^' I was in the spirit on the 
Lord's-day." (Rev. i. 10.) And thus the observation of that 
day, which the Jews did sanctify, ceased, and was buried with 
our Saviour; and in the stead of it, the religious observation 
of that day on which the Son of God rose from the dead,* by 



iLBLTa, TToXsii ri aypov; fxivivToov sm to avro 
iruviXiva-ii; yivsrai. Justin. Mart. Apol. ii. 
p. 98. and paulo post: Thv H rov hxUv 
hjXB^av Koivri Travriq Tr,v s-wiXivtriv 'rroiovy.BQa' 
BTiSi^h Tr^Mtn Is-TiV n/ulga, h n o ©ss? to ctxs- 



TOf Kai Trv vXnv ■T^B-\^ai;, Koa-jj-ov I'TToinTB, xai 
^IrnToZq X;i5-T5; 0 hfXsrBfOi loiTn^ rri avrn 
hfJ-BPO. In VEX^iv avIrTH. T^' ya.^ Trpo Tnq 
Kgovix^f Bs-nrav^tDo-cty ai/Tov, xal Tn fxBTO, rhv 
Kgov(X>;v, riTif IcTT^v 'HXiov h/xB^a., <pavsli; roTi; 
anoo-ToXoi; avTov xa.j fA.a^nraTg, l^iSa^i 



THE THIRD DAY. 



401 



the constant practice of the blessed apostles, was transmitted 
to the Church of God, and so continued in all ages. 

This day thus consecrated by the resurrection of Christ was 
left as the perpetual badge and cognizance of his Church. As 
God spake by Moses to the Israelites, Verily my sabbath 
shall ye keep, for it is a sign between me and you throughout 
your generations, that ye may know that I am the Lord that 
do sanctify you;" (Exod. xxxi. 13.) thereby leaving a mark of 
distinction upon the Jews, who were by this means known to 
worship that God whose name was Jehovah, who made the 



TovTO., amp Etf iTr/iTHE^'* ^{^"^ aVi^Ct)- 

3ca/xev. p. 99. This I take to be, without 
question, that status dies which is men- 
tioned by Pliny in his epistle to Trajan : 
* /iffirmabant banc fuisse sumraam vel 
culpae suiE vel erroris, quod essent soliti 
stato die ante lucem convenire, carmen- 
que Christo quasi Deo canere.' 1. x. ep. 
97. ' Nobis, quibus Sabbata extranea 
sunt et neomeniie et feriae a Deo ali- 
quando dilectae, munera comnieant? 
strenas consonant? lusus, convivia con- 
strepunt? O nielior fides nationum in 
suam sectam, qnaj nullam solennitatem 
Christianorum sibi vindicat, non Domi- 
nicura Diem, non Pentecosteni !' Tertull. 
de Idol. c. 14. ' Nam quod in Judaica 
circumcisione carnali octavus dies obser- 
vabatur, sacramentum est in umbra atque 
imagine ante prsemissum, sed veniente 
Christo in veritate corapletum. Nam quia 
octavus dies idem post Sabbatum primus 
dies futurus erat, quo Dominus resur- 
geret et nos vivificaret, et circumcisionem 
nobis spiritualem daret, hie dies octavus, 
id est, post sabbatum primus et Domini- 
cus preecessit in imagine.' 5. Cyprian. I. 
iii. ep. 8. al. ep. 59. Eusebius reports 
how Constantine taught his soldiers to 
observe the Lord's day : K.ai fxiv Kal h/xs- 

aXn&(2? nal 'npifnv, ovrax: nv^iaKhv te xai 
crcarn^iov, t^v oh xai <pCDrog y.a\ !^airi<; a&ava- 
ciag TB Kctl aya^ou TraVTOf iTrMVUfj-ov. Oral, 
de Laudib. Constant, c. 9. ' Quid est se- 
cunda sabbati, nisi Dominica dies quaj 
Sabbatum sequebatur 1 Dies autera Sab- 
bati erat dierum ordine posterior, sanc- 
tificatione legis anterior. Sed ubi finis 
legis advenit, et resurrectione sua octa- 
vum sanctificavit, ccepit eadem prima 
esse quae octava est, et octava quse prima, 
habens ex numeri ordine praerogativam, 
et ex resurrectione Domini sanctitatem.' 
S. Ambros. Enar. in Psal. xlvii. §. 1. 
' Dicat aliquis, Si dies observari non licet, 
et menses et tempora et annos, nos quo- 
que simile crimen incurrimus, quartam 
Sabbati observantes, et parasceuen, et 
diem Dominicam.' S. Hier. in Epist. ad 
Gal. c. 4. ver. 10. And St. Augustin in 

2 



answer to that objection : ' Nam nos quo- 
que et Dominicum diem et Pascha so- 
lenniter celebramus et quaslibet alias 
Christianas dierum festivitates.' cont. 
Adimant. c. 16. ' Dies Doniinicus nou 
Judaeis sed Christianis resurrectione Do- 
mini declaratus est, et ex illo habere 
coepit festivitatem suam.' S. August. 
Epist. 119. al. 55. §. 23. ' Hasc tamen 
septima erit Sabbatum nostrum, cujus 
finis non erit vespera, sed Dominicus dies 
velut octavus aetemus, qui Christi resur- 
rectione sacratus est, a;ternam non solum 
spiritus, verum etiam corporis, requiem 
praefigurans.' Idem, de Civit. Dei, 1. xxii. 
c. 30. §. 5. ' Dominicum diem Apostoli 
et Apostolici viri ideo religiosa solenni- 
tate habendum sanxenmt, quia in eodem 
Redemptor noster a mortuis resnrrexit. 
Quique ideo Dominicus appellatur, ut in 
eo a terrenis operibus vel mundi illecebris 
abstinentes, tantum divinis cultibus ser- 
viamus, dantes scilicet diei huic honorem 
et reverentiam propter spem resurrecti- 
onis nostrcE (]uam habemus in ilia. Nam 
sicut ipse Dominus Jesus Christus et 
Salvator resnrrexit a mortuis, ita et nos 
resurrecturos in novissimo die speramus.' 
Auctor StiDn. de Tempore, Serm. 251. al. 
280. §. 2. ' Sancti doctores Ecclesiae de- 
creverunt onmem gloriam Judaici Sab- 
batismi in illam transferre ; ut quod ipsi 
in figura, nos celebraremus in veritate.' 
Ibid. ' Dominica nobis ideo venerabilis 
est atque solennis, quia in ea Salvator 
velut sol oriens, discussis infernoFum 
tenebris, luce resurrectionis emicuit, ac 
propterea ipsa dies ab hominibus saeculi 
Dies solis vocatur, quod ortus eum sol 
justitiae Christus illuminet.' Max.Taurin. 
de Pentecost. Horn. 3. r.s^ikx,^i ovv h fxh 
'rra^aaKtvri tr^oq to a-a^BaTOV rhv ra<priV, h 
Kv^MKri rhv avaa-Tcta-iv. Auctor Clem. Con- 
stittit. 1. V. c. 13. "Otj oil Se" X^ia-riavov!; 

aXXa l^yi^HT^ai avrovc Iv aur? hfxi^a' 
TW S'£ Kv^ianry Trpcrifxaivra.^, iiy£ ^vvaiVTO^ 
a^oXa^eiv, aig XpicrTiavoi' £i Se EugJi&fiTfv 'lou- 
^aia-Tol, 'ia-TMO-av ava^Sfxa, ita^k X^ittm. 
Concil. Lnodic. Can. 29. 

D 



402 



ARTICLE V. 



World, and delivered them from the hands of Pharaoh : so we 

must conceive that he hath given us this day as a sign between 
him and us for ever, whereby we may be known to worship the 
same God Jehovah, who did not only create heaven and earth 
in the beginning, but also raised his eternal Son from the dead 
for our redemption. As therefore the Jews do still retain the 
celebration of the seventh day of the week, because they will 
n>Ot believe any greater deliverance wrought than that of Egypt; 
as the Mahometans religiously observe the sixth day of the 
week in memory of Mahomet's flight from Mecca, whom they 
esteem a greater prophet than our Saviour; as these are known 
and distinguished in the world by these several celebrations of 
distinct days in the worship of God : so all which profess the 
Christian religion are known publicly to belong unto the 
Church of Christ by observing the first day of the week upon 
which Christ did rise from the dead, and by this mark of dis- 
tinction are openly separated from all other professions.* 

That Christ did thus rise from the dead, is a most necessary 
Article of the Christian faith, which all are obliged to believe 
and profess, to the meditation whereof the apostle hath given 
a particular injunction. " Remember that Jesus Christ of the 
seed of David was raised from the dead.'' (2 Tim. ii. 8.) First, 
Because without it our faith is vain, and by virtue of it strong. 
By this we are assured that he which died was the Lord of 
life ; and though he were " crucified through weakness, yet he 
liveth by the power of God." (2 Cor. xiii. 4.) By this resur- 
rection from the dead, he 'Mvas declared to be the Son of 
God ;" (Rom. i. 4.) and upon the morning of the third day did 
those words of the Father manifest a most important truth, 
" Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee." (Acts xiii. 
33.) In his death he assured us of his humanity, by his resur- 
rection he demonstrated his Divinity. 

Secondly, By his resurrection we are assured of the justifi- 
cation of our persons ; and " if we believe on him that raised 
up Jesus our Lord from the dead," it will be imputed to us 
for righteousness ;" for he " was delivered for our offences, 
and was raised again for our justification." (Rom. iv. 24. 22. 
25.) t By his death we know that he suffered for sin, by his re- 



* ' Quid hac die felicius, in qua Do- 
minus Judoiis mortuus est, nobis resur- 
rexit"? in qua S}Tiagog8s cultus occubuit, 
et est ortus Ecclesice ; in qua nos homi- 
nes fecit secum surgere et virere et se- 
dere in coelestibus, et impletum est illud 
quod ipse dixit in Evangelio, Cum autem 
exiiltatus fuero a terra, omnia traha7n ad 
me. Hffic est dies quam fecit Dominus, 
exsultemus et laetemur in ea. Omnes 
dies quidem fecit Dominus, sed ciEteri 
dies [)06suiit esse JudaBorum, possunt esse 
Hasreticorum, possunt esse GentiJiumj 



dies Dominica, dies resurrectionis, dies 
Christianorum, dies nostra est.' Explan. 
ill Psal. 117. sab nomine Hieron. 

t St. Chrysostom excellentlj upon that 
place : "O^a ttx? -tkv aWiav sItt^v roZ QavxTov, 
rhv avTr-jV Jtcti oLTro^n^iv ttiQ a.vaa-Tks-iCi}<; 'Trout' 

El -ykpriv afXrapTcoXog, vx-g aviirrn ; el Je avs's-rn, 
EiiSnXoy OTi a.fx.a.pTca'Kog ovx, r,v e! Je afxa^TooXi:; 
clx. ?v, 'orotig iirriiv^w^v ; 5<' Erlpoy? el 5e S'j' 
ItHjou;, TravTK? kvicrrri. Horn. 9. in Epist. 
ad Ro7n, 



THE THIRD DAY. 



403 



surrection we are assured, that the sins for which he suffered, 
were not his own. Had no man been a sinner, he had not 
died ; had he been a sinner, he had not risen again : but dying 
for those sins which we committed, he rose from the dead to 
shew that he had made full satisfaction for them, that we be- 
lieving in him might obtain remission of our sins, and justifi- 
cation of our persons. God, sending his own Son in the 
likeness of sinful flesh for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." 
(Rom. viii. 3.) and raising up our surety from the prison of 
the grave, did actually absolve, and apparently acquit, him 
from the whole obligation to which he had bound himself, and 
in discharging him acknowledged full satisfaction made for us. 
"Who then shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? 
It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is 
Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again." (Rom. viii. 
33, 34.) 

Thirdly, It was necessary to pronounce the resurrection of 
Christy as an Article of our faith, and thereby we might ground, 
confirm, strengthen, and declare our hope. For the God 
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to his abun- 
dant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an inheritance 
incorruptible and undefiled." (1 Pet. i. 3, 4.) By the resur- 
rection of Christ his Father hath been said to have begotten 
him ; and therefore by the same he hath begotten us, who are 
called brethren and coheirs with Christ. For if when we 
were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his 
Son, much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his 
life." (Rom. v. 10.) He laid down his life, but it was for us ; 
and being to take up his own, he took up ours. We are the 
members of that body, of which Christ is the Head ; if the 
Head be risen, the members cannot be far behind. He is the 
" first-born from the dead," (Col. i. 18.) and we " the sons of 
the resurrection." The Spirit of Christ abiding in us maketh 
us members of Christ, and by the same Spirit we have a full 
right and title to rise with our Head. *^ For if the Spirit of 
him, that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in us, he that 
raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken our mortal 
bodies by his Spirit, that dwelleth in us." (Rom. viii. 11.) 
Thus the resurrection of Christ is the cause of our resurrection 
by a double causality, as an efficient, and as an exemplary 
cause. As an efficient cause, in regard our Saviour by and 
upon his resurrection hath obtained power and right to raise 
all the dead; For as in Adam all die, so in Christ shall ail 
be made alive." (1 Cor. xv. 22 ) As an exemplary cause, in 
regard that all the saints of God shall rise after the similitude 
and in conformity to the resurrection of Christ ; For if we 
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we 
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." (Rom. vi. 5.) 

2 D 2 



404 



ARTICLE V. 



He " shall change our vile bodies, that they may be fashioned 
like unto his glorious body :" (Phil. iii. 21.) that as we have 
borne the image of the earthy, we may also bear the image of 
the heavenly." (1 Cor. xv. 49.) This is the great hope of a 
Christian, that Christ rising from the dead hath obtained the 
power, and is become the pattern, of his resurrection. "The 
breaker is come up before them ; they have broken up and 
have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it, and their 
king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of 
them." (Micah ii. 13.) 

Fourthly, It is necessary to profess our faith in Christ risen 
from the dead, that his resurrection may effectually work its 
proper operation in our lives. For as it is efficient and ex- 
emplary to our bodies, so it is also to our souls. **When we 
were dead in sins, God quickened us together with Christ." 
(Eph. ii. 5.) And, " as Christ was raised from the dead by 
the glory of the Father, even so we should walk in newness of 
life." (Rom. vi. 4.) To continue among the graves of sin, 
while Christ is risen, is to incur that reprehension of the angel, 
*'Why seek ye the living among the dead?" (Luke xxiv. 5.) 
To walk in any habitual sin, is either to deny that sin is death, 
or Christ is risen from the dead. " Let then the dead bury their 
dead," (Matt, viii, 22.) but let not any Christian bury him, 
who rose from death, that he might live. Awake, thou that 
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee 
light." (Eph. V. 14.) There must be a spiritual resurrection of 
the soul, before there can be a comfortable resurrection of the 
body. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this first re- 
surrection ; on such the second death hath no power." (Rev. 
XX. 6.) 

Having thus explained the manner of Christ's resurrection, 
and the necessity of our faith in him risen from the dead, we 
may easily give such a brief account, as any Christian may 
understand, what it is he should intend, when he makes pro- 
fession of this part of the Creed ; for he is conceived to ac- 
knowledge thus much : I freely and fully assent unto this as a 
truth of infinite certainty and absolute necessity, that, the eter- 
nal Son of God, w^ho was crucified and died for our sins did 
not long continue in the state of death, but by his infinite 
power did revive and raise himself, by reuniting the same soul 
which was separated to the same body which was buried, and 
so rose the same man : and this he did the third day from his 
death ; so that dying on Friday the sixth day of the week, the 
day of the preparation of the sabbath, and resting in the grave 
the sabbath- day, on the morning of the first day of the w^eek 
he returned unto life again, and thereby consecrated the 
weekly revolution of that first day to a religious observation 
until his comino; apain. And thus T believe the third day 

HE ROSE AGAIN FROM THE DEAD. 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. 405 



ARTICLE VI. 

He ascended into heaven, and sit let h on the right hand of 
God the Father Almighty. 

This Article hath received no variation, but only in the ad- 
dition of the name of God, and the attribute Almighty; the 
ancients using it briefly thus,* He ascended into heaven, sitteth 
at the right hand of the Father. Itcontaineth two distinct parts; 
one transient, the other permanent ; one as the way, the other 
as the end : the first is Christ's ascension, the second is his 
session. 

In the ascension of Christ these words of the Creed pro- 
pound to us three considerations and no more : the first of the 
person, He ; the second of the action, ascended; the third of 
the termination, into heaven. Now the person being perfectly 
the same, which we have considered in the precedent Articles, 
he will afford no different speculation but only in conjunction 
with this particular action. Wherefore I conceive these three 
things necessary and sufficient for the illustration of Christ's 
ascension : First, To shew that the promised Messias was to 
ascend into heaven ; Secondly, To prove that our Jesus, whom 
we believe to be the true Messias, did really and truly ascend 
thither ; Thirdly, To declare what that heaven is, unto which he 
did ascend. 

That the promised Messias should ascend into heaven, hath 
been represented typically, and declared prophetically. The 
high-priest under the Law was an express type of the Messias 
and his priestly office ; the atonement which he made, was the 
representation of the propitiation in Christ for the sin of the 
world : for the making this atonement, the high-priest was ap- 
pointed once every year to enter into the Holy of Holies, and 
no oftener. For the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto 
Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy 
place within the veil before the mercy-seat, which is upon the 
ark, that he die not.'' (Lev. xvi. 2.) None entered into that 
holy place but the high-priest alone ; and he himself could 
enter thither but once in the year ; and thereby shewed that 
the high-priest of the good things to come, by a greater and 
more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, was to enter 



* ' Adscendit in coelos, sedet ad dex- 
teram Patris.' Ru ffin. in Symb. §. 30. S. 
August, in Enchirid. §. 14. Maximus Tan- 
rinens. Horn, de expos. Symh. Chrysologus 
Serm. in Symbol. 56 — 62. Auctor Expos. 
Symb. ad Cutechumenos, §. 6. Veiiantius 
Forhtnatus, The Latin and Greek MSS. set 
forth by the Archbishop of Armagh. St. Au- 
guslin de Fide et Symb. §. 14. hath it : 
' Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris :' to which 



was afterwards added omnipotentis. * Sedet 
ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis.' 
Euseb. Gallicaii. De Symbolo,Hom. i. & ii. 
ap. Biblioth. Patr. Lot. t. v. par. i. p. 552. 
seqq. ' Sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris 
omnipotentis.' Etherius Uxam. and Auctor 
Sermonum de Tempore, serm. 131. al. 242, 
$.2. The Greek and Latin MSS. in Bene't 
College Library, 



€06 ARTICLE VI. 

into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for 
us/' (Heb. ix. 11, 12.) The Jews did all believe that the Ta- 
bernacle did signify this world,* and the Holy of Holies the 
highest heavens; wherefore as the high-priest did slay the sa- 
crifice, and with the blood thereof did pass through the rest of 
the Tabernacle, and with that blood did enter into the Holy of 
Holies ; so was the Messias here to offer up himself, and, being 
slain, to pass through all the courts of this world below, and 
with his blood to enter into the highest heavens, the most 
glorious seat of the majesty of God. Thus Christ's ascension 
was represented typically. 

The same ascension wns also declared prophetically, as 
we read in the prophet David, '*Thou hast ascended up on 
high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts 
for men (Psal. Ixviii. 18.)t which phrase o?i high, in the lan- 
guage of David, signifying heaven, could be applied properly 
to no other conqueror but the Messias : not to Moses, not to 
David, not to Joshua, nor to any but the Christ ; who was to 
conquer sin, and death, and hell, and, triumphing over them, 
to ascend unto the highest heavens, and thence to send the 
}>recious and glorious gifts of the Spirit unto the sons of men. 
The prophecy of Micah did foretell as much, even in the opi- 
nion and confession of the Jews themselves, by those words,t 



* El rtg T>jj c-Kmrg xaravoriasie t^v vrj^iv, 
Hal rou U^£<w? rSji Triv c-roXriv, ra te o-xeu>) of? 
Tospi Thv 'iB^ov^yictv ^^cifxt^a' tov te vo^oSethv 
tvfha-n S-eTov a.\l^a,, xai fxaraioog h/xag vtto 
Toi'V aWoov To.^ Q'Kaa<prifxict,Q axovoVTctg' ex.ao'Ta 
ya§ TovTxv Ei; aTTo/xifxyicriV nal ^iarv7rcc<riy tZv 
oXiDV, eI' t(C d<pB6va)g IS"£Xct Kal fj-iTa, avvktreajg 

rpianovra mr^yj^v ov<rav VBifxag Big Tgt'a, nai 
ivo fA,'i^n Traa-iv aviig toT? Upiuo-iv, m^tts^ 

^E^flXoV TiVtt Xttl HOIVOV TOTTOV, T>iV yvV Xttl thv 

Ba\aa-a-av a7ro(m/xai\Bi' Hal yap ravTa Tracrlv 
BcTTtv Imi^aTcf Thv T^irnv jUo~^av |Uovw tte- 
fiiypa^B TM Qbm, Sia to xai tov ov^avov ovstt/- 
^ctTov Blvai avQixvTroig. Joseph. Antiq. Jud. 1. 
iii. c. 8. Where it is to be observed, that 
the place which St. Paul calls the first 
tabernacle, Josephus terras ^£/3)jXo'v Tiva koI 
Koivov To'tpov, a common and profane place, as 
representing this world in which we live, 
and our life and conversation here : as 
the apostle seems to speak, Heb. ix. 1. 
Ei^B fXBV ovv xa\ h 'ir^cloTr) cryinvr) ^MaictifxaTo, 
KuT^dag to te ayiov Kotrfxinov. For ayiov 
xocriji.ix.ov, sanctum seculare, or as the Syriac 
K-DDby NU'TIp n-n, domus iancta mundana, 
may well be that part of the tabernacle, 
which represented this world, and there- 
fore termed common and profane in re- 
spect of that more holy part, which re- 
presented heaven. 

t This place must necessarily be un- 
derstood of the Messias, by reason of that 
high place to which no other conqueror 



ascended. For that ar^nb in the language 
of the prophet, is attributed to God, as 
Psal. vii. 8. na">tt' Dna"? return on high, 
that is, in the language of the Chaldee 
paraphrase, mn ^roaw "'^b, reticrn to the 
house of thy majesty ; and Psal. xciii. 4. 
rrn- minn nnx the Lord on high is mighty, 
Chald. KDino "^^irs in the tipper heavens, 
Psal. Ixxi. 1 9. Thy righteousness, 0 Lord, 
is DTia ny, vsque ad excelsum ; the Chaldee 
again, ndtid -Dii' ly. In the same man- 
ner in this place, m-irs"? rrb]; thou hast 
ascended on high, the Chaldee paraphrase 
translateth yplb KnpbD thou hast ascended 
the firmament : and it addeth immediate- 
ly N-n^ nu^D 0 thou prophet Moses : yet 
there is a plain contradiction in that in- 
terpretation ; for if it were meant of 
Moses, it cannot be the firmament ; if it 
were the firmament, it cannot be under- 
stood of Moses, for he never ascended 
thither. 

t This Breaker-up is by the confession 
of the Jews the title of the Messias. So 
the author of Sepher Abchath Ruchal, in 
his description of the coming of the Mes- 
sias, maketh use of this place. And the 
same appeared farther by that saying of 
Moses Haddershan in Bereshith Rabba, 

Dn-^Sb V"l3n rhv "SIV n-U'O The planta- 
tion from below is Abraham, the plantation 
from above is Messias, as it is written. The 
breaker is come up before them, &c. So he 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. 



407 



** The breaker is come up before them : they have broken up 
and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it ; 
and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord at the 
head of them." (ii. 13.) And thus Christ's ascension was de- 
clared prophetically as well as typically ; which was our first 
consideration. 

Secondly, Whatsoever was thus represented and foretold 
of the promised Messias, was truly and really performed by our 
Jesus. That only-begotten and eternal Son of God, who by 
his Divinity was present in the heavens while he was on earth, 
did, by a local translation of his human nature, really and 
truly ascend from this earth below on which he lived, into the 
heavens above, or rather above all the heavens, in the same 
body and the soul with which he lived and died and rose again. 

The ascent of Christ into heaven was not metaphorical or 
figurative, as if there were no more to be understood by it, 
but only that he obtained a more heavenly and glorious state 
or condition after his resurrection. For whatsoever altera- 
tion was made in the body of Christ when he rose, whatso- 
ever glorious qualities it was invested vv'ith thereby, that was 
not his ascension, as appeareth by those words which he 
spake to Mary, "Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to 
my Father." (John xx. 17.) Although he had said before to 
Nicodemus, " No man ascended up to heaven, but he that 
came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in 
heaven (John iii. 13.) which words imply that he had then 
ascended ; yet even those concern not this ascension. For 
that was therefore only true, because the Son of man, not yet 
conceived in the Virgin's womb, was not in heaven, and after 
his conception by virtue of the hypostatical union was in 
heaven; from whence, speaking after the manner of men, he 
might well say, that he nad ascended into heaven ; because 
whatsoever was first on earth and then in heaven, we say as- 
cended into heaven. Wherefore, beside that grounded upon 
the hypostatical union, beside that glorious condition upon 
his resurrection, there was yet another, and that more proper 
ascension: for after he had both those ways ascended, it was 
still true that he had not yet ascended to his Father. 

Now this kind of ascension, by which Christ had not yet 
ascended when he spake to Mary after his resurrection, was 
after to be performed ; for at the same time he said unto Mary, 

Go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my 
Father and your Father." (John xx. 17.) And when this as- 
cension was performed, it appeared manifestly to be a true 



oa Gen. xl. 9. Again the same Bereshith 
Rabba, Gen. xliv. 18. D-nriW -n-QN 
a-ntn 'nn by n2-3u>n -b^i ■n;3rii'3 When 
sliall we rejoice? when the feet of the She- 
chinah shall stand upon the Mount of Olives ; 
and again, ddhmd nrb-in iVyira TI-qn 



:DU'Xinmn''T Whm? when the captives 
shall ascend from hell, and Shechinah in the 
head, as it is written (Mic. ii. 13.), Their 
King shall pass before thtm, and the Lord in 
the head of them. 



408 



ARTICLE VI. 



local translation of the Son of man, as man, from these parts 
of the world below into the heavens above, by which that 
body, which was before locally present here on earth, and 
was not so then present in heaven, became substantially pre- 
sent in heaven, and no longer locally present in earth. For 
when he had spoken unto the disciples, "and blessed them," 
laying his hands upon them, and so was corporally present 
with them, even " while he blessed them, he parted from them, 
and while they beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received 
him out of their sight," (Luke xxiv. 50, 5L) and so he was 
''carried up into heB.ven, while they looked steadfastly to- 
wards heaven, as he went up." (Acts i. 9, 10.) This was a 
visible departure, as it is described, a real removing of that 
body of Christ, which was before present wdth the apostles ; 
and that body living after the resurrection, by virtue of that 
soul which was united to it : and therefore the Son of God 
according to his humanity was really and truly translated from 
these parts below unto the heavens above, which is a proper 
local ascension. 

Thus was Clirist^s ascension visibly performed in the pre- 
sence and sight of the apostles, for the confirmation of the 
reality and the certainty thereof. They did not see him when 
he rose,^ but they saw him when he ascended ; because an eye- 
witness was not necessary unto the act of his resurrection, but 
it was necessary unto the act of his ascension. It was suffi- 
cient that Christ " shewed himself" to the apostles " alive 
after his passion;" (Acts i. 3.) for being they knew him be- 
fore to be dead, and now saw him alive, they were thereby 
assured that he rose again; for whatsoever was a proof of his 
life after death, was a demonstration of his resurrection. But 
being the apostles were not to see our Saviour in heaven, being 
the session was not to be visible to them on earth, therefore it 
was necessary they should be eye-witnesses of the act, who 
were not with the same eyes to behold the effect. 

Beside the eye-witness of the apostles, there was added the 
testimony of the angels ; those blessed spirits which minis- 
tered before, and saw the face of God in heaven, and came 
down from thence, did know that Christ ascended up from 
hence unto that place, from whence they came : and because 
the eyes of the apostles could not follow him so far, the inha- 
bitants of that place did come to testify of his reception ;t 
for^beh'old two men stood by them in white apparel, which 



Si iTtn^'^Ti' ItteiSixv h-avQa, h o-i^iq to w2v 
i<rp^uj"£' XAJ yk^ rnt; ava3-Ta<r-ci); to fxh teXoj 

£?joV, T«V a^^hV OUXETf HCU Tr,q aVAXh-^ZO}? 
Tr,v fXBV a.§^r.V eTS'OV, TO §£ TEXo? OlXETi* TTa- 

f eTXke ya.^ i'liiivo to t>)V a^'X/iV l^iiv, avTov tov 
TdZra (pBiyyo/nivov irn^mToq, xal tou [j.vnfji.ff.- 

TO? SuXoZivTOJ OTt OUJt eVtJV £X£~' aXXtt TO fxirk 

TovTo Xoyoi shi fxadiiv, S. Chviisost. Horn. 2. 



in Act. Apost. 

t 'ETTEtSaV ovH a^JtoUcriv ol o<^0aX/M.o; ^iT^ai 
TO v-^oc, ov^e laraihuyat ttote^ov sig rov ol^a.- 
vov av^X&Ev, n ooq eI? tov ov^avcv, o'^ct tI yivSTcti* 
on fxh avroq la-nv 'irjToZ^, ^ha-av, uv 5»£- 
XiyBTo TTpof alrou; (^TToppuidiv yk^ oln Ivry IJo'v- 
raq yvZvai)' on slq tcv ovgavov avaXafA-Bi- 
vETctj, cii-TOi XotTTov E^tJarKov ol S.yyiXoi, S 
Chrywst. Eom. 2. in Acta Apost. 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. 



409 



also said. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into 
heaven ? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into 
heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go 
into heaven." (Acts i. 10, 11.) We must therefore acknow- 
ledge and confess ao^ainst the wild heresies of old,* that the 
eternal Son of God, who died and rose again, did, with the 
same body and soul w^ith which he died and rose, ascend up 
to heaven ; which was the second particular considerable in 
the Article. 

Thirdly, Being the name of heaven admitteth divers accep- 
tations in the sacred Scriptures, it will be necessary to inquire, 
what is the true notion of it in this Article, and what was the 
proper termination of CJnist's ascension. In some sense it 
might be truly said, Christ was in heaven before the cloud 
took him out of the apostles' sight; for the clouds themselves 
are called "the clouds of heaven;" (Dan. vii. 13.) but that 
heaven is the first; and our Saviour certainly ascended at least 
as far as St. Paul was caught up, that is, into the third heaven; 
for ** we have a great high-priest, that is passed through the 
heavens." (Heb. iv. 14. )t And needs must he pass through 
the heavens, because he was ''made higher than the heavens ;" 
(Heb. vii. 26.) for ''he that descended is the same also that 
ascended up far above all heavens." (Eph. iv. 10.) When 
therefore Christ is said to have ascended into heaven, we must 
take that word as signifying as much as the heaven of hea- 
vens; and so Christ is ascended through and above the hea- 
vens, and yet is still in heaven ; for he is " entered into that 
within the veil," (Heb. vi. 19.) there is his passage through 
the heavens ; ^' into the holy place, even into heaven itself, to 
appear in the presence of God," (Heb ix. 12. 24.) this is the 
heaven of heavens. For " thus said the Lord, The heaven is 



* The various heresies in the primitive 
time concerning the humanity of Christ 
ascended into heaven, are briefly touched 
by Tertullian : ' Ut et illi erubescant, qui 
affirmant carnem in coelis vacuam sensu, 
ut vaginam, exerapto Christo sedere ; aut 
qui carnem et animam tantundem.aut tan- 
t'lmmodo animam, carnem vero non jam.' 
Decarne Cliristi, c. 24. Of which Gregory 
Nazianzen : E? Ti? a-sroTESaTcrSaj vZv t^v 
a-a^Ka Xeyoi, nal yufxyhv bTvo-i rhv Qiorr^ra erui- 
fxaroq, aXXa fxh fxsra too •n:§otrXnfXfxaroq nal 
sTvai Kcu n^etv, [xh IJoj t>:v Ss'^av ti?? 'Jia^ovs-ia.q. 
Epid. 1. ad Cledoniian, p. 739. The Apelli- 
tje taught, that Christ left his body dissolv- 
ed in the air, and so ascended into heaven 
without it : ' Hauc Apellem dicunt qui- 
dam etiam de Christo tam falsa sensisse, 
ut dicereteum non quidem carnem duxisse 
de coelo, sed ex elementis mundi acce- 
pisse, quae mundo reddidit, cum sine 
came resurgens iu crelum ascendit.' S. 
August. H<eres. 23. Tliis opinion of Apel- 



Ics is thus delivered bv Epiphanius in his 
own words : Ev tm Ipp^^sj-Qat a'aio txv sttov- 
pavia-y r;XQzv eU rh yvj xat cumyayvi savrS 

auj) riv ns-Ta^ciiv (rroi^Bicnv cuifxa. ^"ESo;- 

X£V 0 X;t3-T:j \<xvrh "oraSsrv Iv auriS TaJ 
c-'Jofxct-ri, ita\ Is-Tav^x^n Iv aXnS"£.'a, xat 
l$si^£v av-rry Try srapxa To~g iavTov fxa^rnoui:' 
xa; avaXvs-ai; Avrr.V Tr.V ha.v6px7rris-iV haVTOiJ, 
aTTSfA-ipias TTctXiv snis-ra: toiv s-TOt^Eiisev to 
i^iov aTToJoL?, TO Qb^uov rai Qs^/xiv, to 4''^/^?^" 

TSJ -^V^^^, TO ^r,^OV T'X TO vy^l\ TM 

ly>!c' naX oiToig haXvtra; av' alroZ TraXjv to 
Ivrajxcv s-xfAO. avsTrrn £ij tcv oL^ctvlv, cSbv xai 
ny-s. Hdsres. xliv. $. 2. Of whom Grego- 
ry Nazianzen is to be understood in that 
Epistle before cited : *H £;? tov al^a l_;^£fl»? 

xal ttiTTgttTrj?; ^^ifxog oL^, i<rTa.[xsnq. p. 739. 

t We read it indeed into the heavens, 
but the original imports as much as 
through: SisXnXvQora rohg olpavauq' Vul;:. 
Trans, qni pcnctruvit c<xlos. 



410 



ARTICLE VI. 



my throne, and the earth is my footstool;" (Isa. Ixvi. 1.) and 
as Christ descended unto the footstool of his Father in his hu- 
miliation, so he ascended unto the throne of his Father in his 
exaltation. This was the place, of which our Saviour spake 
to his disciples, "What and if ye shall see the Son of man 
ascend up where he was before?" (John vi. 62.) Had he been 
there before in body, it had been no such wonder that he 
should have ascended thither again: but that his body should 
ascend unto that place where the majesty of God was most re- 
splendent ; that the flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, 
should be seated far above all angels and archangels, all prin- 
cipalities and powers, even at the right hand of God : this was 
that which Christ propounded as worthy of their greatest ad- 
miration. Whatsoever heaven then is higher than all the rest 
which are called heavens ; whatsoever sanctuary is holier than 
all which are called holies ; whatsoever place is of greatest 
dignity in all those courts above, into that place did he ascend, 
where in the splendour of his Deity he was, before he took 
upon him our humanity. 

As therefore when we say Christ ascended, we understand 
a literal and local ascent, not of his Divinity (which possesseth 
all places, and therefore being every where is not subject to 
the imperfection of removing any whither), but of his huma- 
nity, which was so in one place that it was not in another : so 
when we say the place into which he ascended was heaven, 
and from the expositions of the apostles must understand 
thereby the heaven of heavens, or the highest heavens, it fol- 
loweth that we believe the body with the soul of Christ to 
have passed far above all those celestial bodies which we see, 
and to look upon that opinion as a low conceit which left his 
body in the sun.* 

It was necessary to profess this Article of Chrisfs ascension. 
First, For the confirmation and augmentation of our faith. 
Our faith is thereby confirmed, in that we believe in him who 



* The Seleuciani and Hermiani taught 
that the body of Christ ascended no far- 
ther than the sun, in which it was depo- 
sited, of whom Philastrius, and out of 
him St. Augustin, thus : ' Negant Sal- 
vatorem in carne sedcere ad dexteram 
Patris, sed ea se exuisse perhibent, eam- 
que in sole posuisse, accipientes occa- 
sionem de Psalmo, In sole posuit Taber- 
naculum suum.' Heres. 59. The same 
opinion Gregory Nazianzen attributeth 
to the Manicheans : Uou ya^ to o-Z/ulo, vvv, 
si fxri fxsra, rov 'jr^ocr'Ka.QovToq ; oh ya^ S'^ xara 
roiiq Mavtp^^aiW Xripou? rS h\iif> sva.'ujo'rsQsircti, 
I'vct, TJ/-*«9;T rrig arifxiai;. Epist. 1. ad 
Cledonium, p. 739. And St. Augustin 
savs they taught the sun to be Christ : 
' Manichaii soltm istum oculis car- 



neis visibilem, expositum, et publicum, 
non tantum hominibus, sed etiam peco- 
ribus ad videndum, Christum Dominum 
esse putarunt.' Tract. 34. in loan. §. 2. 
This opinion is more clearly set down, 
but without a name, in the Catena Pa- 
trum on the 18th Psalm : Ov ya§ 'sr^oa-s- 
ursov ToUq tZv A!g)=Tjj£aiv c|)X«v«<f)OJf, ol' <pa(riv 
OTi fASra rhv avaaraa-iv 6 Icorfip Iv to hXiann 
ff<pai§a, aTTB^STo o l<f)0f»3<r£ cZfxa, <pu'Ka.T- 
rea-bai f^^X?^ '''''' S'EUTlga? ita^ovcrlcLi;, This 
was the old heresy of Hermogenes, as 
is related by Theodoret : Outo? (o ^E^fjio- 
ysv^?) rou Kv^iou to a-Sifxa. ev rS hy^too bJttsv 
aTirorsBrivai, -rov ^s ha^oXov KUi rovg ^aifxovag 
slg rriv u^>jv ava^Qhosa-Bai. H(Fret, Fab. 
I i. c. 19. 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. 



411 



is received unto the Father, and therefore certainly came from 
the Father : his Father sent him, and we have received the 
message from him, and are assured that it is the same mes- 
sage which he was sent to deliver, because he is so highly re- 
warded by him that sent him for delivering it. Our faith is 
thereby exalted and augmented, as being the evidence of 
things not seen." (Heb. xi. 1.) The farther the object is re- 
moved from us, the more of faith hath that act which em- 
braceth it.* Christ said unto Thomas, *' Because thou hast 
seen me thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not 
seen, and yet have believed (John xx. 29.) and that blessed- 
ness by this ascension he hath left to the whole Church. That 
Christ ascended is the ground and glory of our faith ; and by 
virtue of his being in heaven, our belief is both encouraged 
and commended ; for his ascent is the cause, and his absence 
the crown, of our faith : because he ascended, we the more 
believe ; and because we believe in him who hath ascended, 
our faith is the more accepted. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe the ascension of Christ 
for the corroboration of our hope. We could never expect 
our dust and ashes should ascend the heavens ; but being our 
nature hath gone before in him, we can now hope to follow 
after him. He is our Head,+ (Eph. i. 22.) and where that is, 
the members may expect admission : for in so great and inti- 
mate a union there is no fear of separation or exclusion : 
there " are many mansions in his Father's house." (John xiv. 
2.) And when he spake of ascending thither, he said expressly 
to his disciples, " I go to prepare a place for you, and will come 
again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye 
may be also." (Ibid. 3.) The first-fruits of our nature are 
ascended,J and the rest is sanctified. This is the new and 
living way, which he consecrated for us through the veil, that 
is to say, his flesh." (Heb. x. 20.) And hence we ''have our 
hope as an anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast, which 
entereth into that within the veil, whither the forerunner is for 
us entered." (Heb. vi. 19, 20.) For if Christ in his ascension 



* ' Magnarum hie vigor est mentium, 
et valde fidelium lumen est animarum, 
incunctanter eredere quae eorporeo non vi- 
dentur intuitu, et ibi figere desiderium, quo 
nequeas inferre conspectum. Hjec autem 
pietas unde in nostris cordibus nascerctur, 
aut quomodo quisquam justificaretur per 
fidem, si in iis tantum salus nostra eon- 
sisteret, quae obtulibus subjacerent ?' Leo 
in Ascen. Serin. 2. c. 1. 'Fides eorura 
qui Deum visuri sunt, quamdiu peregri- 
nantur, corda mundantur, quod non videt 
credit; nam si vides, non est fides : ere- 
denti colligitur meritum, videnti redditur 
praemium. Eat ergo Dominus et paret lo- 
cum j eat ne videatur, lateat ut credatur : 



tunc enim locus paratur, si ex fide vivatur: 
creditus desideretur ut desideratus ha- 
beatur, desiderium dilectionis praeparatio 
est mansionis.' S. Avgust. Tract. 68. in 
loan. §. 3. 

t ' Christi ascensio nostra provectio 
est, et quo prsecessit gloria capitis, eo 
spes vocatur et corporis.' Leo de Ascen. 
Serm. 1. e. 4. 

J Ala TovTQ eo^Tal^eiv o<pel\ofx.£v, I'SJSi^a.v 
ah/xsfov T?)V aTrct^^hv tov r,/xsrB^ou <^v^afA.a- 

avhyayt. S. Chrysost. Orat, 1. de Ascens. 
Aio XojTTov JjsTTiX? 'i^ofxiv Taf I'Ktrl'^a.q, TTfOf 
T>iv hfXiTifav a.Tra.^'^y a<^oga}VTi<:. Id. Orat. 2. 
de Ascens. 



412 



ARTICLE VI. 



be the foTerunnei^ then are there some to follow after;* and 
not only so, but they which follow, are to go on in the same 
way, and to attain unto the same place: and if forerunner 
be entered for us, then we are they which are to follow and over- 
take him there ; as being of the same nature, members of the 
same body, branches of the same vine, and therefore he went 
thither before us as the first-fruits before those that follow, and 
we hope to follow him as coming late to the same perfection. 

As therefore God ^' hath quickened us together with Christ, 
and hath raised us up together," (Eph. ii. 5, 6.) by virtue of 
his resurrection ; so hath he also made us sit together in 
heavenly places in Christ Jesus," (Ibid. 6.) by virtue of his as- 
cension. We are already seated there in him,t and hereafter 
shall be seated by him ; in him already as in our Head, which 
is the ground of our hope ; by him hereafter, as by the cause 
conferring, when hope shall be swallowed up in fruition. 

Thirdly, The profession of faith in Christ ascended, is neces- 
sary for the exaltation of our affections. " For where our trea- 
sure is, there will our hearts be also." (Matt. vi. 21.) If 
I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me," (John 
xii. 32.) saith our Saviour ; and if those words were true of his 
crucifixion, how powerful ought they to be in reference to his 
ascension ! " When the Lord would take up Elijah into heaven, 
Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, 
I will not leave thee :" (2 Kings ii. 2.) when Christ is ascended 
up on high, we must follow him with the wings of our medita- 
tions, and with the chariots of our affections. ** If we be risen 
with Christ, we must seek those things which are above, where 
Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. If we be dead, and 
our life hid with Christ in God, we must set our affection on 



* There is a double notion of '/r^o^pofxot;, 
to this purpose : one of a man sent be- 
fore to make preparations for others which 
follow ; in which it is well observed by 
St. Chrysostom : 'O Se 'arpoSgo^otof tivmv ss-ti 
'Tt^Q^pofxoq, oocTTiif 'l<i)avy«j TOV X^ia-ToZ' xa; 
Qvn eTttev (STrXaj? £ia->?XSEV, aXX' o-nov TT^oS^ofxo; 
Itts^ hfxoov eIij-HX&ev ooq Kai hfxZv o<pSiX6vToov 
KATaXaBsTv. Ov ttoXv ya^ toZ 'jt^o^^o/xou Kai 

tZv BWOfJiSVOOV 0<f)EiX£i eTvAI TO fA,i(TOV' eTTBl OV^' 

av elw TTfo^^ofxoq' tov ya^ 'sr^o^^ofxov Hal Tovq 
BTTOfXBVouq h T? avrtj iJvai oSa;- Kai tov 
fxh oIbvbiv, Tovq Se £7riXttTaXa|a(9«v£tv. Homil. 
11. in Epist. ad Hebra-os. Another notion 
there is among the Greeks of the fruit, 
which is ripe and come to perfection be- 
fore the rest, as Isaiah xxviii. 4. Kai 'io-Tai 
TO avQog TO ejctteo-ov Trig Ixwi'Soj Tnq So^nq, ett' 
aKpov TOV opovq tov v-^rj^ov' ooq 'nrg65^0|oe.oj 
avKou, rrnD^-D, tanquamprimitice, or Jructus 
priinogenitif jicus pr(i:cox. Hesycbius : U§6- 
l^o<r(J.a, Ta iv tZ a^ovi ^uXa, ri to. Tr^oaUfxa- 
{ovTa TuKa' (legengoSflO|U0() for they indeed 
are properly Ta Tr^oaKfxa^ovTo. ffvKa, pi cc- 



coces Jiciis. For so Theophrastus, speak- 
ing particularly ttb^I a-vsiriq, hath these 
words : 'TTToXei'srofXBvrii yap nXstovoq rnq 
ToiavTnq vypornToq, oTav ahp ETriyBvtiTai fxa- 
haKoq Kai vy^oq Ka] bt^f/,oq, I^EHaXEcraTo Tnv 
jSXao-Tncnv' ote 5s toDto a-ufA,Baiv£i <pavE^ov, 
oTi Ik tovtov tou f^B^ovq o Ka^noq avlsTai, oQev 
Kai Cl Tr^o^^ofxoi. De Cansis Plant. 1. v. c. 
1. and paulo post : UaXiv Se rovq 'nr^o^pOfA.ovg 
al fXBV <f)Epou£rjv, olov, ^TB AaKoviKn Kai Aeu- 
KOfj(.<^a\ioq Kai ETEpat TrXsiovq' ai 5' ov <pipoua-iv. 
The first-fruits of the early figs were 
called TT^o^pofxoi, and the tree which bare 
them TTpoTEfijfi. Now as this early fruit 
doth forerun the latter fruit of the same 
tree, and comes to ripeness and perfec- 
tion in its kind before the rest ; so our 
Saviour goes before those men of the same 
nature with him, and they follow in their 
time to the maturity of the same per- 
fection. 

t Trig Ki<paXr)q KaQB^Ofxivtiq Kai to croofJLa avy- 
Ka^nTai' Sta touto litnyayiv, h XpiS^TW ^IriJ-oZ, 
S. Chrysost. in Epist. ad Evhcs. Horn. 4. 



HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN. 



413 



things above, not on things on the earth." (Col. iii. 1. 3. 2.) 

Christ is ascended into heaven to teach us, that we are strangers 
and pilgrims here, as all our fathers were, and that another 
country belongs unto us : from whence we as strangers and 
pilgrims should learn to abstain from fleshly lusts ;" (1 Pet. ii. 
11.) and not mind earthly things \ ' as knowing that we are 
citizens of heaven, from whence we look for our Saviour, the 
Lord Jesus," (Phil. iii. 19, 20.) yea " fellow-citizens with the 
saints, and of the household of God." (Eph. ii. 19.) We should 
trample upon our sins, and subdue the lusts of the flesh, that 
our conversation may be correspondent to our Saviour's con- 
dition ; that where the eyes of the apostles were forced to leave 
him, thither our thoughts may follow him. 

Fourthly, The ascension of Christ is a necessary Article of 
the Creed in respect of those great effects which immediately 
were to follow it, and did absolutely depend upon it. The 
blessed apostles had never preached the Gospel, had they not 
been endued with power from above ; but none of that power 
had they received, if the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner 
had not descended : and the Holy Ghost had not come down, 
except our Saviour had ascended first. For he himself, when 
he was to depart from his disciples, grounded the necessity of 
his departure upon the certainty of this truth, saying, ** If I 
go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you: but if I 
depart, I will send him unto you." (John xvi. 7.) Now if all the 
infallibility of those truths, which we as Christians believe, 
depend upon the certain information which the apostles had, 
and those apostles appear to be noway infallible till the cloven 
tongues had sat upon them, it was first absolutely necessary that 
the Holy Ghost should so descend. Again, being it was im- 
possible that the Spirit of God in that manner should come 
down until the Son of God had ascended into heaven ; being 
it was not fit that the second advocate should officiate on earth, 
till the first advocate had entered upon his office in heaven ; 
therefore in respect of this great work the Son of God must 
necessarily ascend, and in reference to that necessity we may 
well be obliged to confess that ascension. 

Upon these considerations we may easily conclude what 
every Christian is obliged to confess in those words of our 
Creed, he ascended into heaven; for thereby he is understood 
to express thus much : I am fully persuaded, that the only- 
begotten and eternal Son of God, after he rose from the dead, 
did with the same soul and body with which he rose, by a true 
and local translation convey himself from the earth on which 
he lived, through all the regions of the air, through all the 
celestial orbs, until he came unto the heaven of heavens, the 
most glorious presence of the majesty of God. And thus I 
believe in Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven. 



414 



ARTICLE VI. 



And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, 

The second part of the Article containeth two particulars ; 
the session of the Son, and the description of the Father : 
the first sheweth, that Christ upon his ascension is set down 
at the right hand of God; the second assureth us that the 
God, at whose right hand Christ is set down, is the Father 
Almighty. 

For the explication of Ch?-ist's session, three things will be 
necessary : First, To prove that the promised Messias was 
to sit at the right hand of God ; Secondly, To shew that our 
Jesus, whom we believe to be the true Messias, is set down 
at the right hand of God ; Thirdly, To find what is the impor- 
tance of that phrase, and in what propriety of expression it 
belongs to Christ. 

That the promised Messias was to sit at the right hand of 
God, was both pretypified and foretold. Joseph, who was be- 
trayed and sold by his brethren, was an express type of Christ; 
and though in many things he represented the Messias, yet in 
none more than in this, that being taken out of the prison he 
was exalted to the supreme power of Egypt. For thus Pha- 
raoh spake to Joseph, ** Thou shalt be over my house, and ac- 
cording to thy word shall all my people be ruled : only in the 
throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh took off the 
ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed 
him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his 
neck ; and he made him to ride in the second chariot which 
he had, and they cried before him. Bow the knee ; and he 
made him ruler over all the land of Egypt." (Gen. xli. 40. 
42, 43.) Thus Joseph had the execution of all the regal power 
committed unto him, all edicts and commands were given out 
by him, the managing of all affairs was through his hands, 
only the authority by which he moved remained in Pharaoh 
still. This was a clear representation of the Son of man, who, 
by sitting on the right hand of God, obtained power to rule 
and govern all things both in heaven and earth (especially as 
the imler of his house, that is, the Church), with express com- 
mand that all things both in heaven and earth, and under the 
earth, should bow down before him : but all this is in the 
name of the Father ; to whom the throne is still reserved, in 
whom the original authority still remains. And thus the ses- 
sion of the Messias was pretypified. 

The same was also expressly foretold, not only in the 
sense, but in the phrase. The Lord said unto my Lord 
(saith the prophet David), Sit thou at my right hand, until I 
make thine enemies thy footstool." (Psal. ex. 1.) The Jews 
have endeavoured to avoid this prophecy, but with no suc- 
cess : some make the person to whom God speaks to be 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 



415 



Ezechias,* some Abraham,+ some Zorobabel, others David ;% 
others the people of Israel :§ and because the prophecy can- 
not belong to him who made the Psalm, therefore they which 
attribute the prediction to Abraham, tell us the Psalm was 
penned by his steward Eliezer:]] they which expound it of 
David, say that one of his musicians was the author of it. 

But first, it is most certain that David was the penman of 
this Psalm ; the title speaks as much, which is, ' A Psalm of 
David from whence it followeth that the prediction did 
not belong to him, because it was spoken to his Lord. Nor 
could it indeed belong to any of the rest, which the Jews 
imagine, because neither Abraham, nor Ezechias, nor Zo- 
robabel,*''^ could be the Lord of David, much less the people 
of Israel (to whom some of the Jews referred it), who were not 
the lords but the subjects of that David. Besides, he which 
is said to ** sit at the right hand of God," is also said to be a 

priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech (Psal. ex. 4. 
Heb. V. 6.) but neither Abraham, nor Ezechias, nor any which 
the Jews have mentioned, was ever any priest of God. ft 



* This Justin Martyr testifies of the 
^ews in his age : Kal tovtov tov 4aX|Uov on 
£i? TOV 'E^ep^i'av tov Baa-iXict s^nyeXiyQai T0\- 
fxars, ovnayvoZ, lirsiTrov. Dialog, cum Try- 
fhone, p. 250. And out of him Tertullian 
citing this Psalm : ' Sed necesse est ad 
meam sententiam pertinere, defendara eas 
Scripturas, quas et Judaei nobis avocare 
conantur. Dicunt denique hunc Psalmum 
in Ezechiam cecinisse, quia is sederit ad 
dextram templi, et hostes ejus averterit 
Deus et absumpserit.' Adv, Marcion. 
1. V. c. 9. 

t So St. Chrysostom, speaking of the 
Jews : TJVtt ovv IxeTvct tow Xiyovra <paa-i ; tov 
©£o'v TOV 5'e aKOvovra ; to'v ^ hBfadfx- ETSgot ^1 
TOV Zo^o/3a|3eX, Hoi aXkoi STipov. In Psai. 
cix. p. 320. So Catena Greca : Ol H 'lou- 
5a~0i, TO yEXfftoTEpov, 81? TOV 'hB^ciay. tl^ncQctt 
"kkyova-f naBncrQai In ^B^iSiv tov ©sou. And 
this exposition is now followed by Simon 
Jarchi and Lipmannus ; Jarchi acknow- 
ledging it to be ancient, innm lym:!^ 

t 'I his is the exposition of the later 
Rabbins, as of Aben Ezra and David 
Kimchi, who attribute the subject of the 
Psalm to David. And not only they", but 
the ancienter Rabbins since our Saviour's 
time, as appeareth by those words of St. 
Chrysostom : Kai to, iwtovTa 5>5Xo~, oti 
ov^BV TTEft rov 7.o^oBa.BtX Ivrau&a stfnrai, ovSe 
Trs^i rov Aa/3i^' ov^bIq ya,^ avraiv Ispoao'vvri r£- 
rlfxnrai. In Fsal. cix. p. 320. 

§ 'AXXa jtttt I'Tspa Ttva Xsyouo-i rovraiv 
liwXoTEpa, TTEpt tol! Xaou Xej/ovte? ravrct slpn- 
<r6ai. Ibid, et paulo post : TlSiq h r£ Aa- 



rS T.o^oBa.Bs'^, >) Tw Xaw ravra apfxo- 
<T£<£V ; Ibid. p. 321. 

II To which purpose saith St. Chry- 
sostom, concerning the Jews of his time : 
Ti yap <paa-iv aXXot TraXiv ; on o vcug rov 
'ABpaay, ravrct Xsysi TFBpl rov K.v^!ov rov 
kavrov. Ibid. p. 320. 

IF As for that objection which is made 
by Aben Ezra, that it is not the Psalm of 
David, but penned for and in the honour 
of David, because the title is "m"? noTO 
as if it were a Psalm for David, not of 
David : it is by no means to be admitted, 
because it may not only very well signify 
a Psalm made by David, but if it do not, 
there is no title which shews any Psalm 
to be his, and some of them we are sure 
are his. 

** Ti ovv, eZtte |U0», Zo^oBo-BbX Kv^iog rov 
AaBi^'f Kal 'nooq av B^oi Xoyov, o; Kcti avrot; 
aVTi fxiyaMg rtfxn; xExXnTaj. S. Chrysost. 
in Psal. cix. p. 320. 

tt This is the argument which the fa- 
thers used against the Jews ; as Justin 
Martyr, in opposition to their pretence of 
Ezechias : 'Upsv? Se on ovrs yiyovBv 'E^sp^taf 
ovTB ETTtv alxvioq 'iB^Bvi; rov ©EoD, ov^B vfxeig 
avTEiTTsiV ToX|U)i<r£T£. Dial, cum Tryphone, 
p. 250. and from him Tertullian : ' Quod 
et in ipso hie accedit, Tit es Sacerdos in 
(Bvum. Nec sacerdos autem Ezechias, 
nec in jevum, etsi fuisset. Secundum or- 
dinem, inquit Melchisedech. Quid Eze- 
chias ad Melchisedech Altissimi sacer- 
dotem, et quidem non circumcisum V 
Adv. Marcion, 1. v. c. 9. and so St. Chry- 
sostom in the words beforementioned. 



416 



ARTICLE VI. 



Again, our Saviour urged this Scripture against the Pharisees, 
"saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he ? They 
say unto him. The son of David. He saith unto them. How 
then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord 
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make 
thine enemies thy footstool ? If David then call him Lord, 
how is he his son? and no man was able to answer him a 
word." (Matt. xxii. 42 — 46.) From whence it is evident that 
the Jews of old, even the Pharisees, the most accurate and 
skilful amongst them, did interpret this Psalm of the Messias ; 
for if they had conceived the prophecy belonged either to 
Abraham, or David, or any of the rest since mentioned by the 
Jews, they might very well, and questionless would have an- 
swered our Saviour, that this belonged not to the son of 
David. It was therefore the general opinion of the Church of 
the Jews before our Saviour, and of divers Rabbins since his 
death,^ that this prediction did concern the kingdom of Christ. 
And thus the session of the Messias at the right hand of God 
was not only represented typically, but foretold prophetically: 
which is our first consideration. 

Secondly, We affirm that our Jesus, whom we worship as 
the true Messias, according unto that particular prediction, 
when he ascended up on high, did sit down at the right hand 
of God. His ascension was the way to his session, and his 
session the end of his ascension ; as the evangelist expresseth 
it, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right 
hand of God;" (Mark xvi. 19.) or as the apostle, God raised 
Christ from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in 
the heavenly places." (Eph. i. 20.) There could be no such 
session without an ascension ; and " David is not ascended 
into the heavens ; but he saith himself. The Lord said unto my 
Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy 
footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assu- 
redly," (Acts ii. 34—36.) let all the blind and wilful Jews be 
convinced of this truth, that God hath not set at his own right 
hand, either Abraham or David, either Ezechias or Zorobabel, 
but " hath made that same Jesus whom thei/ have crucified both 
Lord and Christ." (Acts ii. 36.) 

This was an honour never given, never promised, to any 
man but the Messias : the glorious spirits stand about the 
throne of God, but never any of them sat down at the right 
hand of God. " For to which of his angels said he at any 
time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy 



* As in the Midrash Tillim, Psal. 
xviii. 36. "nnn K»n "ntrn n")" 

; -i-rii'''? ntr R. Joden in the name of Rabbi 
Chama said, that in the time to come God 
should place Messias the King at his right 
hand, as it is written, (Psal. ex. 1.) " The 



Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my 
right hand." So Moses Haddarsan on 
Gen. xviii. Hereafter God holy and ble-^sed 
shall set the King Messins li-Q-b on his right 
hand, as it is ivritten, (Psal. ex.) The Lord 
said, &c. 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 417 



footstool?" (Heb. i. 13.) But Christ was so assured of this 
honour, that before the council of the chief priests and the 
elders of the people, when he foresaw his death contrived, 
and his cross prepared, even then he expressed the confidence 
of his expectation, saying, " Hereafter shall the Son of man 
sit on the right hand of the power of God.'^ (Luke xxii. 69.) 
And thus our Jesus, whom we worship as the true and pro- 
mised Messias, is gone into heaven, and is on the right 
hand of God." (1 Pet. iii. 22.) Which was our second con- 
sideration. 

Our next inquiry is, what may be the utmost importance of 
that phrase, and how it is applicable unto Christ. The phrase 
consists of two parts, and both to be taken metaphorically : 
First therefore, we must consider what is the right hand of God, 
in the language of the Scriptures ; Secondly, what it is to sit 
down at that right hand. God being a spirit can have no ma- 
terial or corporeal parts ; and consequently as he hath no body, 
so in a proper sense can have no hands at all :* but because 
God is pleased to descend to our capacity, and not only to 
speak by the mouths of men, but also after the manner of men, 
he expresseth that which is in him, by some analogy with that 
which belongs to us. The hands of man are those organical 
parts which are most active,t and executive of our power; by 
those the strength of our body is expressed, and most of our 
natural and artificial actions are performed by them. From 
whence the power of God, and the exertion and execution of 
that power, is signified by the hand of God. Moreover being, 
by a general custom of the world, the right hand is more used 
than the left, and by that general use acquireth a greater firmi- 
tude and strength, therefore the right hand of God signifieth 
the exceeding great and infinite power of God. 

Again, because the most honourable place amongst men is 
the right hand, (as when Bathsheba went unto King Solomon, 
he sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the 
king's mother, and she sat on his right hand," (1 Kings ii. 19.) 
therefore the right hand of God signifies the glorious majesty 
of God. 

Thirdly, Because the gifts of men are given and received by 
the hands of men, and every perfect gift conies from the Father 

* * Credimus etiam quod sedet ad dex- oracula. Manus est quae cibum ori mini- 

teram Dei Patris. Nec ideo tamen quasi strat: manus est quae praeclaris enitet 

humana forma circumscriptum esse Deum factis, quae conciliatrix diviuaj gratias sa- 

Patrem arbitrandum est, ut de illo cogi- oris infertur altaribus, per quam ofFerimus 

tantibus dextrumaut sinistrumlatusanimo et sumimus sacramenta coelestia : manus 

occurrat.' S. Angnsl.de Fide et Si]mb.§. 14:. est quae operatur pariter atque dispensat 

t ' Succedunt brachia et validi lacer- divina mysteria, cujus vocabulo non de- 
torum tori, validae ad operandura manus, dignatus est se Dei Filium declarari, di- 
et proceribus digitis habiles ad tenendum. cente David, Dextra Domini exaltavit me : 
Kinc aptior usus operandi, bine scribendi manus est quae fecit omnia, sicut dixit 
elegantia, et ille calamus scribae velociter Deus omnipotens, 'Nonne manus mea fecit 
scribends, quo divinae vocis exprimuntur heecV S, Ambros. Hexaem. 1. vi. c. 9. 

2 E 



418 



ARTICLE VI. 



of lights, therefore the right hand of God is the place of celes- 
tial happiness and perfect felicity ; according to that of the 
Psalmist, In thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand 
pleasures for evermore." (Psal. xvi. 11.) 

Now as to the first acception of the right hand of God, Christ 
is said to sit down at the right hand of the Father in regard of 
that absolute power and dominion, which he hath obtained in 
heaven; from whence it is expressly said, Hereafter ye shall 
see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power." (Matt, 
xxvi. 64. Mark xiv. 62. Luke xxii. 69.) 

As to the second acception, Christ is said to sit on the right 
hand of God in regard of that honour, glory, and majesty, which 
he hath obtained there wherefore it is said, *^ When he had 
by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of 
the Majesty on high :" (Heb. i. 3.) and again, We have an 
High-priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the 
Majesty in the heavens." (Heb. viii. 1.) 

In reference to the third acception, Christ is said to sit on 
the right hand of God, because now after the labours and sor- 
rows of this world, after his stripes and buffetings, after a pain- 
ful and shameful death, he resteth above in unspeakable joy 
and everlasting felicity -t 

As for the other part of the phrase, that is, his session, we 
must not look upon it as determining any posture of his body 
in the heavens, correspondent to the inclination and curvation 
of our limbs : for we read in the Scriptures a more general 
term, which signifies only his being in heaven, without any 
expression of the particular manner of his presence. So St. 
Paul, *' who is even at the right hand of God :" (Rom. viii. 34.) 
and St. Peter, " who is gone into heaven, and is at the right 
hand of God." (1 Pet. iii. 22.) Beside, we find him expressed 
in another position than that of session : for Stephen looking 
" stedfastly into heaven, saw the glory of God, and Jesus stand- 
ing on the right hand of God ; and said. Behold, I see the 
heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand 
of God." (Acts vii. 56.) He appeared standing unto Stephen, 
whom we express sitting in our Creed ; but this is rather a 



* ' Secundum consuetudinem nostram 
illi consessus ofFertur, qui aliquo opere 
perfecto honoris gratia promeretur ut se- 
deat. Ita ergo et homo Jesus Christus 
passione sua diabolum superans, resurrec- 
tione sua inferna reserans, tanquam per- 
fecto opere ad coelos victor adveniens, au- 
dit a Deo Patre, Sede ad dextram mearn.' 
Maxim. Taurin. Horn. 1. de Pentecost, 

t 'Ad dextram intelligendum est dictum 
esse, in summa beatitudine, ubi justitia 
et pax et gaudium est.' S. 4*igust. de Fide 
et Symb. §. 14. 'Quid est Patris dextra, 
nisi ilia setema ineffabilisque felicitas, 



quo pervenit Filius hominisj etiam carnis 
immortalitate perceptaV Idem, contra 
Serm. Arian. c. 12. ' Beatus est, et a 
beatitudine, quee dextra Patris vocatur, 
ipsius beatitudinis nomen est, dextra Pa- 
tris.' De Symb. ad Catech. 1. i. §. 10. 
* Salus temporalis et carnalis in sinistra 
est, salus ajterna cum Angelis in dextra 
est. Ideo jam in ipsa immortalitate po- 
situs Christus dicitur sedere ad dextram 
Dei. Non enim Deus habet in seipso 
dextram aut sinistram ; sed dextra Dei 
dicitur felicitas ilia, quae quoniam ostendi 
non potest, tale nomen accepit.' S. Au- 
gust, in Psal. cxxxvii. ^. ll-. 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 



419 



difference of the occasion, than a diversity of position. He 
appeared standing to Stephen,* as ready to assist him, as ready 
to plead for him, as ready to receive him; and he is oftener 
expressed sitting, not for any positional variation, but for the 
variety of his effect and operation. 

This phrase then to sit, prescinding from the corporal posture 
of session, may signify no more than habitation, possession, 
permansion, and continuance ; as the same word in the Hebrew 
and Greek languages often signifies. + And thus our Saviour 
is set down at the right hand of God in heaven ; because he 
which dwelt with us before on earth, is now ascended up into 
heaven, and hath taken his mansion or habitation there ; and 



* 'Ettej to Bi'rriiv aaQria-^ai <J>o§Ttxoy avroTg 
riv, rsooi; rov irsfi tjJ? avatrratrecag meX Xoyov, 
not (puirlv avTOvl'o'ra.a-^ai. S. Chrysost. Hom^ 
18. in Act. Apost. ' Si major gratia et 
manifestior intelligentia in N ovo est quam 
in Veteri Testamento, quare Esaias Pro- 
pheta sedentem in throno Majestatis vi- 
dit Deum Sabaoth ? — in novo autem Ste- 
phanus primus Martyr stantem se vidisse 
ait Jesura a dextris Dei 1 Quid est istud, 
ut bic subjectus videatur post triumphos, 
et illic quasi Dominus antequam vince- 
ret? Prout causa erat fecisse, ita et Do- 
minus se ostendit. Prophetaa enim visus 
est quasi rex corripiens plebem ; et hoc 
se ostendit quod erat, hoc est, sedentem : 
in pace enim erat causa Divinitatis ejus. 
Stepbano autem ut stans appareret, fecit 
calumnia Judajorum. In Stepbano autem 
Salvatoris causa vim patiebatur. Ideo 
sedente Judice Deo stans apparuit, quasi 
qui causam diceret ; et quia bona causa 
ejus est, ad dextram Judicis erat; Omnis 
qui causam dicit, stet necesse est.' S. 
August. QiuEst.in Novo Test. 88. * Sedere 
judicantis est, stare vero pugnantis vel 
adjuvantis. Stephanus ergo in labore 
certaminis positus, stantem vidit, quern 
adjutorem habuit. Sed hunc post ascen- 
sionem Marcus sedere scribit, quia post 
ascensionis su33 gloriam Judex in fine vi- 
debitur.' Greg. Magn. Horn. 29. in Evang. 
Maximus Taurin. de Peutec. Horn. 1. 
moves the question : ' Quae sit ratio, quod 
idem Dominus a David sedens prophe- 
tatur, stans vero a Stepbano praedicatur V 
and then renders this reason : ' Ut modo 
ejus omnipotentia, modo misericordia de- 
scribatur. Nam utique pro potestate 
regis sedere dicitur, pro bouitate inter- 
cessoris stare suggeritur. Ait enim bea- 
tus Apostolus, quia Adrocatum habemns 
apnd Patrem, Jesiim Christum. Judex est 
igitur Christus, cum residet : Advocatus, 
cum assurgit.. Judex plane Judseid, Ad- 
vocatus Christianis. Hie enim stans 
apud Patrem, Christianorum licet pec- 

2 



cantium causas exorat ; ibi residet cum 
Patre Pharisaeorum persequentium pec- 
cata condemnans. Illis indignans vehe- 
menter ulciscitur ; his interveniens leni- 
ter miseretur. Hie stat ut suscipiat Ste- 
phani Martyris spiritum ; ibi residet ut 
condemnet Judae proditoris admissum.' 
Ibid. 

t ati'" which properly signifies to sit, is 
familiarly used for permansit, and habi- 
tavit ; as Judges v. 17. D-Q'' 5)inb ITPK 
LXX. 'A<r^p EKaQitre TrapaXt'av ^etKaaa-Zv, 
Aslier continued on the sea-shore ; Levi- 
ticus viii. 35. Dav imrn nyiD bnx nn3i 

Di^nU' n^'bl K.al km rhv Sufav tjj? 
aumnq tou [xa^rv^iou KaS-^crEtr&E ETrra hfAB^ai;, 
hfABpav y.al vvhto.' Therefore shall ye abide 
at the door of the tabernacle of the congrega- 
tion, day and night, seven days. Uponi 
which place St. Augustin : * Quid est 
quod dicit Moyses ad Aaron et filios ejus, 
cum sanctificantur ad ineundum sacerdo- 
tiura, Ad ostium tabernaculi testimonii se- 
dehitis sept em dies, die et node, ne mnria- 
mini ? Numquid nam credibile est, situ 
corporis uno loco sedere prfeceptos per 
dies septem die et nocte, unde se omnino 
non commoverentl Nec tamen hie tan- 
quam allegorice aliquid significatura, 
quod non fieret, cogendi sumus accipere, 
sed potius agnoscere locutionem Scriptu- 
rarum, ubi Sessionem pro habitatione et 
commoratione posuit. Non enim quia 
dictum est de Semei, quod sederet in Hie- 
rusalem aniios tres, ideo putandum est, per 
totum illud tempus in sella sedisse et non 
surrexisse. Hinc et sedes dicuntur, ubi 
habent commorationem quorum sedes 
sunt ; habitatio quippe hoc nomen acce- 
pit.' Qucest. super Levit. 24. And this is 
as familiar with the Latins as the He- 
brews. ' Si venti essent, nos hie Corcyrae 
non sederemus.' Cic. Epist. ad Fam, I. 
xvi. ep. 7. ' Id horreum fuit praesidium 
Poenis sedentibus ad Trebiam.' Liv. 1. 
xxi. c. 4-8. 
K 2 



420 



ARTICLE VI. 



so hath he seated himself, and dwelleth in the highest hea- 
vens.* 

Again, the notion of sittitig implieth rest, quietness, and in- 
disturbance; according to that promise in the prophet, ^'They 
shall sit every man under his fig-tree, and none shall make 
them afraid." (Mic. iv. 4.) So Christ is ascended into heaven, 
where, resting from all pains and sorrows, he is seated free from 
all disturbance and opposition ; God having placed him at his 
right hand, until he hath made his enemies his footstool. 

Thirdly, This sitting implieth yet more than quietness or 
continuance, even dominion,! sovereignty, and majesty ; as 
when Solomon sat in the throne of his father, he reigned over 
Israel after the death of his father. And thus Christ " is set 
down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Heb. xii. 2.) 
And St. Paul did well interpret those words of the prophet. 

Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy 
footstool," (Psal. ex. 1.) saying, '* He must reign till he hath 
put all enemies under his feet." (1 Cor. xv. 25.) 

Fourthly, This sitting doth yet more properly and particu- 
larly imply the right of judicature, and so especially express- 
eth **a king, that sitteth in the throne of judgment;" (Prov. 
XX. 8.) as it is written, ** In mercy shall the throne be esta- 
blished, and he shall sit upon it in truth, in the tabernacle of 
David, judging and seeking judoment, and hasting righteous- 
ness.*' (Isa. xvi. 5.) And so Christ sitting at the right hand 
of God is manifested and declared to be the great judge of the 
quick and the dead. J Thus to sit doth not signify any pecu- 
liar inclination or flection, any determinate location or position 
of the body, but to be in heaven with permanence of habitation, 
happiness of condition, regular and judiciary power; as in 
other authors such significations are usual.§ 



* ' Sedet ad dextram Patris, credite. Se- 
dere, intelligite habitare ; quomodo di- 
cimus de quocunque bomine.in istapatria 
sedit per tres annos. Dicit illud et Scrip- 
tura, sedisse quendam in civitate tan turn 
tempus. Numquid sedit, et nunquam 
surrexit 1 Ideo hominum habitationes 
sedes dicuntur. Ubi habitantur sedes, 
numquid semper sedetur, non surgitur, 
non ambulatur 1 Et tamen sedes vocan- 
tur. Sic ergo credite habitare Christum 
in dextera Dei Patris ubi est.' ,S. August, 
de Sytnb. ad Catech. 1. i, §. 10. 

t ' Ipsum verbum sedere regni signifi- 
cat potestatem.' S. Hier. Com. nd Eph. 
i. 20. col. 335. 

f ' Sedere quod dicitur Deus, non mem- 
brorum positionem, sed judiciariam sig- 
nificat potestatem, qua ilia Majestas nun- 
quam caret, semper digna dignis tribu- 
endo ; quamvis in extremo judicio multo 
manifestius inter homines Unigeniti Dei 



Filii Judicis vivorum et mortuorum cla- 
rius indubitata eft'ulgebit.' 5. August, de 
Fide et Symb. cap. 7. ' Hoc quod dicitur 
Filius sedere ad dextram Patris, demon- 
stratur quod ipse homo, quem suscepit 
Christus, potestatem acceperit judican- 
tis.' Auctor 1. iii. de Symh. ad Catech. §. 7. 

§ Most anciently sedere did signify no 
more than esse, to be in any place ; as 
Servius noteth on that place of Virgil, 
Msieid. ix. 3. 

' Luco turn forte parentis 

Pilumni Turnus sacrata valle sedebat. 

5ede&at,utAsper dicit, erat. Qafe clausula 
antiqua est, et de usu remota :' and then 
he goes on to shew, that sedere is taken 
for that, which men were wont to do sit- 
ting : ' Secundum Plautum autem sedere 
est consilium capere, qui inducitin Mostel- 
laria servum dicentem. Sine Juxta arare 
sedeam et dabo meliora consUia. Sed se- 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 421 



The importance of the language being thus far improved, at 
last we find the substance of the doctrine, which is, that sitting 
at the right hand of God was our Mediator's solemn entry upon 
his regal office, as to the execution of that full dominion which 
v/as due unto him. For " worthy is the Lamb that was slain, 
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and 
honour, and glory, and blessing." (Rev. v. 12.) Wherefore 
Christ after his death and resurrection saith, All power is 
given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matt, xxviii. 18.) For 
because he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, 
even the death of the cross, therefore God hath highly exalted 
him, and given him a name which is above every name : that 
at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in hea- 
ven, and things in earth, and things under the earth." (Phil, 
ii. 8 — 10.) And this obedience and submission was and is due 
unto him, because God '* raised him from the dead, and set 
him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above 
all principalities and powers, and might, and dominion, and 
every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in 
that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet ; 
and gave him to be the head over all things to the church." 
(Eph. i. 20—22.) 

There was an express promise made by God to David, " Thine 
house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before 
thee, thy throne shall be established for ever." (2 Sara.vii. 16.) 
This promise strictly and literally taken was but conditional ; 
and the condition of the promise is elsewhere expressed, ** Of 
the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. If thy children 
will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach 
them, thy children also shall sit upon thy throne forevermore." 
(Psal. cxxxii. 12.) Notwithstanding this promise, the kingdom 
of David was intercepted, nor was his family continued in the 
throne : part of the kingdom was first rent from his posterity, 
next the regality itself ; and when it was restored, translated 
to another family : and yet we cannot say the promise was not 
made good, but only ceased in the obligation of a promise, be- 
cause the condition was not performed. The posterity of 
David did not keep the covenant and testimony of their God, 
and therefore the throne of David was not by an uninterrupted 
lineal succession established to perpetuity. 

But yet in a lai ger and better sense, after these intercisions, 
the throne of David was continued. When they had sinned, 
and lost their right unto the crown, the kingdom was to be 



cundum Augures sedere est augurium cap- 
tare : Namque post designatas coeli par- 
tes a sedentibus captabantur auguria. 
Quod et supra ipse ostendit latenter, in- 
ducens Picum solum sedentem, ut, Mn. 
Til. 187. 



Parvaque sedebat 

Succinctus trabea 

Quod est augurum, cum alios stantes in- 
duxerit. Ergo sedebat^ aut erat, aut con- 
silia capiebat, aut augurabatur.' 



422 



ARTICLE VL 



given unto him who never sinned, and consequently could 
never lose it ; and he being of the seed of David, in him the 
throne of David was without interception or succession con- 
tinued. Of him did the angel Gabriel speak at his concep- 
tion, " The Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his 
father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for 
ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke i. 32, 
33») Thus the throne of Christ is called the throne of David, 
because it was promised unto David, and because the king- 
dom of David was a type, resemblance, and representation of 
it; insomuch that Christ himself, in respect of this kingdom, 
is often called David, as particularly in that promise, ** I will 
set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even 
my servant David ; he shall feed them, and he shall be their 
shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and iny servant 
David a prince among them/' (Jer. xxx. 9. Ezek. xxxvii. 24^, 
25. Hos. iii. 5. Ezek. xxxiv. 23, 24.) 

Now as David was not only first designed, but also anointed 
king over Israel, (1 Sam. xvi. 13.) and yet had no possession 
of the crown ; seven years he continued anointed by Samuel^ 
and had no share in the dominion ; seven years after he con- 
tinued anointed in Hebron only king over the tribe of Judah ; 
(2 Sam. ii. 4.) at last he was received by all the tribes, and so 
obtained full and absolute regal power over all Israel, and 
seated himself in the royal city of Jerusalem. So Christ was 
born king of the Jews^ and the conjunction of his human na- 
ture with his divine in the union of his person was a sufficient 
unction to his regal office, yet as the Son of man he exercised 
no such dominion, professing that his ^' kingdom was not of 
this world (John xviii. 36.) but after he rose from the dead, 
then, as it were in Hebron with his own tribe, he tells the apo- 
stles, all power is given unto him /' (Matt, xxviii. 18.) and by 
virtue thereof, gives them injunctions ; and at his ascension he 
enters into the Jerusalem above, and there sits down at the 
right hand of the throne of God, and so makes a solemn entry 
upon the full and entire dominion over all things; then could 
St. Peter say, *' Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, 
that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, 
both Lord and Christ." (Acts ii. 36.) 

The immediate effect of this regal power, the proper execu- 
tion of this office, is the subduing of all his enemies ; for he 
is ^' set down on the right hand of God, from henceforth ex- 
pecting till his enemies be made his footstool.'' (Heb. x, 12, 
13.) This was the ancient custom of the oriental conquerors, 
to tread upon the necks of their subdued enemies ; as when 
Joshua had the five kings as his prisoners, he said unto the 
men of war which went with him. Come near, put your feet 
upon the necks of them." (Josh. x. 24.) Thus to signify the 
absolute and total conquest of Christ, dnid the dreadful majesty 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 423 



of his throne, all his enemies are supposed to lie down before 
him, and he to set his feet upon them. 

The enemies of Christ are of two kinds, either temporal or 
spiritual ; the temporal enemies I call such as visibly and 
actually oppose him and his apostles, and all those which pro- 
fess to believe in his name. Such especially and principally 
were the Jews, who rejected, persecuted, and crucified him; 
who, after his resurrection, scourged, stoned, and despitefully 
used his disciples ; who tried all ways and means imaginable 
to hinder the propagation, and dishonour the profession, of 
Christianity. A part of his regal office was to subdue these 
enemies, and he sat down on the right hand of God, that they 
might be made his footstool : which they suddenly were ac- 
cording to his prediction, There be some standing here, 
which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man 
coming in his kingdom." (Matt. xvi. 28.) For within few years 
the temple, the city, and the whole polity of the Jews, were 
destroyed for ever in a revenging manner by the hands of the 
Romans, which they made use of to crucify the Lord of life. 
The Romans themselves were the next enemies, who first com- 
plied with the Jews in Christ's crucifixion, and after, in de- 
fence of their heathen deities, endeavoured the extirpation uf 
Christianity by successive persecutions. These were next to 
be made the footstool of the King of kings ; and so they were, 
when Rome the regnant city, the head of that vast empire, was 
taken and sacked ; when the Christians were preserved, and 
the heathens perished ; when the worship of all their idols 
ceased, and the whole Roman empire marched under the ban- 
ner of Christianity. In the same manner all those persons and 
nations whatsoever, which openly oppose and persecute the 
name of Christ, are enemies unto this King, to be in due time 
subdued under him, and when he calleth, to be slain. 

The spiritual enemies of this King are of another nature ; 
such as by an invisible way made opposition to Christ's domi- 
nion, as sin, Satan, death. Every one of these hath a king- 
dom of his own, set up and opposed to the kingdom of Christ. 
The apostle hath taught us, that sin hath reigned unto death;" 
(Rom. V. 12.) and hath commanded us not to ''let it reign in 
our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lusts thereof." 
(Rom. vi. 12.) There is therefore a dominion and kingdom 
of sin set up against the throne of the immaculate Lamb. Satan 
would have been like the Most High, and, being cast down 
from heaven, hath erected his throne below ; he is the prince 
of this world :" (John xii. 31.) "the spirit that now worketh 
in the children of disobedience, is the prince of the power of 
the air;" (Eph. ii. 2.) and thus *' the rulers of the darkness of 
this world" (Eph. vi. 12.) oppose themselves to " the true light 
of the world." (John i. 9.) Death also hath its dominion, and, 
as the apostle speaks, ''reigned from Adam to Moses ; even by 



424 



ARTICLE VI. 



one offence death reigned by one," (Rom v. 14. 17.) and so 
set up a ruling and a regal power against the " Prince of life." 
(Acts ill. 15.) 

For the destruction of these powers was Christ exalted to 
the right hand of God, and by his regal office doth he subdue 
and destroy them all. And yet this destruction is not so uni- 
versal, but that sin, Satan, and death, shall still continue. It 
is true he shall " put down all rule, and authority, and power," 
(1 Cor. XV. 24.) but this amounts not so much to a total de- 
struction, as to an absolute subjection : for as he is able," so 
will he "subdue all things unto himself." (Phil. iii. 21.) The 
principal end of the regal office of the Mediator, is the effec- 
tual redemption and actual salvation of all those whom God 
hath given him ; and whosoever or whatsoever opposeth the 
salvation of these, is by that opposition constituted and be- 
come an enemy of Christ. And because this enmity is ground- 
ed upon that opposition, therefore so far as any thing opposeth 
the salvation of the sons of God, so far it is an enemy, and no 
farther : and consequently Christ, by sitting at the right hand 
of God, hath obtained full and absolute power utterly to de- 
stroy those three spiritual enemies, so far as they make this 
opposition ; and farther than they do oppose, they are not 
destroyed by him, but subdued to him; whatsoever hindereth 
and obstructeth the bringing of his own into his kingdom, for 
the demonstration of God's mercy, is abolished ; but whatso- 
ever may be yet subservient to the demonstration of his justice 
is continued. 

Christ then as King destroyeth the power of sin in all those 
which belong unto his kingdom, annihilating the guilt thereof 
by the virtue of his death, destroying the dominion thereof by 
his actual grace, and taking away the spot thereof by grace 
habitual. But in the reprobate and damned souls, the spot of 
sin remaineth in its perfect dye, the dominion of sin continueth 
in its absolute power, the guilt of sin abideth in a perpetual 
obligation to eternal pains : but all this in subjection to his 
throne, the glory of which consisteth as well in punishing re- 
bellion as rewarding loyalty. 

Again, Christ sitting on the right hand of God, destroyeth 
all the strength of Satan and the powers of hell : by virtue of 
his death perpetually represented to his Father, he destroyeth 
him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Heb. ii. 
14.) But the actual destruction of these powers of darkness 
hath reference only to the elect of God. In them he prevent- 
eth the wiles," those he taketh out of the snare ;" in them 
he destroyeth "the works," those he preserveth from ''the 
condemnation of the devil." (Eph. vi. 11. 2 Tim. ii. 26. 
1 John iii. 8. 1 Tim. iii. 6.) He freeth them here from the pre- 
vailing power of Satan by his grace ; he freeth them hereafter 
from all possibility of any infernal opposition by his glory. 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND. 423 



But still the reprobate and damned souls are continued slaves 
unto the powers of hell ; and he which sitteth upon the throne, 
delivereth them to the devil and his angels, to be tormented 
with and by them for ever ; and this power of Satan still is left 
as subservient to the demonstration of the divine justice. 

Thirdly, Christ sitting on the throne of God, at last destroy- 
eth death itself : for the last enemy which shall be destroyed, 
is death/' (1 Cor. xv. 26.) But this destruction reacheth no 
farther than removing of all power to hinder the bringing of 
all such persons as are redeemed actually by Christ into the 
full possession of his heavenly kingdom. '* He will ransorn 
them from the power of the grave, he will redeem them from 
death. O death, he will be thy plague ; O grave, he will be thy 
destruction." (Hos. xiii. 14) The trump shall sound, the graves 
shall open, the dead shall live, the bodies shall be framed again 
out of the dust, and the souls which left them shall be reunited 
to them, and all the sons of men shall return to life, and death 
shall be *' swallowed up in victory." (1 Cor. xv. 54.) The sons of 
God shall then be made completely happy both in soul and 
body, never again to be separated, but to inherit eternal life. 
Thus he who sitteth at the right hand of God,*' hath abolished 
death, and brought hfe and immortality to light." (2 Tim. i. 10.) 
But to the reprobate and damned persons, death is not destroyed 
but improved. They rise again indeed to life, and so the first 
death is evacuated ; but that life to which they rise is a second, 
and a far worse death. And thus Christ is set down at the right 
hand of God, that he might subdue all things to himself. 

The regal power of Christy as a branch of the mediatorship, 
is to continue, till all those enemies be subdued. ** For he 
must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet." (1 Cor. 
XV. 25.) " But now we see not yet all things put under him." 
(Heb. ii. 8.) Therefore he must still continue there : and this 
necessity is grounded upon the promise of the Father, and the 
expectation of the Son. Sit thou on my right hand, until I 
make thine enemies thy footstool," (Psal. ex. 1.) saith the 
Father ; upon which words we may ground as well the conti- 
nuation as the session. Upon this promise of the Father, the 
Son " sat down at the right hand of God, from henceforth ex- 
pecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Heb. x. 12, 13.) 
Being then the promise of God cannot be evacuated; being the 
expectation of Christ cannot be frustrated; it followeth, that 
our Mediator shall exercise the regal power at the right hand 
of God, till all opposition shall be subdued. 

When all the enemies of Christ shall be subdued, when all 
the chosen of God shall be actually brought into his kingdom, 
when those which refused him to rule over them, shall be slain, 
that is, when the whole office of the Mediator shall be com- 
pleted and fulfilled, then every branch of the execution shall 
cease. As therefore there shall no longer continue any act of 



426 



ARTICLE VI. 



the prophetical part to instruct us, nor any act of the priestly 
part to intercede for us, so there shall be no farther act of this 
regal power of the Mediator necessary to defend and preserve 
us. The beatifical vision shall succeed our information and 
instruction, a present fruition will prevent oblation and inter- 
cession, and perfect security will need no actual defence and 
protection. As therefore the general notion of a Mediator 
ceaseth when all are made one, because " a Mediator is not a 
Mediator of one (Gal. iii. 20.) so every part or branch of that 
mediatorship, as such, must also cease, because that unity is 
in all parts complete. *^ Then cometh the end, when he shall 
have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when 
he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 
For when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the 
Son also himself be subject unto him, that hath put all things 
under him, that God may be all in all." (1 Cor. xv. 24. 28.) 

Now though the mediatorship of Christ be then resigned, 
because the end thereof will then be performed ; though the 
regal office as part of that mediatorship be also resigned with 
the whole ; yet we must not think, that Christ shall cease to 
be a king, or lose any of the power and honour, which before 
he had.* The dominion which he hath, was given him as a 
reward for what he suffered : and certainly the reward shall 
not cease, when the work is done. He hath promised to make 
us kings and priests, which honour we expect in heaven, be- 
lieving we shall "reign with him'' for ever, (2 Tim. ii. 12.) and 
therefore for ever must believe him King. ** The kingdoms of 
this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord, and of his 
Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever;" (Rev. xi. 15.) 
not only to the modificated eternity of his mediatorship, so 
long as there shall be need of regal power to subdue the ene- 
mies of God*s elect ; but also to the complete eternity of the 
duration of his humanity, which for the future is coeternal to 
his Divinity. 

Lest we should imagine that Christ should ever cease to be 
King, or so interpret this Article, as if he were after the day 
of judgment to be removed from the right hand of God, the 
ancient fathers added those words to the Nicene Creed, lohose 
kingdom shall have no end,f against the heresy which then arose, 
denying the eternity of the kingdom of Christ. 



* * Videamus an traditio regni defectio 
sit intelligenda regnandi ; ut quod tradi- 
dit Filius Patri, tradendo non teneat.' 
S. Hilar, de Trin. 1. xi. §. 29. 

t OZ Trig 0acri>^sicig ovk sa-rai tIXo?. We 
find not these words in the Nicene Creed, 
as it was in itself before the additions at 
Constantinople. But not long after, St. 
Cyril expounds them in his Catechism, 
and Epiphanius in Ancorato, repeating 
two several Creeds, a shorter and a 



longer, §. 120 and 121. hath these words 
in both. After this, they were added ex- 
pressly in the Constantinopolitan Creed. 
And the reason of their insertion, without 
question, was that which St. Cyril insi- 
nuateth in his Explication, that is, the 
heresy which was then newly begun : 
Krt'v ttotI Tivog axova-rig Xeyovrog, on teXoc s^ei 
h X^tcTou ^actXEi'tt, f/,ic-nc^ov rhv al'pso'iv, tov 
SgaJtovTo; £<rriv. aXXn HB'^aXh 7rfoer<pa,r(>}g ttb^i 
rhv raXariav avei<pviXa-a Ito'x^>j5-£ Xsyetv, en 



AND SITTETH ON THE RIGHT HAND, 427 



The profession of faith in ChristjQ,s sitting on the right hand 
of God, is necessary ; First, to mind us of our duty, which 
must needs consist in subjection and obedience. The majesty 
of a king claimeth the loyalty of a subject; and if we acknow- 
ledge his authority, we must submit unto his power. Nor can 
there be a greater incitation to obedience, than the conside- 
ration of the nature of his government. Subject we must be, 
whether we will or no : but if willingly, then is our service per- 
fect freedom ; if unwillingly, then is our averseness everlasting 
misery. Enemies we all have been under his feet we shall 
be, either adopted or subdued. A double kingdom there is of 
Christ ;t one of power, in which all are under him ; another of 
propriety, in those which belong unto him : none of us can be 



/M.£Ta TO tIXoj roZ yios-fxov o Xpitrrog ov 0a<Ti- 
Xtua-ei' na) lr6'K(xyia-zv sIttsiv, oti 6 Aoyog In 
Uar^og l^sXQaiv, ovrog elg TlaTS^a Tta'KiV ava- 
XvSsic omkri lerri. Catech. 15. This was 
the particular heresy of Marcellus, bishop 
of Ancyra, followed by Photinus, born in 
the same place, and therefore termed by 
St. Cyril, Trspl tw TaKarictv a.va<^vsia-a. It 
consisted of two parts ; first, that the 
kingdom of Christ did wholly cease at 
the end of this world : secondly, that the 
Word was resolved again into the Father, 
and consequently did not only cease to 
reign, but also cease to exist. Which 
is yet more plainly expressed by Euse- 
bius in his second Book against Marcel- 
lus: Kai mAKiv, rovrov aQ^oaoq Trava-Qhasa-Qai 
fASra, Tov TKi; Kgltriooq xajgov, rov fxh Aoyov 
kvccfxevou ©£a), cog fxtj^ev erefov sTvai TrXrjy 
rov ©sou' rng Se a-a^nog l^^jwou >ia,raX£i<pQii- 
cofAivng v7to tov Aoyov, oog fxriri tov v\ov tov 
©£ou TTOTg h<^ZiTrci.vai, ixhnri toV vlov rov avO^oo- 
mv ov av£i'?\ri<{)£. c. 1. This heresy of Mar- 
cellus, St. Basil properly calls an impiety, 
tig thv vtuotnao'iv rov Ki^gt'ou fijCcSv Ino'ou Xpi- 
a-Tov. Epist. 78. And again, Epist. 52. 
sig avrhv uTTa^^tv rng rov /jtovoyevovg S'eo- 
T«Tof which he there more fully express- 
eth : "Og ^MapxEXXof) Aoyov fA,sv sl§ti<r8ai rov 
Movoyevy^ ^t^Mcri, Kara p^^et'av nal Itti Kai^ov 
m^otXQovra, <srahiv SI elg rov o9bv I|>?X0£v STra- 
vacrrpe^avra, ovrs Trpo rng l^o^ou sTvai, ovrz 
fAsra rriv IwavoSov v<psa-ravai. This existence 
of the Word and the kingdom of the Son, 
that heresy made coeval ; beginning when 
the Word came from the Father, that is, 
at the incarnation ; and ending when the 
Word returned into the Father, that is, 
at the day of judgment. Which is ma- 
nifestly delivered by the eastern bishops 
in that profession of faith, which they 
sent to those in Italy : 'axx' Ik tote X^i- 
trrov avrov yeyovbai ical vlov rou Beov, ov 
rhv ^I|U£TEpav ljt rng 'jTapQivov tra^na «v£iX>j<})£, 
TTgo nr^anoa-loov oXoov erZv. "En tots yap rov 
XficTTov a^X^^ ^ao-iXiiag '^^(nKivai ^sXova-i, 
Hcu Te'Xo? B^siv aurhv fAZra, rhv avvrsXeiav kcu 



K^iccv. Toiovroi Se ejVtv oi am Ma^xIXXoy 
Kai 4>i>jrsivov rZv ' Aynv^oya'karZv , oi rhv 
TT^oaiooviov uTra^^iv rs nai ^zdrnra rov Xpj- 
arov, Xtti rhv arsXevrtjrov avrov Baa-iXsiav 
aBsrouTiv, Itti 'rtpoifaa-ii rov trvviaratrQai Jo- 
XEJV T^v [xova^-)(iav. Socrat. Hist. Eccles. 1. ii. 
c. 19. But although Marcellus did thus 
teach the kingdom of Christ not to be 
eternal, yet his heresy did not so much 
consist in the denial of this eternity as of 
the subsistence and person of our Saviour : 
for otherwise he did truly teach that Christ 
was^ an eternal King ; as appeareth out 
of his own words in his book against As- 
terius the Arian, cited by Eusebius : 
Ovnovv opov nva ^oksH 'iyiiv h Kara avQ^on^ov 
avrov oiKoVofAia te Ka\ Baa-iXsia' ov^ev ya^ 
ETEgov 0ovXerai n rovro ro vtio rov ' ATtoa-ro'Kou 
pnQiv, Boig av &>5' roug i)(B^ovg avrov vTromhov 
rZv ito^MV avrov- qIihovv iTTtttav rovg lp^9gou? 
o'X^ vTroTToiiov rSiv tto^mv, ovk 'in XP^'^^^ "^^i 
EV fxipti ravrng ^ao-iXeiaj, TCavroov KaBo'hov 
Baa-iKivgvTckiyoJV, contr. Marcell. I. ii. c. 4. 
And therefore he made the same confes- 
sion with the catholics, when he deli- 
vered an account of his faith to Julius, 
bishop of Rome : niarEvoo iiro/uisvog raTg 
^eiaig yga<f)a~?, o'tj tTg @£og, Kai 6 rovrov fno- 
voysvhgTlog Aoyog 6 ael a-vwita^x^ Tlar^i, 
Kai fxr^BTraiTTorB afp^fiv Tou Eivai l<rp^>5X(»f, 
aT^nQZg Ik rov @eov ^Tra^p^Aiv, ov jtTjcrQstj, ov 
TTOinQelg, aXX' asi mv, aBi cvf^QatriKivaiv rS 
©SM Kai TIarfi, ov rng ^aaCkilag^ Kara rhv rov 
^ AKoa-roKov fxa^rv^lav, ovk 'itrrai rsKog. S. 
Epiphan. Hcsres. Ixxii. $.2, 

* ' Inimicus eras ; eris sub pedibus ejus 
aut adoptatus, aut victus.' 5. August, in 
Psal. cix. §. 9. 

t BaciXeiag rov @sov ^vo oTSsv h y^aiph, rhv 
fxlv Kar oiKilooa-iv, rhv Se Kara ^nfxiov^yiav 
BairiXivei fxh ya§ airavroov Ka] 'EXXrjvauv Kai 
'lov^aiotiv Kai ^aifxovoov Kai rZv avrireray/xsvcuv, 
Kara rov rng ^n/xiov^yiag Xo'yov* Qaa-iXivsi 
raiv itia-roov Kol SKovraiv Kai virortrayfA-ivaiVj 
Kara rov rng olKSidaBoog, S. Chrysost> Horn, 
39. in 1. ad Corinth. 



428 



ARTICLE VI. 



excepted from the first : and happy are we, if by our obedience 
we sliew ourselves to have an interest in the second, for then 
that kingdom is not only Christ's but ours. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe in Christ sitting on the 
right hand of God, that we might be assured of an auspicious 
protection under his gracious dominion. For God by his exal- 
tation hath given our Saviour to be the head over all things 
to the church ;" (Eph. i. 22.) and therefore from him we may 
expect direction and preservation. There can be no illegality, 
where Christ is the lawgiver ; there can be no danger from hos- 
tility, where the Son of God is the defender. The very name 
of head hath the signification not only of dominion but of 
union ;* and therefore while we look upon him at the right 
hand of God, we see ourselves in heaven. This is the special 
promise which he hath made us, since he sat down there ; 
" To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my 
throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with my Fa- 
ther in his throne." (Rev. iii. 21.) How should we rejoice, yea 
rather how should we fear and tremble, at so great an honour If 

Thirdly, The belief of Christ's glorious session is most neces- 
sary in respect of the immediate consequence, which is his 
most gracious intercession. Our Saviour is ascended as the 
true Melchisedech, not only as the ''king of Salem, the king 
of peace," but also as the "priest of the most high God;" 
(Heb. vii. 1, 2.) and whereas " every priest," according to the 
Law of Moses, ** stood daily ministering and offering often- 
times the same sacrifices, which could never take away sins ; 
this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat 
down on the right hand of God." (Heb. x. 11, 12.) And now 
Christ being set down in that power and majesty, though the 
sacrifice be but once offered, yet the virtue of it is perpetually 
advanced by his session, which was founded on his passion : 
for he is " entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the pre- 
sence of God for us." (Heb. ix. 24.) Thus, " If any man sin, 
we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righte- 
ous." (1 John ii. 1.) And " he is able also to save them to the 
uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth 
to make intercession for them." (Heb. vii. 25.) What then 
remaineth to all true believers but that triumphant exclamation 
of the apostle, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge of 
God's elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that con- 



* This is the exclamation of St. Chry- 
sostom upon those words of St. Paul : 
Ba|3a; ! itov TTaXiv xcu rhv 'ExxXniriav avnyct- 

avThv avhyctys fA.iya,, Jtai avrhv IxaQiiTSV Sic 
SKsXvov TOV &f6voV iv9tt ya§ h X64>aXn, IheT xai 
TO a-Sifxa.. ou5evi y«g jUEcra; SiEt^yErat n XE4>aXn 
xa.\ TO eraifjicf bI ya^ SiEt'gyETaJ, ovK kv stv 
(Tooy-a, ovx a.v z'ln }t£<{>aX«. Horn. 3, in Epist» 
ad Ephes. 



t 'Evvoej tov Spovov TOV ^ao-»Xjxov, Ivvo'ej Tnj 
Tifjini; rhv L7re^Qo\r)v rovro x.at ysBvvn;, sHys 
^ovXoifjLsQa,, fxaXKov hfA,ai; (poQnirai ^vvhiTSrai. 
EI ya.§ fxfj yiivva hv, to ri/xnOivTai; rca-cLVT^iv 
Ti(j.hv ava^iovg siifiQrivai no,] xaxou?, riva oLk 
av 'i^oi KoXaaiv ; Ti'viX Ti/xx^iav ; hvora-ov Tt'vof 
eyylx; h xE<^ttXn aov KaBnrai (toUto /m-ovov xaX 
kiToyj^'n TTgoj ttSv otioSv), tivo; Iv 5e^i* I'S'puTat 
Idem, ibidem. 



OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 



429 



demneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather that is risen again, 
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh inter- 
cession for us." (Rom. viii. 33, 34.) For he which was ac- 
cepted in his oblation, and therefore sat down on God's right 
hand, to improve this acceptation continues his intercession ; 
and having obtained all power by virtue of his humiliation, 
representeth them both in a most sweet commixtion ; by an 
humble omnipotency, or omnipotent humility, appearing in the 
presence, and presenting his postulations at the throne of God.* 
Having thus explicated the session of our Saviour, we are 
next to consider the description of him at whose right hand he 
is set down; which seems to be delivered in the same terms 
with which the Creed did first begin, / believe in God the 
Father Almighty: and indeed, as to the expression of his es- 
sence, it is the same name of God ; as to the setting forth his 
relation, it is the same name of Father: but as to the adjoin- 
ing attribute, though it be the same word, it is not the same 
notion of Almighty. What therefore we have spoken of the 
nature of God, and the person of the Father, is not here to be 
repeated, but supposed ; for Christ is set down at the right 
hand of that God and of that Fa//zer, which we understand when 
we say, / believe in God the Father. But because there is a diffe- 
rence in the language of the Greeks between the word which 
is rendered Almighty^ in the first Article, and that which is so 

St. Augustin, discoursing upon that bum est, ubi scriptum est, interpellat pro 



place of St. Paul, 1 Tim. ii. 1. " 1 exhort 
that first of all, supplications, prayers, 
and intercessions, be made for all men," 
observeth what is the nature of interces- 
sion : ' Pro interpetlationilms autem quod 
nostri habent, secundum codices credo 
vestros pastulutiones posuisti. Hajc inte- 
rim duo, id est, quod alii postulatioues, alii 
inter pell al'wnes interpretati sunt, unum 
verbum transferre voluerunt, quod Gr?e- 
cus habet hnv^iiq. Et profecto advertis : 
sed nosti aliud esse interpellare, aliud 
postulare. Non enim solemus dicere, 
postulant interpellaturi, sed interpellant 
postulaturi. Veruntaraen ex vicinitate 
verbum usurpatum, cui propinquitas ipsa 
impetrat intellectum, non est velut cen- 
soria notatione culpandum. Nam et de 
ipso Domino Jesu Christo dictum est, 
quod interpellat pro nobis. Numquid 
interpellat, et non etiam postulate Imo 
vero quia postulat, pro eo positum est, 
interpellat. Evidenter quippe alibi de eo 
dicitur. Si qxds peccaverit, Advoratum ha- 
bemus apud Patrem, Jesiim Christum juS' 
turn, ipse est exoratio pro peccatis nostris. 
Quanquam fortassis codices apud vos eti- 
am in eo loco de Domino Jesu Christo 
non habent interpellat pro nobis, sed postu- 
l':t pro nobis. In Grseco enim, quo verbo 
hie posits sunt i»terpellationes, quas ipse 
posuisti postulationes, ipsura et illic ver- 



vobis. Cum igitur et qui precatur oret, 
et qui orat precetur, et qui interpellat 
Deum, ad hoc interpellet, ut oret et pre- 
cetur, &c.' Epist. lix. ud Paxilinum, 
Qucest. 5. §. 14.. 

t In the first .Article it is navToxfdrw--', 
in the sixth navroHvay.o^. Page 69, 70. 
And this distinction is \ery material, and 
much observed by the (J reeks : as Dio- 
nysius Areopagita (whosoever that is) iu 
his book De Divinis Nominibus, in the 8th 
chapter, explicates the ^uvafAoovv/xiav, or 
TTavTo^uvay.ov, and in the 10th chapter 
TEravToxfttTiitif , as two distinct names with 
difi'erent notions of God. Of the iTavTo- 
xfarwf , which we have already considered , 
he gives this account: Ti ,u£v yap \eyBrat, 
Sti TO TTavroJv aLrov sTvai iraVToK^aro^iKry 
I'S'fttV, c-vvi'Xf.,VTav nai 'uUipii)(^ov<ra.-j to, oAct, 

a-<^iyyov<7av, xai ap'pAyi^ £v lavrn to ttSv aTTO- 
TEXoDc-av, Jtai 1^ saurri(; ra. o>^a KafiaTrsp Ir 
pt^nj TTavrou^arc^ TrpoayoviTav, Kctl sl^ 
eavrhv ra wavra KaQiTTSp ei? 7rvQfA,iva ttuvto- 
K^aropiKOV lina-T^iipova-av, Kal a-vvB)(cu^a.v 
aiira, vavraiv I'Spav irayx^arti, ra rvve^o- 
[Xiva iravra Kara /xiav v7nPi)(^ou^av Travra, 
awo'Xnv a.a-<^a'Kt^ofxivr,v , na] ova sirav aura. 
StEXTTEfTOVTa lauT??, ctJj Ik TravTSXiDf s-nlat: 
Kivov/iiiva, 7Ta^a'7io\k(TQai. c. X. ^. 1. But of 
the luvafj.mvy.'M he gives another account 
as we shall see hereafter. 



430 



ARTICLE VI. 



rendered in the sixth, because that peculiarly signified autho- 
rity of dominion, this more properly power in operation ; there- 
fore we have reserved this notion of omnipotency now to be 
explained. 

In which, two things are observable ; the propriety, and the 
universality; the propriety in the potency, the universality in 
the omnipotency ; first, That he is a God of power ; secondly. 
That he is a God of infinite power. The potency consisteth in a 
proper, innate, and natural force or activity, by which we are 
assured that God is able to act, work, and produce true and 
real effects, which do require a true and real pow^er to their 
production : and in respect of this he is often described unto 
us under the notion of a mighty God. The omnipotency or 
infinity of this power consisteth in an ability to act, perform, 
and produce, whatsoever can be acted or produced, without 
any possibility of impediment or resistance : and in this re- 
spect he is represented to us as an Almighty God. And there- 
fore such an omnipotency w^e ascribe unto him : which is suffi- 
ciently delivered in the Scriptures, first by the testimony of an 
angel, for with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke i. 
37.) secondly, by the testimony of Christ himself, who said, 
With men it is impossible, but not with God ; for with God 
all things are possible." (Mark x. 27.) Now he to whom all 
things are possible and to whom nothing is impossible, is truly 
and properly omnipotent. Thus whatsoever doth not in itself 
imply a repugnancy of being or subsisting, hath in reference 
to the power of God a possibility of production ; and whatso- 
ever in respect of the powder of God hath an impossibility of 
production, must involve in itself a repugnancy or contradic- 
tion. 

This truth, though confessed by the heathens, hath yet been 
denied by some of them ; but with poor and insufficient argu- 
ments,^ that we shall need no more than an explication of the 
doctrine to refute their objections. 

First, then, we must say God is omnipotent, because all 



* The arguments whicli the heathen 
used, are briefly touched by Plutarch, but 
were more largely delivered by Pliny. 
^Avri^ha-Boo yh^ (<f>»)!?-jv) o 7roiJ5TfXOf X^fOf, a-vv 
VLaKKifxa.'^cfi rS 'Ksyovri, 

F.l ©EsvoTcrflct, 

"is'Q' OTJ KOI ps^ai Aat',otov{ Trav SuvaTov. 
(so it must be read) ov^s yk^ o ©so; ^vvarai 
irav TTOisTv. 'ETTSiToiys, si ©es; ss-rt, 'ttoibXtoo 
TKV %iova /xiXaivav, to ^s TrDp 4'^x?°^: 
na^nfxsvov offlov, Kat to IvavTi'ov. Plutarch, de 
Plac. Philos. 1. i. c. 7. ' Imperfectee vero 
in homine naturae preecipua solatia, ne 
Deum quidem posse omnia. Namque 
nec sibi potest mortem consciscere, si 
velit, quod homini dedit optimum in tantis 
vitie poenis j nec mortales eeternitate do- 



nare, aut revocare defunctos ; nec facere 
ut qui vixit non vixerit, qui honores gessit 
non gesserit, nullum que habere in praeterita 
jus praeterquam oblivionis : atque (ut face- 
tis quoque argumentis societas ha?c cum 
Deo copuletur)ut bis dena vigintinon sint, 
ac multa similiter efficere non posse, per 
quae deciaratur baud dubie naturse poten- 
tia, idque esse quod Deum vocamus.' Plin. 
Nat. Hist. 1. ii. c. 7. Add unto these that 
objection of Elymas the sorcerer, recorded 
by Dionysius Areopagita : Yiahoi (pnirlv 
'EXvfxa,? 0 fxayog, El TravToJuvajWo; lo-Ttv o ©ao;, 
TTx; KtySTai ri fj,ri JwatrQai tt^o; tov xafl' 
vf/.a.g Bco'Koyov; Aoi^o^Sirai ^s ^sica Ilai^Aw 
(phs'o.vri, fxh ^vva^8xi tov ©eov havrov a^mca- 
aBdi, De Divinis Nominibus, c. 8. 



OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 



431 



power, whatsoever is in any creature, is derived from him ; 
and well may he be termed Almightij, who is the fountain of all 
might. There is no activity in any agent, no influence of any 
cause, but what dependeth and proceedeth from the principal 
agent or the first of causes. There is nothing in the whole 
circumference of the Universe but hath some kind of activity, 
and consequently some power to act"* (for nothing can be done 
without a power to do it) : and as all their entities flow from 
the first of beings, so all their several and various powers flow 
from the first of powers : and as all their beings cannot be con- 
ceived to depend on any but an infinite essence, so all those 
powers cannot proceed from any but an infinite power. 

Secondly, God may be called omnipotent, because there can 
be no resistance made to his power, no opposition to his will, 
no rescue from his hands. f The Lord of hosts hath pur- 
posed, and who shall disannul it ? his hand is stretched out, and 
who shall turn it back?" (Isa. xiv. 27.) He doth according 
to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants 
of the earth : and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, 
What dost thou ?" (Dan. iv. 35.) According to the degrees of 
power in the agent and the resistent, is an action performed 
or hindered : if there be more degrees of power in the resis- 
tent than in the agent, the action is prevented ; if fewer, it may 
be retarded or debilitated, not wholly hindered or suppressed. 
But if there be no degree of power in the resistent in reference 
to the agent, then is the action totally vigorous ; and if in all 
the powers, beside that of God, there be not the least degree 
of any resistance, we must acknowledge that power of his being 
above all opposition, to be infinite. As Jehosaphat said, **In 
thine hand, O God, is there not power and might, so that none 
is able to withstand thee ?" (2 Chron. xx. 6.) From hence 
there is no difficulty with God to perform any thing : no 
greater endeavour or activity to produce the greatest than the 
least of creatures ; but an equal facility in reference unto all 
things : which cannot be imagined but by an infinite excess 
of power, above and beyond all resistance.^ 

Thirdly, God is yet more properly called omnipotent, be- 
cause his own active power extendeth itself to all things 
neither is there any thing imaginably possible, which he can- 
not do. Thus when God several ways had declared his power 
unto Job, *^ Job answered the Lord, and said, I know that thou 



* 'H a7i'E{goS'uva|Otof tow ©soy ^ia'^oiXK; eIj 
TTavTA TO, ovra X'^i^'^f "^^^^ '^'^^^ '^^^ ovrm 
0 OTttVTEXS;? a<^npnrai to E^Etv riva, ^vvafxtv, 
aXX' ri vos^av, h Xoymriv, h ctla-BKrinhv, k ^^coti- 
Khv, h ova-iM^n ^vva-fxiv, EX^i" Kat avro Se, eI 
Se^i? el'OJiiv, TO ehai ^vvctfxiv, Ei? to eTvai l'x£t 
veapa. t!Jj v'WBpovo-iou ^vvafxEMt;. Dionys. 
Areopag. De Divin. Nom. c. 8. §. 3. 

t ' Neque enim veraciter ob aliud vo- 
catur omnipotens, nisi quia quicquid vult 



potest ; nec voluntate cujuspiam creaturae 
voluntatis omnipotentis impeditur effec- 
tus.' S. August. Enchir. ad Laur. c. 96. 

t ' Nisi omnipotens esset, non una 
eademque facilitate summa atque ima 
fecisset.' Fulgent, de Fide ad Petrum, c. 3. 

§ * Quis est omnipotens nisi qui omnia 
potest V S. August, de Trin. 1. iv. c. 40, 
27. 



432 



ARTICLE VI. 



canst do every thing." (Job xlii. I, 2.) Now that must needs 
be infinite activity, which answereth to all kinds of possibility. 
Thus the power of God is infinite extensively, in respect of 
its object, which is all things ; for whatsoever effects there be 
of his power yet still there can be more produced : intensively, 
in respect of the action, or perfection of the effect produced ; 
for whatsoever addition of perfection is possible, is within the 
sphere of God's omnipotency. The object then of the power 
of God is whatsoever is simply and absolutely possible, what- 
soever is in itself such as that it may be ; and so possible every 
thing is, which doth not imply a contradiction. Again, what- 
soever implieth a contradiction is impossible, and therefore is 
not within the object of the power of God, because impossi- 
bility is the contradiction of all power. For that is said to 
imply a contradiction, which if it were, it would necessarily 
follow, that the same thing would be and not be. But it is 
impossible for the same thing both to be and not to be, at the 
same time and in the same respect : and therefore whatsoever 
implieth a contradiction, is impossible. From whence it fol- 
loweth, that it may be truly said, God cannot effect that which 
involveth a contradiction, but with no derogation from his 
power : and it may be as truly said, God can effect whatsoever 
involveth not a contradiction, which is the expression of an 
infinite power. 

Now an action may imply a contradiction two ways, either 
in respect of the object, or in respect of the agent. In respect 
of the object it may imply a contradiction immediately or con- 
sequentially. That doth imply a contradiction immediately, 
which plainly and in terms doth signify a repugnancy, and so 
destroys itself, as for the same thing to be and not to be, to 
have been and not to have been. And therefore it must be 
acknowledged, that it is not in the power of God to make that 
not to have been, which hath already been but that is no 
derogation to God's power, because not within the object of 
any power. And he may certainly have all power, who hath 
not that which belongeth to no power. Again, that doth im- 
ply a contradiction consequentially, which in appearance 
seemeth not to be impossible, but by necessary consequence, 
if admitted, leadeth infallibly to a contradiction. As that one 



* To j^Eyovo? om IvSsp^srat fxh yiv'is-Qai' 

yiovav ya.^ avrov nai ©go? a-TB^ia-xsTcti, 
^Ayivnra ttoibiv aa-er kv ? TrBTT^ayfxsva. 

Aristot. Ethic. Eud, 1. v. c. 2. 

' Quisquis dicit, Si omnipotens est Deus, 
faciat ut quae facta sunt, facta non fuerint ; 
non videt hoc se dicere, Si omnipotens 
est, faciat ut ea quae vera sunt, eo ipso 
quo vera sunt falsa sint.' S. August, contra 
Fuustum, I. xxvi. c 5. It is granted there- 



fore to be true, which Pliny objects, Nat. 
Hist. 1. ii. c 7. ' Deum non facere ut qui 
vixit non vixerit, qui honores gessit non 
gesserit as this proves nothing against 
omnipotency, because it is no act of pos- 
sibility. Had the act objected been feasi- 
ble, and God had not the power to effect 
it, then had he wanted some power, and 
consequently had not been omnipotent. 
But being it is not want of power in the 
agent, but of possibility in the object, it 
proveth no deficiency in God. 



OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 433 



body should be at the same time in two distinct places, speaks 
no repugnancy in terms ; but yet by consequence it leads to 
that which is repugnant in itself ; which is, that the same body 
is but one body, and not but one. Being then a covert and 
consequential contradiction is as much and as truly a contra- 
diction as that which is open and immediate, it followeth that 
it is as impossible to be effected, and therefore comes not under 
the power of God. 

That doth imply a contradiction in respect of the agent, 
which is repugnant to his essential perfection ; for being every 
action floweth from the essence of the agent, whatsoever is 
totally repugnant to that essence, must involve a contradic- 
tion as to the agent. Thus we may say, God cannot sleep, 
God cannot want, God cannot die;=^ he cannot sleep, whose 
being is spiritual ; he cannot want, whose nature is all-suffi- 
cient ; he cannot die, who is essentially and necessarily ex- 
istent. Nor can that be a diminution of his omnipotency, the 
contrary whereof would be a proof of his impotency, a demon- 
stration of his infirmity. Thus it is impossible for God to 
lie,"t (Heb. vi. 18.) to whom we say nothing is impossible; 
and, he who can do all things, ** cannot deny himself. "J (2 Tim. 



* ' Neque enim et vitam Dei et prae- 
scientiam Dei sub necessitate ponimus, si 
dicamus, Necesse estDeum semper vivere 
et cuncta prasscire ; sicut nec potestas 
ejus minuitur, cum dicitur mori fallique 
non posse. Sic enim hoc non potest, ut 
potius, si posset, minoris esset utique po- 
testatis. Recte quippe omnipotens dicitur 
qui tamen mori et falli non potest. Di- 
citur enim Omnipotens faciendo quod vult, 
non patiendo quod non vult : quod si ei 
accideret, nequaquam esset Omnipotens. 
Unde propterea quaedam non potest, quia 
Omnipotens est.' S. August, de Civ. Dei, 1. 
V. c. 10. ♦ Nam ego dico quanta non pos- 
sit. Non potest mori, non potest peccare, 
non potest mentiri, non potest falli. Tan- 
ta non potest; quse si posset, non esset 
Omnipotens.' Idem, de Tempore Serm. 119. 
al. 213. §. 1. 

t ' Nunquidnam mentitur Deus 1 Sed 
non mentitur ; quia impossibile est mentiri 
Deum. Impossibile autem istud nunquid- 
nam infirmitatis est ? Non utique. Nam 
quomodo omnia potest, si aliquid efficere 
non potest ? Quid ergo ei impossibile 1 lllud 
utique quod naturae ejus contrarium est, 
non quod virtuti arduum. Impossibile, in- 
quit, est ei mentiri, et impossibile istud 
non infirmitatis est, sed virtutis et majes- 
tatis ; quia Veritas non recipit mendacium, 
nec Dei virtus levitatis errorem.' S. Am- 
bros. Annot. in Num. ' Si volunt invenire 
quod Omnipotens non potest, habent 
prorsus; ego dicam, mentiri non potest. 
Credaraus ergo quod potest, non creden- 



2 F 



do quod non potest.' S. August, de Civ. 
Dei, 1. xxii. c. 25. 

I This was the argument of Elymas the 
sorcerer beforementioned, to which Dio- 
nysius Areopagita gives this answer : 
'H lavToZ a,^vns-ig EXTTTCOo-ff aXnSsi'aj ea-rlv h 

a'KfiQsict cv lc-Ti,Jttti h t>i? aXrQeiai; axTrrwcrif 
Tou ovToff SKirTa.'o-K;. El Toivw h aXhQeta oy 
saTiv, h Je agv«(rjj T«f aXflSejaj tov oyroq 
suTTrctiTig, en tsu ovrog e^'^es-e^v o ©£c? ov 
Juvarar Kai to fji,h eJvai oujt Ij'tiv, aig av rt; 
<pain TO /M.JJ S'uvao'Qat oh Ivvairai, ncti to [xn 
elSemi xaTa crTSfncrtv ovn oTJev. De Divin. 
Norn. c. 8. §. 6. <I>a,fjtev ie koI on ov 
Svvarai aWy^^^a 6 ©£o?, ETrst ea-rai 6 Qeog 
^vva.fA.evo; fxri elveti ®eog' e\ ya^ atirp^^ov Jpa d 
©eof, ovK eVtj ©eo'?. Orig. cunt. Cels. I. v. §, 
23. Jobius gives this solution to the same 
objection : "A <paf/,ev fxri ^uvaa-Qai to 9e~ov, 
Tavra tSv fxrire ovrcxv ea-rl [xnTi IvvbltSiv cXwg 
vtpeirraiai. ttou ya^ v<peinme to a^yhs-aa-Qai 
TOV ©eov lauTov, Ji r^otirt, n h t!?? ayaQormog 
eK'TTrcaa-ig, *j Tnv aXrj^eiav -^sv^og ysvecQat ; 
Uavro^vva.fxo; vfxHXTCii Kol \eyerai, oog ra, 
re TrgETrovTtt avra nal crajTri^ia tS)v ^ny-iou^- 
yrifxcnm irkvra. ^vvafxivog ore ^cvMrai. Job, 
de Verb. Incarn. 1. iii. c. 13. apud Pho- 
tium in Biblioth. p. 586. 'O 'awoVtoXo'j 
<pyi^i TTSgt TOP ©6oS nal waTpo?, 'Ev oTg a^uvarov 
■^evraa-Qai ©eo'v ovn aa-Qiveiav rii/a, narriyo^Siv 
rrjg Traj/xpttToU? ^vvafxeoog, aWa f^eyi^rrjy 
paifXKV, on avemhinog la-n rou -^ev^ovg o t?? 
aT^nQiiag Trarhp. Kal aXKet')(0(re Se ravrny 
o^u^uiv rriv hvoiav 'i<pri, 'Eav apyncaiixeQa avrov, 
Exetvoj tniG-rlg /ocevej* k^ma-aa-Qai ya,^ icturov ov 
^vvarai. Kal ruvro ya.^ ovn atrQev^iag eirnv 



434 



ARTICLE VI. 



ii. 13.) Because alio is repugnant to the perfection of veracity, 
which is essential unto Qvd, as necessarily following from his 
infinite knowledge, and infinite sanctity. We who are igno- 
rant may be deceived ; we who are sinful may deceive : but it 
is repugnant to that nature to be deceived, which is no way 
subject unto ignorance ; it is contradictory to that essence to 
deceive, which is no way capable of sin. For as it is a plain 
contradiction to know all things and to be ignorant of any 
thing ; so is it to know all things and to be deceived: as it is 
an evident contradiction to be infinitely holy and to be sinful ; 
so is it to be infinitely holy and deceive. But it is impossible 
for any one to lie, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. 
Therefore it is a manifest contradiction to say that God can 
lie, and consequently it is no derogation from his omnipotency, 
that he cannot. Whatsoever then God cannot do, whatsoever 
is impossible to him, doth not any way prove that he is not 
Almighty, but only shew that the rest of his attributes and 
perfections are as essential to him as his power; and as his 
power suffereth no resistance, so the rest of his perfections 
admit no repugnance. Well therefore may we conclude him 
absolutely omnipotent, who, by being able to effect all things 
consistent with his perfections, sheweth infinite ability :^ and 
by not being able to do any thing repugnant to the same per- 
fections, demonstrateth himself subject to no infirmity or im- 
becility. And in this manner we maintain God's omnipotency, 
with the best and eldest, against the worst and latest, of the 
heathen authors.f 



aTTohi^i?, aXX avvTTZpQ'kri'rov liT)(yoq, on oln 
ly^M^sX Twv S'Ei'av <pva-iv lavrhv afvha-aa-^eLi, 
hid. Pelus.Ep.oob. l.iii. Theodoret upon 
that place of St. Paul, " It is impossible 
for God to lie :" Ovk aa-Qevig to a^vvarov, 
aXXa ayctv avro ^SiKviig ^vvarov. Ouro) yap, 
<ptia-iv, la-Tiv aXJiQs? cbj a^vvarov sTvai ■^^v$°i 
Iv avrS ysvsa-dai ttote. To ^vvarov a^a (ita 
lege, non a^vvarov oSv) rng aXn^eiag ^la rov 
a^vvarou (rt>fA.aiv£rai. Dial. iii. p. 123. And 
upon that, " He cannot deny himself:" 
JJa'KiV ovv TO ol ^vvarai rng ainipov ivva{A,sciog 
iwa^XSi ^riXotirmov , &c. Ibid. p. 124. 

* Theodoret having proved that there 
were many things, which fell not under 
the power of God, at last thus concludes : 
TloXXa roiwv elpwa/xsv a^vvara ovra. rS Trav- 
rotvvafXM QsM. 'AXXa to fxh ^vvnOrival ri rov- 
rm, a'Tre'i^ov ^vvafxeajg, oln atrQiveiag rSK/xfi^iov 
TO Se ys ^vvtiQnvai, a^vvafxiag ^hirovQsv, ov 
^vvafxsccg. "Ori rovroov EKaa-rov to arpsTFrov 
rov @eov jtnguTTEi xat avaWoioorov, Dial, iii. 
p. 123. And Origen cont. Cels. gives this 
for the Christian's general rule : Avvarai 
xaS'' vfjiag itavra o ©Eo?, aitzp ^vvafxivog, rov 
&Bog Bivai, xai rov aya^og Sivai, xat Toy ero<pog 
etvai ovsi l^lararai. 1, iii. §. 70. And the 
words of Celsus, though ill intended, are 
yet very true : hhrog yap (o 0£of) Io-tiv o 



'STavrctiV raiv ovroov Xoyog, ov^h ovv oiog re ira^a, 
Xoyov ov^e 'ffaf savrov e^yacrairdai. Apiid 
Orig.l.v. §. 14. And so Origen in his 
answer confesses : 'axXo, Kai jtafl' hfxag ov^sv 
oTog TE Tra^aXoyov ovre <jrct{ iavrov l^yaTaa-Qal 
Ittiv Qeog. Ibid. §. 24. 

t It was the constant opinion of the 
most ancient heathens, as appeareth by 
Homer, who expresseth it plainly, Odyss. 
K. 303. 

XaXsTTov Je t' ogiiff-a-Etv 

'Av^^dtriyt 9vnro"(Ti, 0Eoi S'e te iravra. SyvavTat* 

And the same sense is attributed to Linus 
in a distich cited for his by Stobseus, tit. 
110. 1.; but may rather be thought to 
have been made by some of the Pytha- 
goreans. For this was the plain doctrine 
of Pythagoras, who taught his scholars to 
believe miracles, and to doubt of nothing 
said to be done by the gods, because all 
things were possible to them. Ou yap sTvai 
ra /tAEV ^vvara rZv QeZv, (vel potius roTg 
0£o~?) ra Se a^vvara, cha-TTZ^ oha-Qai rovg a-o<pi- 
^ofjiivovg, aXXk 'navra ^vvara' Kol h apx/i h 
avrh ia-ri rZv lurSiv, a iKeTvoi (pas-i (asv sivai 
Aivov, is-rt fxzvroi 'iiroog kasivuv' 

"EXTfSo-Bai TTcivr * lir£i ovx, effr ovVev 
aeXTrrov 



OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 435 



Thus God is omnipotent, and God only. For if the power of 
all things beside God be the power of God, as derived from 
him, and subordinate unto him, and his own power from whence 
that is derived can be subordinate to none, then none can be 
omnipotent but God. 

Again, we say, that God the Father is AlmigMy ; but then wc 
cannot say, that the Father only is Almighty: for the reason 
why we say the Father is Almighty, is because he is God; and 
therefore we cannot say that he only is Almighty, because it is 
not true that he only is God.^ Whosoever then is God, hath 
the same reason and foundation of omnipotency which the 
Father hath, and consequently is to be acknowledged properly 
and truly omnipotent as the Father is. But we have already 
shewed that the Son of God is truly God ; and shall hereafter 
shew that the Holy Ghost is also God, and that by the same 
nature, by which the Father is God. The Father therefore is 
Almighty, because the Father is God; the Son Almighty, be- 
cause the Son is God; and the Holy Ghost Almighty, because 
the Holy Ghost is God. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are 
God, by the same Divinity : therefore, the Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, are omnipotent by the same omnipotency. The 
Fatlier then is not called Almighty by way of exclusion, but is 
here mentioned with that attribute peculiarly, because the 
power of God answereth particularly to the right hand of God, 
as being the right hand ofpower.f The Father therefore is here 
described by the notion of Almighty, to shew, that Christ hav- 
ing ascended into heaven, and being set down at the light hand 
of God, is invested with a greater power than he exercised 

' Pd^ia Trdvra &£cS nXsa-ai, xal awwrov ov^BV. <pvo-£i, y.a.1 tovtoii; (xnV IviX^si^sTv oh6c<; tov 

Iamb, de Vit. Pythag. c. ^8. &£ov, aXX' Ix tSiv ^vvaroov ym^2rai to Qihriov 

So Epicharmus a disciple of Pythagoras : al^zia-^ai. De Usu Part. 1. xi. c. 14. 

'A^varsT ouSev ©bm. Ap. Grot. Excerpt, ex * ' Non ergo quispiam audebit quam- 

Trag. et Comced.' Gr. p. 481. So Pater Hbet creaturam sive coelestem sive ter- 

Omnipotens, and Jupiter Omnipotexs, fa- restrem dicere Omnipotentem, nisi solain 

miliar in Virgil and the poets before and Trinitatem, Patrem scilicet et Filium et 

after him. These do far outweigh the Spiritum Sanctum. Non enim cum dici- 

authority in Plutarch, and that of Pliny, mus nos credere in Deum Patrem Omni- 

with the addition of Galen, who opposeth potentem, sicut Hgeretici Ariani, negamus 

the opinion of the philosophers to that of filium Omnipotentem, aut Spiritum Sanc- 

Moses expressly, and to our Saviour ob- tum.' Auctor Lib. de Symbolo ad Catechum. 

liquely : Ou yag S~>j to Bouf^tiSriveii roiavrag !• ii. c. 3. 

yevBo-Bai fxonv h avra^nBg- ov^e ya^ e; tw t Nor is it unusual in other authors to 

TTETfav l^ai'4)V)ij IBiXha-iiiy av^pccrrov miriiTai, make use of the word omnipoteiis, rather 

Syvarov auTw. Which seems to be opposed i" relation to the present occasion, thau 

to those words of our Saviour, " God is in reference to the person who is said to 

able to raise children unto Abraham out be omnipotent ; as is observed by Servius 

of these stones." Kal tovt eent, kclQ' o r^c upon that verse of Virgil, iEueid. ix. 625. 

~ ^ ' "JT^ ' fl~ ' Jupiter oranipotens, audacibus annue 

Tctiv aAhMV Trap EXXwcriy o^oisi;? /txETap^si^tc-a- ' . 

^Ev yap ajxEi', TO /3oyX»)9^vat TOV ©EovKoi3-/M.ri«rai Hoc epitheton interdum ad gloriam nu- 

rnvvKriv, hi:' BiQv( nBnoa-fjitirar 'Travra yap sTvai minis ponitur, interdum ad causam di- 

rZ ©ga* ^vvara vofxL^Bi, xav et tw tB<p^av I'tt- centis. Namque hoc loco dicendo omni- 

TTov ri QoZv IQsxot TtoiBiv hfxBii; y ovx, ovTM potens ostendit eum etiam his, qui per se 

yiVM(3-K0(A,Bv,a\iC eTmiya^ rim xtyofAtv a^uvara minus valent, piaestaie posse virtutem.' 

2 F 2 



436 



ARTICLE VI. 



before : and that power which was then actually conferred 
upon him, acknowledgeth no bounds or limits; but "all 
power" in the ultimate extent of its infinity is " given unto 
him," (Matt, xxviii. 18.) who is set down on the right hand of 
him who is God the Father ; and, being so, is therefore truly 
and properly Almighty. 

It is necessary to profess belief in God Almighty ; First, be- 
cause the acknowledgment of his omnipotency begetteth that 
fear and reverence, submission and obedience, which are due 
unto his infinite Majesty. Our God is a " great God, a mighty, 
and a terrible (Deut. x. 7.) therefore terrible because 
mighty. " I will forewarn you (saith our Saviour), whom ye 
shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power 
to cast into hell; I say unto you, fear him.'' (Luke xii. 5.) 
Three times we are commanded to fear, and one only reason 
rendered, but sufficient for a thousand fears, the power of him, 
who is able eternally to punish us. God gave a general com- 
mand to Abraham, and with it a powerful persuasion to obe- 
dience, when he said unto him, *'I am the Almighty God; walk 
before me, and be thou perfect." (Gen. xvii. 1.) It was a ra- 
tional advice which the apostle gives us, " Humble yourselves 
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due 
time." (1 Pet. v. 6.) And it is a proper incentive to the obser- 
vation of the Law of God, to consider that he is the one law- 
giver, who is able to save and to destroy." (James iv. 12.) 

Secondly, The belief of God's omnipotency is absolutely ne- 
cessary, as the foundation of our faith. All the miracles, which 
have been seen, were therefore wrought, that we might believe ; 
and never miracle had been seen, if God were not omnipotent. 
The objects of our faith are beyond all natural and finite power; 
and did they not require an infinite activity, an assent unto 
them would not deserve the name of faith. If God were not 
Almighty, we should believe nothing ; but being he is so, why 
should we disbelieve anything?* What can God propound 
unto us, which we cannot assent unto, if we can believe that 
he is omnipotent'^ 

Tliirdly, It is not only necessary in matters of bare faith, 
and notions of belief, but in respect of the active and operative 
reliance upon the promises of God. This was the particular 
confidence of Abraham the father of the faithful, " who stag- 
gered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was 



* This was the argument which the 
Pythagoreans used, who believed manj 
miraculous actions, which others looked 
upon as fabulous ; because they would 
disbelieve nothing, which was referred to 
the Divine power : and the reason of 
that was, because they thought all things 
possible to God, as we shewed before. 
Ttt>v Toiovfrnv It (saith lamblichus, having 



related several strange actions, either 
fabulous or miraculous) twv ^qkovvtoov 

erroiiVTS? on av ei? to bem avaynrai' and 
whereas others looked upon them as weak 
and simple people for giving credit to such 
fabulous relations : w^o? Travra ra roiaZra 
oL^} cLvroiig Eunflsi; vofA,i^ova-iv, aXha tou? awj- 
a-rovvrag. Iambi, de Vit. Pythag. c. 28. 



OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY. 437 



strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being persuaded that 
what he had promised, he was able also to perform." (Rom. 
iv. 20, 21.) The promises of God are therefore firm and sure, 
because he is both willing and able to perform them,* We 
doubt or distrust the promises of men, either because we may 
fear they intend not to do what they have promised, or cannot 
do what they intend : in the first, we may suspect them be- 
cause they are subject to iniquity; in the second, because 
they are liable to infirmity. But being God is of infinite sanc- 
tity, he cannot intend by breaking his promises to deceive us : 
therefore if he be also of infinite power, he must be able to 
perform what he intended, and consequently we can have no 
reason to distrust his promises. From whence every good 
Christian may say with the apostle, I know whom I have be- 
lieved, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that, which I 
have committed unto him, against that day." (2 Tim. i. 12.) I 
am assured that if I be a sheep, and hear my Saviour's voice, 
the powers of darkness and the gates of hell can never prevail 
against me ; for it was the voice of the Son of God, " My 
Father, which gave them me is greater than all ; and no man 
is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John x.29.) 

Lastly, The belief of God's omnipotency is necessary to give 
life to our devotions. We ask those things from heaven which 
none but God can give, and many of them such, as if God him- 
self were not Almighty, he could not eflect. And therefore in 
that form of prayer, which Christ hath taught us, we conclude 
all our petitions unto the Father with that acknowledgment, 
" For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory." (Matt, 
vi. 13.) Nor can there be a greater encouragement in the 
midst of all our temptations, than that we are invited to call 
upon him in the day of trouble, " who is able to do exceeding 
abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the 
power that worketh in us." (Eph. iii. 20.) 

After this explication of our Saviour's session, we may con- 
clude what every Christian ought, and may be supposed, to 
intend, when he maketh profession to believe, that Christ is set 
on the right hand of God the Father Almighty. For thereby he 
is conceived to declare thus much : I assent unto this as a 
most infallible and necessary truth, that Jesus Christ, ascend- 
ing into the highest heavens, after all the troubles and suffer- 
ings endured here for our redemption, did rest in everlasting 
happiness ; he which upon earth had not a place to lay his 
head, did take up a perpetual habitation there, and sit down 
upon the throne of God, as a Judge, and as a King, according 
to his office of Mediator, unto the end of the world ; according 
to that which he merited by his mediatorship, to all eternity : 
which hand of God the Father Almighty signifieth an omnipotent 

* * Nulla est in promissis Dei falsitas, quia nulla est in faciendis difficultas aut 
impossibilitas.' Fulgent, ad Moniin. 1. i. c. 12. 



438 



ARTICLE VII. 



power, able to do all things without any limitation, so they 
involve not a contradiction, either in themselves or in relation 
to his perfections. And thus I believe in Jesus Christ, who 

SITTETH AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GoD THE FaTHER Al- 
MIGHTY. 



ARTICLE VII. 

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead."* 

This Article containeth in it four particular considerations 
and no more ; First, That Christ, who is gone from us, shall 
come again. Secondly, That the place from whence he shall 
then come, is the highest heaven, to which he first ascended, 
for from thence he shall come. Thirdly, That the end for which 
he shall come, and the action which he shall perform when he 
Cometh, is to judge ; for from thence he shall come to judge. 
Fourthly, That the object of that action, or the persons whom 
he shall judge, are all men, whether dead before, or then alive ; 
£orjrom thence he shall come to judge the quick arid the dead. 

For the illustration of the first particular, two things will be 
necessary, and no more ; first. To shew that the promised Mes- 
sias was to come again, after he once was come: secondly. To 
declare how our Jesus (whom we have already proved once to 
have come as the true Messias ) did promise and assure us of a 
second coming. 

That the Messias was to come again, was not only certainly, 
but copiously foretold : the Scriptures did often assure us of 
a second advent. As often as we read of his griefs and hu- 
mility, so often we are admonished of his coming to suffer; as 
often as we hear of his power and glory, so often we are as- 
sured of his coming to judge. We must not fancy with the 
Jews, a double Messias, one the son of Joseph, the other of 
David; one of the tribe of Ephraim, the other of Judah : but 
we must take that for a certain truth, which they have made 
an occasion of their error ; that the Messias is twice to come, 
once in all humility, to suffer and die, as they conceived of 
their son of Joseph; and again in glory, to govern and judge, 
as they expect the son of David. Particularly, Enoch the 



* Or from whence ; the Latins some- 
times inde, sometimes unde. And the 
Greek is o'6sv, unde, both in the ancient 
MS. in Sir Robert Cotton's library, and 
in the Creed of Marcellus. But IxeT^sv 
IpX^^fxsvov, in the latter MS. in Bene't 
College Library. Others neither odev, 
nor IxeT^EV, but Tra'Xiv, as Justin Martyr: 
'HfjtBig ivi-yvaifxzv X^ia-rov Ylov @iou a-rav^oo- 
&£VTa xat aVttiTTavTa, y.a\ an\n'Kv^oT;a si; 



To'vq ov^avolg, aal TrdXiv ■7ra^a,yevn<rofXBV0V xpi- 
rhv TToivTctiv ttTTXiij av^^oo7ra}V /oclp^pj? auToU 
A^ctf.i. Dial, cum Triiphone, p. 362. Others 
without inde or unde, only ventariis, as 
the Nicene Creed, Socrat. 1. i. 8. 
|Ugvov KfXvai, others ttaXiv IfX^Ofxsvov, Con- 
stantin. Symb. Concil. Gen. t. i. p. 534. or 
n^ovra TraMv, and Fortunatus, leaving out 
inde venturus, hath ou\y judicaturus vivo^ 
et inortuos. 



FROM THENCE HE SHALL COME. 439 



seventh from Adam prophesied of this advent, saying, Behold 
the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his angels." (Jude, 
ver. 14.) And more particularly Daniel saw the representation 
of his judiciary power and glory ; I saw in the night visions, 
and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of 
heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought 
him before him. And there was given him dominion, and 
glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, 
should serve him : his dominion is an everlasting dominion, 
which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall 
not be destroyed.'' (Dan. vii. 13, 14.) This Son of man the 
Jews themselves confess to be the promised Messias,* and they 
take the words to signify his coming, and so far give testimony 
to the truth ; but then they evacuate the prediction by a false 
interpretation, saying, that if the Jews went on in their sins, 
then the Messias should come in humility, according to the de- 
scription in Zachary, " lowly and riding upon an ass;" (Zech. 
ix. 9.)t but if they pleased God, then he should come in glory, 
according to the description in the prophet Daniel, ** with 
the clouds of heaven whereas these two descriptions are two 
several predictions, and therefore must be both fulfilled. From 
whence it followeth, that, being Christ is already come, ** lowly 
and sitting upon an ass," therefore he shall come gloriously 
" with the clouds of heaven.'' For if both those descriptions 
cannot belong to one and the same advent, as the Jews ac- 
knowledge, and both of them must be true, because equally 
prophetical ; then must there be a double advent of the same 
Messias f and so his second coming was foretold. 

That o^r Jesus, whom we have already proved to have come 



* R. Saadias Gaon ad locum, n^trn ipt 
: 'yr^'b niy ^aTKb dn2 n-riDiD V'pi)^ In 
Bereshith Rabba, speaking of the gene- 
alogy concluding (1 Chron. iii. 24.) with 
Anani, the youngest of the seven sons of 
Elioenai, the author asks this question, 
"331; Kin -DT And who is this Anani ? and 
answers it thus, mn mn '3U' n''U'Q nr 
nriN TTDN "113 x'-DU' "331; Dy inxi n"':'''? "imn 
: Kin This is the Messias, as it is written, 
Dan. vii, 13. I saw in the night visions, 
and behold one like the Son of man came 
with Anani, that is, the clouds of heaven ; 
Solomon Jarchi ad locum, pbn Nin 1^3^ 
JTU'Dn and Aben Ezra, ibidem, m IDX 

So the author of Tzeror Hammor ; IIDI 

•.TIN u'SN "133 1103X3 n''U'on iiD Kin mx 

The mystery of man is the mystery of the 
Messias, according to that of Daniel, he 
came as the Son of man. This place is 
mentioned for one of the V^3n3 which 
speak of the Messiah, in the Midrash 
TiUbn, Psal. ii. And the Midrnsh upon 
the 21st Psal. ver. 7. 'i DU"1 nom 'nx 



"113 X'Oi:' -331; Dy 'o3X Tnx mn3 bx30u/ 
: ll'3X speaking of the Messias. Indeed 
the Jews do so generally interpret this 
place of Daniel of the Messias, that they 
made it an argument to prove that the 
Messias is not yet come, because no man 
hath yet come with the clouds of heaven. 

t This interpretation is delivered in 
libro Sanhedrim, -jbo by 3''n3 m3D3bx Sx 

X3n nnx u'3x in3 x-riu' "333; oy i-ix3 n^ir^an 
''33y Dy 33T "noH by 333-n '•3y n-rai 
•• non by n33m *3y 33T xb Idem etiam legi- 
tur in Bereshith Rabba R. Mosch. Haddar- 
sham. Gen. xlix. 11. Thus they make 
the coming of Christ to depend upon their 
merit or demerit : whereas the promises 
of the Messias are absolute and irrespec- 
tive, depending only on the goodness of 
God, not to be evacuated or altered by 
the wickedness of men. Nay, the un- 
worthiness of the Jews, which Christ 
found, when he came in humility, is one 
special cause why he should come again 
in glory. 



440 



ARTICLE Vll. 



once into the world as the true Messias, shall come the second 
time, we are most assured. We have the testimony of the 
angels, ** This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into 
heaven, shall so come in like manner, as ye have seen him go 
into heaven." (Acts i. 11.) We have the promise of Christ 
himself to his apostles : If I go to prepare a place for you, I 
will come again and receive you unto myself: ye have heard 
how I said unto you, I go away and come again unto you." 
(John xiv. 3. 28.) He it is which from the beginning was to 
come; that express prophecy so represented him, The sceptre 
shall not depart from Judah, imtil Shiloh come:" (Gen. xlix. 
10.) the name of Shiloh was obscure ; but the notion of the^ 
comer, added to it, was most vulgar. According to this notion, 
once Christ came ; and being gone, he keeps that notion still; 
he is to come again : " For a little while, and he that shall 
come, will come." (Heb. x. 37.)^ Our Jesus then shall come; 
and not only so, but shall so come, as the Messias was foretold, 
after the same manner, in the same glory of the Father, as the 
*• Son of man coming in his kingdom." (Matt. xvi. 28 ) This 
was expressed in the prophetical vision by comins^ with clouds ; 
and in the same manner shall our Jesus come : " Behold, he 
cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also 
which pierced him." (Rev. i. 7.) Those clouds were anciently 
expounded by the Jews of the glorious attendance of the 
angels, waiting upon the Son of man :t and in the same man- 
ner, with the same attendance, do we expect the coming of our 
Jesus, even as he himself hath taught us to expect him, saying, 
*' For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father 
with his angels." (Matt. xvi. 27.) And thus our Jesus as the 
true Messias shall come again; which was our first consideration. 

The place from whence he shall come, is next to be consi- 
dered, and is sufficiently expressed in the Creed by reflection 
upon the place whither he went, when he departed from us ; 
for he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God, 
diudij'rom thence he shall come ; that is, from and out of the highest 



known by that vulgar appellation o e^x°' 
juEvof, he which did once come into the 
world to make that notion good, is still 
to be known by the same appellation, 
and therefore will come again. This was 
it which made the apostles ask that ques- 
tion, Matt. xxiv. 3. "When shall these 
things be, and what shall be the sign of 
thy coming, and of the end of the world 1" 

f As R. Saadias Gaon upon that place 
of Dan. vii. 13. "^nbr^ Dn CTOU'n "D^y Dy 
K*T»nn in''Ti' nbitan nn N-n it o-r^irn u'lv 

: IT'U'Ob The chyuds of heaven they are the 
angels of the host of heaven; this is the 
great magnificence and power which God 



shall give unto the Messias. From hence 
is that exposition in Midrash Tillim, 
Psalm xxi. 7. n3n3 bxio^r Dira nom 'nx 
nnx z-iH -iiD N-QU' -33^ ay iikt 'nw nnx 
i?2\x -inN mnDT "nn npn ■ip"' i*"*-^ 

: inv'nD "T^; imx Rabbi Barachia said in 
the name of Rabbi Samuel, one scripture 
saith, (Dan. vii. 13.) " And behold one 
like the Son of man came with the clouds 
of heaven, and came to the Ancient of 
days, and they brought him near before 
him." And another scripture saith, (Jer. 
XXX. 21 .) " And I will cause him to draw 
near, and he shall approach unto me." 
Behold in what manner! The angels shall 
bring him inio the inidst oJ tJiein. 



HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE. 



441 



heaven (where he now sitteth at the right hand of God) shall 
Christ hereafter come to judge both the quick and the dead. 
For him ** must the heavens receive, till the time of the restitu- 
tion of all things;" (Acts iii. 21.) and when the time is ful- 
filled, from that heaven shall he come. ** For the Lord himself 
shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the 
archangel, and with the trump of God." (1 Thess. iv. 16.) 
*' Our conversation ought to be in heaven, because from thence 
we look for our Saviour the Lord Jesus." (Phil. iii. 20.) Our 
High-priest is gone up into the Holy of Holies not made with 
hands, there to make an atonement for us ; therefore as the 
people of Israel stood without the tabernacle, expecting the 
return of Aaron, so must we look unto the heavens, and expect 
CAris^ from thence,** when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 
heaven with his mighty angels." (2 Thess. i. 7.) We do believe 
that Christ is set down on the right hand of God ; but we must 
also look upon him, as coming from thence, as well as sitting 
there; and to that purpose Christ himself hath joined them 
together, saying, ** Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sit- 
ting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of 
heaven." (Matt. xxvi. 64) Thus shall the Saviour of the world 
come from the right hand of power, in fulness of majesty, from 
the highest heavens, as a demonstration of his sanctity, that by 
an undoubted authority, and unquestionable integrity, he might 
appear most fit to judge both the quick and the dead; which is the 
end of his second coming, and leads me to the third considera- 
tion, the act of his judging : From whence he shall come to judge. 

For the explication of this action, as it stands in this Article, 
three considerations will be necessary. First, How we may be 
assured, that there is a judgment to come, that any one shall 
come to judge. Secondly, In case we be assured that there shall 
be a judgment, how it appeareth that he which is ascended 
into heaven, that is, that Christ shall be the judge. Thirdly, 
In case we can be assured that we shall be judged, and that 
Christ shall judge us, it will be worthy our inquiry, in what this 
judgment shall consist, how this action shall be performed : 
and more than this cannot be necessary to make us understand, 
that he shall come to judge. 

That there is a judgment to come after this life, will appear 
demonstrable, whether we consider ourselves who are to un- 
dergo it, or God who is to execute it. If we do but reflect 
upon the frame and temper of our own spirits, we cannot but 
collect and conclude from thence, that we are to give an ac- 
count of our actions, and that a judgment hereafter is to pass 
upon us. There is in the soul of every man a conscience; and 
whosesoever it is, it giveth testimony to this truth. The antece- 
dent or directive conscience tells us what we are to do, and the 
subsequent or reflexiye conscience warns us what we are to 
receive. Looking back upon the actions we have done, it either 



442 



ARTICLE VII. 



ajDproves or condemns them ; and if it did no more, it would 
only prove that there is a judgment in this life, and every man 
his ovi^n judge. But being it doth not only allovs^ and approve 
our good actions, but also doth create a complacency, apology, 
and confidence, in us ; being it doth not only disprove and 
condemn our evil actions, but doth also constantly accuse us, 
and breed a fearful expectation and terror in us ; and all this 
prescinding from all relation to any thing either to be enjoyed 
or suffered in this life : it foUoweth that this conscience is not 
so much a judge as a witness, bound over to give testimony for 
or against us, at some judgment after this life to pass upon us. 
For all men are "a law unto themselves, and have the work of 
the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing 
witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excus- 
ing one another, in the day when God shall judge the secrets 
of men." (Rom. ii. 14—16.) 

Again, if we consider the God who made us, and hath full 
dominion over us, whether we look upon him in himself, or in 
his Word, we cannot but expect a judgment from him. First, 
If we contemplate God in himself, we must acknowledge him 
to be the judge of all mankind; "so that a man shall say. 
Verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth." (Psal. Iviii. 11.) 
Now the same God who is our judge, is, by an attribute neces- 
sary and inseparable, just ; and this justice is so essential to 
his Godhead, that we may as well deny him to be a God, as to 
be just. It was a rational expostulation which Abraham made, 
" Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen. xviii. 
25.) We may therefore infallibly conclude that God is a most 
j ust judge ; and if he be so, we may as infallibly conclude, that 
after this life he will judge the world in righteousness. For as 
the affairs of this present world are ordered, though they lie 
under the disposition of Providence, they shew no sign of a 
universal justice. The wicked and disobedient persons are 
often so happy, as if they were rewarded for their impieties; 
the innocent and religious often so miserable, as if they were 
punished for their innocency. Nothing more certain, than 
that in this life rewards are not correspondent to the virtues, 
punishments not proportionable to the sins, of men. Which 
consideration will enforce one of these conclusions ; either that 
there is no judge of the actions of mankind ; or if there be a 
judge, he is not just, he renders no proportionate rewards or 
punishments ; or lastly, if there be a judge, and that judge be 
just, then there is a judgment in another world, and the effects 
thereof concern another life. Being then we must acknow^ledge 
that there is a judge, which judgeth the earth ; being we cannot 
deny but God is that judge, and all must confess that God is 
most just ; being the rewards and punishments of this life are no 
way answerable to so exact a justice as that which is divine 
must be : it followeth that there is a judgment yet to come, in 



HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE. 443 



which God will shew a perfect demonstration of his justice, 
and to which every man shall, in his own bosom, carry an 
iDideniable witness of all his actions. 

From hence the heathen, having always had a serious ap- 
prehension both of the power of the conscience of man, and 
of the exactness of the justice of God, have from thence con- 
cluded, that there is a judgment to come. Insomuch that when 
St. Paul reasoned of righteousness and temperance and judg- 
ment to come, Felix trembled." (Acts xxiv. 25.) The discourse 
of righteousness and temperance touched him, who was so 
highly and notoriously guilty of the breach of both ; and a 
preconception which he had of judgment after death, now 
heightened by the apostle's particular description, created a 
horror in his soul and trembling in his limbs. The same apo- 
stle discoursing to the Athenians, the great lights of the Gen- 
tile world, and teaching them this Article of our Creed, that 
** God hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world 
in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof 
he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised 
him from the dead ; found some which mocked, when they 
heard of the resurrection of the dead;" (Acts xvii. 31.) but 
against the day of judgment none replied. That was a prin- 
ciple of their own, that was confessed by all who either be- 
lieved themselves, or a God ; a conscience, or a Deity.* 

But yet, beside the consideration of the internal power of 
conscience in ourselves, besides the intuition of that essential 
attribute, the justice of God (which are sufficient arguments 
to move all men), we have yet a more near and enforcing per- 



* This principle of a judgment to come, 
Justin Martyr propounds to the Gentiles, 
as generally acknowledged by all their 
writers, and as the great encouragement 
of his apology for the Christian religion : 
'EttsI roivvy h{juv 6 itb^\ Tnq aXflSuDf ^io<TiZtia(; 
'K^oKinai \6yo(;, ?c olUv, oly-cti, 'si^oTifj.oTB^ov 
ToUi; aKiv^vvMi 0iovv 'rr^ori^n(j,ivo:(; ilvai nvofj.i- 
a-rai, Sia T>iv fxBX'ho-j<rav y.ira. Tnv rs'KBVThv 
Tov^s roZ 0lov 'ia-eaQai Kpis-iv vv ov f/.6vov ol 
hf^BTB^oi nara, &£ov utipvTTOvs-i ir^oyovoi, m^o- 
<pK7eii rs Hal vo/xo^Brai, aXXa Kal ol Trag v/j-mv 
vofxta-^hTB<; bIvai a-o<po], ol 7roj»Tat [aovov, aK'Ka 
Ka.1 <pi'K6s-o<pot ol rhv aXridr Hal ^iiav BTTayyBX- 
"KofABVoi Trap' v[mv elSsvai yvaJcriv. ad Grcecos 
Cohort, p. 1. Tertullian shews the same 
not only from the writings but the con- 
stant conversation and language even of 
the Gentiles: ' Anima, licet corporis car- 
cere pressa, licet institutionibus pravis 
circumscripta, licet libidinibus et concu- 
piscentiis evigorata, licet falsis Diis ex- 
ancillata, cum tamen resipiscit, utex cra- 
pula, ut ex somnio, ut ex aliqua valetu- 
dine, et sanitatem suam patitur, Deum 
nominat, hoc solo quia proprie verus hie 
uuus Deus, bonus et magnus. Et quod 



Deus dederit, omnium vox est. Judicem 
quoque coutestatur ilium, Deus videt, et 
Deo commendo, et Deus mihi reddet. O 
testimonium anim:e naturaliter Christi- 
ana; !' Apol. adv. Gentes, c. 17. Indeed 
the ancient Gentiles have expressed the 
judgment to come very exactly : as Phi- 
lemon cited by Justin Martyr de Moriarch. 
Dei, p. 106. 

'EfTTJV Aixni; cxpSaX/nog, o? ra laravQ' of 2. 
El yk^ 0 Swaio? xat acre^Jij b^ovtiv bv, 
"A^TTfl^' aTTSXdoiV, xXe'tTt', a'TTOin-BpSl, KvHa. 

"HvTTgf noiha-Bi ©so? d irav-rm SesTTTOTHf, 
Ov TOiiVOfAa <f>o?£gov, oiij' £tv QVOjJLutraifji' lydii. 

And Plato especially hath delivered it 
according to their notion most particu- 
larly, whose places to that purpose are 
faithfully collected by Eusebius andTheo- 
doret, and may be read in them ; Euse- 
bius de Prceparat. Evang. 1. xi. c. 38. and 
1. xxii. c 6. Theodoret Serm. 11. de Fine 
et Judicio. Where after the citation of 
several places he concludes : Oi'to;? axpj- 
CcSf i'!fiarivB\ o nXaTWV uvai to. h alov K^i- 
rripia. p. 6 19. 



444 



ARTICLE VII. 



suasion, grounded upon the express determination of the will 
of God. For the determinate counsel of the Almighty actually 
to judge the world in righteousness, is clearly revealed in his 
word : it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this 
the judgment." (Heb ix. 27.) There is a death appointed to 
follow this life, and a judgment to follow that death; the one 
as certain as the other. For in all ages God hath revealed his 
resolution to judge the world. 

Upon the first remarkable action after the fall, there is a 
sufficient intimation given to angry Cain : ** If thou doest well, 
shalt thou not be accepted ? and if thou doest not well, sin 
lieth at the door (Gen. iv. 7.) which by the most ancient in- 
terpretation signifieth a reservation of his sin unto the judg- 
ment of the world to come.* Before the flood, Enoch pro- 
phesied of a judgment to come, " saying. Behold, the Lord 
Cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment 
upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of 
all their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and 
of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken 
against him." (Jude, ver. 14, 15.) His words might have an 
aim at the waters, which were to overflow the world ; but the 
ultimate intention looked through that fire, which shall con- 
sume the world preserved from water. 

The testimonies which follow in the Law and the Prophets, 
the predictions of Christ and the apostles, are so many and so 
known, that both the number and the plainness will excuse the 
prosecution. The throne hath been already seen, the Judge 
hath appeared sitting on it, the books have been already open- 
ed, the dead small and great have been seen standing before 
him : there is nothing more certain in the word of God, no doc- 
trine more clear and fundamental, than that of " eternal judg- 
ment." (Heb. vi. 2.) I shall therefore briefly conclude the first 
consideration from the internal testimony of the conscience of 
man, from the essential attribute the justice of God, from the 
clear and full revelation of the will and determination of God, 
that after death, with a reflection on this, and in relation to 
another life, there is a judgment to come, there shall some per- 
son co7ne to Judge. 

Our second consideration followeth (seeing we are so well 
assured that there shall be a judgment) ; who that person is 
which shall come to judge, who shall sit upon that throne, be- 

* So the Targum of Jonathan renders Kb "^^'^ xrabyb lb panii"-! nnu'"' inn 
it, inn nb pnnir- -j-rmy n-ta-n dn Nbn ixian Nm nd-t m-b ynn Ko'?;;ni-Tmi; a^ia-n 

Nn ayi arb pn KObyn nnmy n-U-n Hb :TtaD If thou makest thy works good in this 

: ^Nion Jf thou makest thy works good, world, shall it not be remitted and forgiven 

shall not thy sin be forgiven thee? And if unto thee in the world to come? And if thou 

thou makest not thy works good in this world, makest not thy works good in this world, thy 

thy sin is kept unto the day of the great judg- sin shall be reserved unto the day of the great 

tnent. And the Jerusalem Targum yet judgment. In the same manner the Chal - 

more expressly, Nobya n-iDT) Nbn dee paraphrase of Onkelos, ision N3''T'DT''? 



HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE. 445 



tore whose tribunal we shall all appear, from whose mouth we 
may expect our sentence. Now the judiciary power is the 
power of God, and none hath any right to judge the subjects 
and servants of God, but that God whose servants they are. 
The Law by which we are to be judged was given by him ; the 
actions which are to be discussed were due to him ; the per- 
sons which are to be tried are subject to his dominion : God 
therefore is the ** judge of all." (Heb. xii. 23.) He '* shall bring 
every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it 
be good or whether it be evil (Eccles. xii. 14.) and so the 
last day, that day of wrath, is the revelation of the righteous 
judgment of God." (Rom. ii 5.) Now if God, as God, be the 
judge of all, then whosoever is God is judge of all men and 
therefore being we have proved the Father and the Son, and 
shall hereafter also prove the Holy Ghost, to be God, it fol- 
loweth that the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, shall 
judge the world; because the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, 
in respect of the same Divinity, have the same autocratorical 
power, dominion, and authority. 

But notwithstanding that particular day of the general judg- 
ment to come, the execution of this judiciary power shall be 
particularly committed to the Son, and so the Father and the 
Holy Ghost shall actually judge the world no otherwise but by 
him. For " God hath appointed a day in the which he will 
judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath 
ordained." (Acts xvii. 31.) It is God who judgeth ; itisChrist 
by whom he judgeth. " For the Father judgeth no man, but 
hath committed all judgment to the Son." (John v. 22.) There 
is therefore an original, supreme, autocratorical, judiciary 
power: there is a judiciary power delegated, derived, given by 
commission. Christ as God hath the first together with the 
Father and the Holy Ghost : Christ as man hath the second 
from the Father expressly, from the Holy Ghost concomitantly. 
For *^ the Father hath given him authority to execute judgment, 
because he is the Son of man;" (John v. 27.) not simply be- 
cause he is a man, therefore he shall be Judge (for then by the 
same reason everj'^ man should judge, and consequently none, 
because no man could be judged if every man should only 
judge), but because of the three persons which are God, he 
only is also the Son of man ;t and therefore for his affinity 



* ITapSfl-Tt TOi'vyv Iv x^iVei tote o ©£o? 
0 TTaVToov tpcLrri^, o-vyKaQi^ofxevov X^ia-rov Koi 
crunATiragovTOf 'Ayiou TlnvfxctToi;. S. Cyril. 
Hier. Catech. 15. 

t This explication 1 thought necessary 
to insert, because it seems to me the only 
way to end that controversy, which is 
raised upon the interpretation of those 
words of St. John, which we ordinarily 
read thus, v. 27. Kai l^ovs-iav eS'idkev 
aiiT« Kot Kflaiv wojeTv, on v\o<; av^gclmov ia-ri. 



28. M^i Say^a^ETe rcvro. Bj which dis- 
tinction, those words, because he is the Son 
of man, have reference to the precedent 
sentence. But anciently they have been 
otherwise distinguished : Kai e'Jiwxw uItm 
Kai K^ia-iv 'TToibCv. "Ot» vUi; av^^tu'wov l<rrl, 
fxn ^avfxa^sTs tovto. So the old Syriac 
translation, ver. 27. e)x iny xin2T nubti'K') 
: and then ver. 28. nw^nt in mm 
: xnnn p-itttnn ab And St. Chrysostomis 
so earnest for this reading, that he charg- 



V 



446 



ARTICLE VII. 



with their nature, for his sense of their infirmities, for his ap- 
pearance to their eyes, most fit to represent the greatest mild- 
ness and sweetness of equity, in the severity of that just and 
irrespective judgment. 

Nor was this a reason only in respect of us who are to be 
judged, but in regard of him also who is to judge; for we must 
not look only upon his being the Son of man, but also upon 
what he did and suffered as the Son of man. He humbled him- 
self so far as to take upon him our nature : in that nature so 
taken, he humbled himself to all the infirmities which that 
was capable of, to all the miseries which this life could bring, 
to all the pains and sorrows which the sins of all the world 
could cause : and therefore in regard of his humiliation did God 
exalt him, and part of the exaltation due unto him was this 
power of judging. ** The Father" therefore, who is only God, 
and never took upon him either the nature of men or angels, 
*' judgeth no man (and the same reason reacheth also to the 
Holy Ghost); but hath committed all judgment to the Son;" 
and the reason why he hath committed it to him, is, ** because 
he is," not only " the Son of God/' and so truly God ; but 
also '* the Son of man," and so truly man ; " because he is that 
Son of man," who suffered so much for the sons of men. (John 
V. 22. 25. 27.) 

From whence at last it clearly appeareth, not only that it is 
a certain truth that Christ shall judge the world, but also the 
reasons are declared and manifested unto us why he hath that 
power committed unto him, why he shall come to judge the quick 
and the dead. For certainly it is a great demonstration of the 
justice of God, so highly to reward that Son of man, as to make 
him Judge of all the world, who came into the world and was 
judged here; to give him absolute power of absolution and con- 



eth the former distinction upon Paulus 
Samosatenus, as invented by him in fa- 
vour of his heresy, that Christ was no- 
thing else but purely man : "Ort vloi; a»- 
B^MTCQV Itrr;, fxh $^a.uy.a!^£T£ rovTO. UavXoi; 
fxh 0 1af/.oca.Tiv<; cv^ olrx <|>MS'iv, aXXa, itun; ; 
s^ouTiav fSiWXEV ttbTo; x^iVjv ttoisiv OTI vloq ar- 
Q^inov ItTTtv aW' ovhfxUv axoXovSiav £)(Si 
TovTo XsyofA-Evov (so he argues against that 
reading) ov yap §ia toZto sXaBe npi^iv, oti 
av^pcoTroQ la-Tiv (ettsi ti sniXus Travraq a^Bpcc- 
TTOvq iivai XfjTa?) ; aXX' iTTSfSav T>3? appnTOU 
overiaq insivriq Icrrtv vloq, S'la rovTO Koi Kpntiq 
ItTTiv. OuTcaq ovv avayvxa-Tiov, "On vloq av- 
BpinTov ia'Tiyfjih &ai//xa^;TS TOVTO. Horn. 39. 
ad loc. Euthymius followeth the distinc- 
tion of St. Chrysostom, and Theophylact 
makes the same argument : X^h Sg yivM- 
ffxgiv OTI TJavXcq o 1a.fjt.oiTa.TVoq av9f otfTov 

5oy|UaTi'^<wv TOV Kugtov, ovTCoq aveyivaia-KS tovto 
TO I'ov Kcti l^ova-'iav 'i^MUBV avrS xai n^icriv 
TfoisTv, OTI vloq a.v^^oo'STOu eirri' IvTaZ^a. 
(TTiloov, cLTT aXXn? a.px^'^ anylvuxrM tovto to. 



M?? Say^ua^ETE tovto. 'AvonTOV rsXsicuq 
liTTi TO ouToiiq ava.yiVu:<rK£iv, Tnv ya.^ x^i'irtv tSi 
Tl^ 0 Ua-Thp 'iSxHiv, ov^, oti vloq avB^^Ttov 
ia-Tiv, a\\' OTI Qeoq. ad loc. But although 
this division of the wo ds be both by St. 
Chrysostom and Theophylact charged 
upon Paulus Samosatenus the heretic, 
yet we find no other distinction in the an- 
cient copies ; nor did the ancient Latin 
fathers any otherwise read it than Paulus 
did. We must then acknowledge no 
other coherence than the ordinary, that 
God gave his Son power to judge, because 
be WHS the Son of man. Nor need we, 
to avoid the argument of St. Chrysostom, 
change the otj into jtctficTj, the quia into 
qiiateims ; for it is not rendered as the 
absolute reason in itself, but in relation 
unto God, or the persons of the Trinity : 
the Father shall not judge, nor the Holy 
Ghost, because those two persons are only 
God ; but all judgment is committed to 
God the Son, because he is the Son of man. 



HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE. 



447 



demnation, who was by us condemned to die, and died that he 
might absolve us ; to cause all the sons of men to bow before 
his throne, who did not disdain for their sakes to stand before 
the tribunal, and receive that sentence, " Let him be crucified," 
(Matt, xxvii. 23.)*' which event as infallible, and reason as ir- 
refragable, Christ himself did shew at the same time when he 
stood before the judgment-seat, saying, " Nevertheless I say 
unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the 
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." 
(Matt. xxvi. 64.) 

Again, if we look upon ourselves which are to be judged, 
whom can we desire to appear before, rather than him who is 
of the same nature with us? If the children of Israel could 
not bear the presence of God as a Lawgiver, but desired to re- 
ceive the Law by the hand of Moses ; how should we appear 
before the presence of that God judging us for the breach of 
that Law, were it not for a better Mediator, of the same nature 
that Moses was and we are, who is our Judge? In this ap- 
peareth the wisdom and goodness of God, that making a gene- 
ral judgment, he will make a visible Judge, which all may see 
who shall be judged. "Without holiness no man shall ever 
see God ;" (Heb. xii. 14.) and therefore if God, as only God, 
should pronounce sentence upon all men, the ungodly should 
never see their Judge.f But that both the righteous and un- 
righteous might see and know who it is that judgeth them, 
Christ, who is both God and man, is appointed Judge ; so as 
he is man, all shall see him, and as he is God, they only shall 
see him who by that vision shall enjoy him. 



* ' Veniet Christus ut judicet, qui 
stetit sub judice : veniet in ea fonua, in 
qua judicatus est, ut videant in quern pu- 
pugerunt. Cognoscant Judaei quern ne- 
gaverunt : convincat eos homo ille sus- 
ceptus et ab eis crucifixus.' Auctor de 
Symb. ad Catech. I. ii. c. 8. ' Veniet ergo, 
fratres mei, veniet : ille qui prius venit 
occultus, veniet in potestate manifestus : 
ille qui judicatus est, veniet judicaturus : 
ille qui stetit ante hominem, judicaturus 
est omnem hominem.' Idem, 1. iii. c. 8. 
' Judex hie erit filiushominis ; forma ilia 
hie judicabit quae judicata est. Audite et 
intelligite, jam hoc Propheta dixerat, Vi- 
debuiit in quern pupugerunt. Ipsara for- 
mam videbunt quam lancea percusserunt. 
Sedebit Judex qui stetit sub judice. Dam- 
nabitveros reos qui factus est falsus reus. 
Ipse veniet, forma ilia veniet.' S. Angttst. 
de Verbis Domin. Serm. 64. al. 127. §. 10. 

t ' Cum boni et mali visuri sunt judi- 
cem vivorum et mortuorum, proculdubio 
eum videre non poterunt mali, nisi se- 
cundum formam qua filius hominis est ; 
sed tamen in claritate in qua judicabit, 



non in humilitate in qua judicatus est. 
Caeterum illam Dei formam, in qua asqua- 
lis est Patri, proculdubio impii non vide« 
bunt. Non enim suntmundicordes, Beaii 
enim mundicordes, quoniam ipsi videbant 
Deiim.' S. August, de Triij. lib. i. c. 13. 
' Hoc rectum erat, ut judicandi viderent 
judicem. Judicandi enim erant et boni 
et mali. Beati autem miindo corde, quo- 
niam ipsi Deum videbunt, Restabat ut in 
judicio forma servi et bonis et malis os- 
tenderetur, forma Dei solis bonis serva- 
retur.' Idem, de verbis Dom. Serm. 64. al. 
127. 10. ' Et poiestatem. dedit ei judicium 
facere, quia Jilius hominis est. Puto nihil 
esse manifestius. Nam quia Filius Dei 
est asqualis Patri, non accipit banc potes- 
tatem judicii faciendi, sed habet illam 
cum Patre in occulto. Accepit autem 
illam, ut boni et mali eum videant judi- 
cantem, quia filius hominis est. Visio 
quippe filii hominis exhibebitur et malis. 
Nam visio formae Dei non nisi mundis 
corde, quia ipsi Deum videbunt, id est, 
solis piis exhibebitur, quorum dilectioni 
hoc ipsum promittit, quia seipsum ostendet 
illis.' Idem.de Trin. 1. i. c 13. 



448 



ARTICLE VII. 



Christ Jesus then, the Son of God, and the Son of man, he 
which was horn of' the Virgin Man/, he which suffered under 
Pontius Pilate, he which was crucijied, dead, and buried, and 
descended into hell, he which rose again from the dead, ascended 
into heaven, ^ndi is set down on the right hand of God : he, the 
same person, in the same nature, shall come to judge the quick 
and the dead. " For the Son of man shall come in the glory of 
his Father, with his angels, and then he shall reward every 
man according to his works." (Matt. xvi. 27.) He then who 
is to come, is the Son of man ; and when he cometh, it is to 
judge. *' The same Jesus which was taken up from the apostles 
into heaven, shall so come in like manner as they saw him go 
into heaven." (Acts i. 11.) That Son of man then, Avhich is 
to judge, is our Jesus, even the same Jesus, and shall come in 
the same manner, by a true and local translation of the same 
nature out of heaven. For God will judge the world in 
righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof 
he hath given an assurance unto all men, in that he hath 
raised him from the dead." (Acts xvii, 31.) He then which 
ascended into heaven, was the same which was raised from the 
dead; and by that resurrection God assured us, that the same 
man should judge us. For to this end Christ both died, and 
rose, and revived, that he might be the Lord both of the dead 
and living." (Rom. xiv. 9.) It appeareth therefore, by God's 
determination, by Christ's resurrection and ascension, that the 
man Christ Jesus is appointed Judge. 

This office and dignity of the Son of man was often declared 
by several figurative and parabolical descriptions. John the 
Baptist representeth him " that cometh after" him, by this 
delineation of a husbandman : whose fan is in his hand, and 
he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into 
the garner, but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 
(Matt. iii. 12.)* The Son of man describes himself as a house- 
holder, saying to the reapers in the time of harvest, " Gather 
ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn 
them; but gather the wheat into my barn :" and this harvest 
is the end of the world." (Matt. xiii. 30. 39. )t He representeth 
himself under the notion of a fisherman, '* casting a net into 
the sea, and gathering of every kind ; which, when it was full, 
he drew to the shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into 
vessels, but cast the bad away." (Matt. xiii. 47, 48.) He is 
the bridegroom who took the wise virgins ^' with him to the 
marriage," and shut the door upon the foolish. (Matt. xxv. 10.) 
He is the man, who, travelling into a far country, delivered 
the talents to his servants ; and " after a long time cometh 

* 'Ava;TEgiJU /w.£V tt/V KoXairiv eTttsv hravBa, f ITttXtv avafxi/awTUSi alrovg rwv 'iwav- 

ncti TOV Kpnnv SEi'xvi/iri, kcu rnv rifxx^'iM vou pr^fAo-rcev tcDv n^irhv airov elsrayovTosv. S, 

afiavftTov sla-aysi. S. Chrysost. Horn. 11. ad Chrysost. Horn. 46. in Matt. iii. 30. 
he. 



HE SHALL COME TO JUDGE. 



449 



again, and reckoneth with them/' exalting the ** good and faith- 
ful,'* and casting "the unprofitable servant into outer dark- 
ness/' (Ibid. 19. 2L 30,) Lastly, he is the shepherd, and is so 
expressly described in relation to his judgment. For "when 
the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels 
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory. And 
before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he shall separate 
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from 
the goats. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, and 
the goats on his left." (Ibid. 31 — 33.) Being then the Son of 
man is thus constantly represented as making the great decre- 
tory separation, and the last judicatory distinction between 
man and man ; as a husbandman separating the wheat, some 
time from the chaff, some time from the tares ; as a fisherman 
gathering the good fish, casting the bad away ; as a bridegroom 
receiving the wise, excluding the foolish virgins ; as a master 
distinguishing the servants of his family, rewarding the faith- 
ful, punishing the unprofitable ; as a shepherd dividing his 
sheep from the goats, placing one on the right hand, the other 
on the left : it plentifully proveth that the Son of man is ap- 
pointed the Judge of all the sons of men. And thus itappear- 
eth that Christ is he who shall -be the Judge ; which is the 
second consideration subservient to the present explication. 

Thirdly, It being thus resolved that the Son of man shall be 
the Judge, our next consideration is, what may the nature of 
this judgment be ; in what that judicial action doth consist; 
what he shall then do, when he shall come to judge. The 
reality of this act doth certainly consist in the final determina- 
tion, and actual disposing of all persons in soul and body to 
their eternal condition: and in what manner this shall parti- 
cularly be performed, is not so certain unto us but that 
v/hich is sufiScient for us, it is represented under a formal ju- 
diciary process. In which first there is described a throne, a 
tribunal, a judgment-seat : for "in the regeneration the Son of 
man shall sit in the throne of his glory/' (Matt. xix. 28.) and 
that this throne is a seat not only of majesty but also of judi- 
cature, appeareth by the following words spoken to the apo- 
stles, " Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve 
tribes of Israel." (Ibid.) As in that vision in the Revelation, 
"I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was 
given unto them. And I saw a great white throne, and him 
that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled 
away." (Rev. xx. 4. 11.) This throne of Christ is expressly 
called his judgment-seat, when the apostle tells us, " we shall 
all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ," (Rom. xiv. 10.) 

* St Augustin speaking of the particulars foretold to be exhibited at the day of 
judgment, concludes them in this manner: ' Quse omnia quidem ventura esse credendum 
est : sed quibus modis et quo ordine veniant, magis tunc docebit rerum experientia, 
quam nunc valet consequi ad perfectum hominum intelligentia De Civit. Dei, J. xx. 
c. 30. §. 5. 

2 G 



450 



ARTICLE VII. 



and *^ we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." 
(2 Cor. V. 10.) In respect then of the Son of man, he shall ap- 
pear in the proper form and condition of a Judge, sitting upon 
a throne of judicature. Secondly, there is to be a personal 
appearance of all men before that seat of judicature upon 
which Christ shall sit ; for we must all appear, and we shall 
all stand before that judgment-seat. " I saw the dead (saith 
the apostle) stand before the throne of God." (Rev. xx. 12.) 
Thus " all nations shall be gathered before him." (Matt. xxv. 
32.) He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trum- 
pet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four 
winds, from one end of heaven to the other." (Matt. xxiv. 31.) 
For the " coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is our gathering 
together unto him." (2 Thess. ii. 1.) Thirdly, when those which 
are to be judged, are brought before the judgment-seat of 
Christy all their actions shall appear : " he will bring to light 
the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the 
counsels of the hearts :" (1 Cor. iv. 5.) he will bring every 
work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good 
or whether it be evil." (Eccles. xii. 14.) To this end, in the 
vision of Daniel, when " the judgment was set, and the books 
were opened ;" (vii. 10.) and in that of St. John, ''the books 
were opened; and the dead were judged out of those things 
that were written in the books, according to their works." 
(Rev. xx. 12.) Fourthly, after the manifestation of all their 
actions, there foUoweth a definitive sentence passed upon all 
their persons according to those actions,* which is the funda- 
mental and essential consideration of this judgment : the 
sentence of absolution, in these words expressed, *^ Come, ye 
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you 
from the foundation of the world ;" (Matt. xxv. 34.) the sen- 
tence of condemnation in this manner, "Depart from me, ye 
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
angels." (Ibid. 41.) Lastly, after the promulgation of the sen- 
tence, followeth the execution ; as it is written, And these 
shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous 
into life eternal." (Ibid. 46.) Thus appeareth Christ's majesty 
by sitting on the throne ; his authority, by convening all before 
him; his knowledge and wisdom, by opening all secrets, re- 
vealing all actions, discerning all inclinations; his justice, in 
condemning sinners; his mercy, in absolving believers; his 
power, in his execution of the sentence. And thus the Son of 
m^n. shall come to judge, which is the last particular subservient 
to the third consideration of this Article. 

The fourth and last consideration is, what is the object of 
this action; who are the persons which shall appear before 

* * Dominus non accepta persona judicat mundum ; unusquisque secundum quce 
fecit accipiet. Si fueiit bonus, bonitas eum antecedit ; si nequam, merces nequitis 
eum sequitur.' Ep. Baniab. c. 4. 



THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. 451 



that Judge, and receive their sentence from him ; what is the 
latitude of that expression, the quick and the dead. The phrase 
itself is delivered several times in the Scriptures, and that 
upon the same occasion : for Christ was ordained of God to 
be the judge of quick and dead," (Acts x. 42.) and so his com- 
mission extendeth to both; he ^'is ready to judge the quick 
and the dead," (1 Pet. iv. 5.) his resolution reacheth to each ; 
and as he is ordained and ready, so shall he judge the quick 
and the dead,'^ (2 Tim. iv. 1.) the execution excludeth nei- 
ther. But although it be the Scripture language, and there- 
fore certainly true ; yet there is some ambiguity in the phrase, 
and therefore the intended sense not evident. 

The Holy Ghost speaketh of death in several notions, which 
makes the quick and the dead capable of several interpreta- 
tions. Because after death the soul doth live, and the body 
only remaineth dead ; therefore some have understood the souls 
of men by the quick, and their bodies by the dead:^ and then 
the meaning will be this, that Christ shall come to judge im- 
mediately upon the resurrection, when the souls which were 
preserved alive, shall be joined to the bodies which were once 
dead; and so men shall be judged entirely, both in body and 
soul, for all those actions which the soul committed in the 
body. Now though this be a truth, that men shall be judged 
when their souls and bodies are united ; though they shall be 
judged according to those works, which their souls have acted 
in their bodies ; yet this is not to be acknowledged as the in- 
terpretation of this Article, for two reasons : first. Because it 
is not certain that all men shall die, at least a proper death, so 
that their bodies shall be left at any time without their souls : 
secondly. Because this is not a distinction of the parts of man, 
but of the persons of men. 

Again, Because the Scripture often mentioneth a death in 
trespasses and sins, and a living unto righteousness, others 
have conceived by the quick to be understood the just,t and 
by the dead the unjust: so that Christ shall judge the quick, 
that is, the just, by a sentence of absolution; and the deady 
that is, the unjust, by a sentence of condemnation. But 
though the dead be sometimes taken for sinners, and the living 
for the righteous, though it be true that Christ shall judge 
them both ; yet it is not probable that in this particular they 
should be taken in a figurative or metaphorical sense, because 

* So Theophylact testifieth : Tivsg SI t This is the second exposition deli- 

nai -^u^ai; nat a-MfA,a.rci hona-av. Comment. vered bvlsidorus Pelusiota to such asare 

in 2 Tim. iv. 1. Indeed Isidorus Pelusiota not satisfied with the first : El aai aWoog 

giveth this as the first interpretation : To {htsT;, olItoj Siajtptvai, ^oovrctt;, rovq asi^tuov 

«.^in^Oai i^MVTag Kcu viK^ov;, rovTO l<rri,TOKai 0lov Kal 2r£o<pi\^ y.Brs'K96vrag, nal a.'Tro^ovvai 

4'"X/'V Kcil (TM<j.a. Elf xftViv l\Euc-er9a;, %a\ ovTB avroT(; irBXivrhrovq afxai^kg, nfvai toi;? vsnpa;- 

EV &aT£pou x.Ep(^(wp!cr|M.avov aW' oos-TTsp Kornvrhv Qevtcli; roiq A/j.a.^Tr]ficicri, xa; to S'oQev alroit 

EvrauQ* a-vvcL<pEiav STroiria-civTo, oiitm xcu rnv raXavrov iig Iv ra<:pct> rr, savToov Ko.ra^ooa'avTais 

BXBiQsv ^Iktiv hviifxivca^ t)<p£^ou:r{V. Epist. tfi, pctQvf^ia, Ha] aa.vvas-Qcti auTOv;. Epist. 222. 

1 i. 1.' i. ' 

2 G 2 



452 



ARTICLE VII. 



there is no adjunct giving any such intimation, and because 
the literal sense affordeth a fair explication : farther yet, be- 
cause the Scripture, in the same particular, naming the quick 
and the dead, sufficiently teacheth us, that it is to be under- 
stood of a corporeal death, "Whether we live or die (saith the 
apostle), we are the Lord's: for to this end Christ both died, 
and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead 
and living." (Rom. xiv. 9.) 

Thirdly, Therefore by the dead are understood all those who 
ever died before the time of Christ's coming to judgment,^ and 
by the quick such as shall be then alive : so that the quick and 
the dead, literally taken, are considered in relation to the time 
of Christ's coming ; at which time there shall be a generation 
living upon the face of the earth, and before which time all the 
generations passed since the creation of the World shall be 
numbered among the dead. And this undoubtedly is the pro- 
per and literal sense of the Article,t That Christ shall come to 
judge, not only those which shall be alive upon the earth at 
his appearing, but also all such as have lived and died before. 
None shall be then judged while they are dead; whosoever 
stand before the judgment-seat, shall appear alive ; but those 



* This is the third exposition of Isidorus 
Pelusiota : El Si xal aWoog, ovtmi;, KpTvai 
Tovf TOT£ ^Svra? ttaTaXeKpQivrag , not rovQ ri^n 
Wfo avrZv KoifxriQivrag. Epist. 222. 1. i. 
Others of the fathers give the second and 
third explication, leaving it indifferent, 
and preferring neither ; as St. Chryso- 
Stom : "Htoj afxa^raiXohg Xiysi nal Sixai'oi/?, 
Htqi Koi rovg awsXQovTa? nai rovi vuv ovrag, oxt 
TToXXoj xATaXsi^Qhs-ovrcti (Zvrsg. Com. in 2 Tim, 
iv. 1. * Duobus autem modis accipi potest, 
quod vivos et mortuos judicabit ; sive ut 
vivos intelligamus, quos hie nondura mor- 
tuos, sed adhuc in ista came inventurus est 
ejus adventus ; mortuos autem, qui de cor- 
pore, priusquam veniat, exierunt vel exituri 
sunt: sive vivos justos, mortuos autem 
injustos, quoniam justi quoque judicabun- 
tur.' S. August. i7i Enchirid. c. 54. * Cre- 
dimus etiam inde venturuin convenien- 
tissimo tempore, et judicaturum vivos et 
mortuos, sive istis nominibus justi et pec- 
catores significentur ; sive quos tunc ante 
mortem in terris inventurus est appellati 
sunt vivi, mortui vero qui in ejus adventu 
resurrecturi sunt.' Idem, de Fide et Symb. 
c. 8. * Inde venturus judicare vivos et mor- 
tuos. Vivos qui super-fuerint, mortuos 
qui praecesserint. Potest et sic intelligi, 
vivos, justos ; mortuos, injustos : utros- 
que enim judicat, sua cuique retribuens. 
.Tustis dicturus in judicio, Venite Bene- 
dicti, &c. Sinistris quid 1 Ite in ignem, 
&c. Sic judicabuntur a Christo vivi et 
mortui.' Auctor 1. i. deSymh. ad Catechum. 
§. 11. ' Duobus modis hsec sententia ac- 



cipitur. Vivi et mortui in anima, item 
vivi et mortui in corpore. Secundum 
priorem, judicabit vivos in anima, cre- 
dentes ; et mortuos in anima, fidem nul- 
Jam habentes : secundum posteriorem, 
judicabit vivos in came, quos praesentes 
invenerit ejus adventus ; judicabit et mor- 
tuos in came, quos resuscitaturus est 
Deus excelsus.' Auctor 1. iv. de Symb. 
Catechum. §. 8. But although these two 
expositions were thus indifferently pro- 
pounded, yet the former ought by no 
means so to be received as any way to 
evacuate or prejudice the latter. ' Quod 
autem dicimus in Symbolo, in adventu 
Domini vivos ac mortuos judicandos, non 
solum justos et peccatores significari, si- 
cut Diodorus putat ; sed et vivos eos, qui 
in came inveniendi sunt credimus, qui 
adhuc morituri creduntur ; vel immutaudi 
sunt, ut alii volunt, ut suscitati continuo 
vel reformati, cum ante mortuis judicen- 
tur.' Gennadius de Dogmat. Eccl. c. 8. 

t This is the clear interpretation of 
Theodoret, without the least mention of 
any other : NexpSv aa) ^o!ivra>v n^trriv rov 

Kv^lOV ;iEK>.»X£V, ETTEtSaV Kai TOt)f VSH^olg avt- 

(TTno-t, Kal El? TO n^nhpiov aysi, xaj rovg nara 
rov rUg a-v\rs'Kiiag nai^h sv^icrKofAivoug IgWotv 
rhv a<p6apcrlav, aTtairlC tag iv^vvctq. ITavrg; 
ya^, (p-nch, ol xoifA.r,Qr,a-6fX£Bct, TTaVTE? Se aX- 
Xaytja-ofxeQa.. Com. in 2 Tim. iv. 1. 'Vivi 
agnoscuntur, qui in corpore erunt in ad- 
ventu Domini ; mortui, qui ex hac luce 
migraverunt.' Auctor Exp. Symb. sub no- 
vtine S. Chrys. 



THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. 



453 



which never died, shall be judged as they were alive; those 
that were dead before, that they may be judged, shall rise to 
life. He shall judge therefore the quick, that is, those which 
shall be then alive when he cometh ;* and he shall judge the 
dead, that is, those which at the same time shall be raised from 
the dead. 

The only doubt remaining in this interpretation is. Whether, 
those that shall be found alive when our Saviour cometh, shall 
still so continue till they come to judgment; or upon his first 
appearance they shall die, and after death revive, and so toge- 
ther with all those which rise out of their graves, appear before 
the judgment-seat. The consideration of our mortality, and 
the cause thereof, (that ^' it is appointed unto all men once to 
die, in that death hath passed upon all/' Heb. ix. 27. Rom. v. 12.) 
might persuade us that the last generation of mankind should 
taste of death, as well as all the rest that went before it ; and 
therefore it hath been thought,'t especially of late, that those 
whom Christ at his coming finds alive, shall immediately die; 
and after a sudden and universal expiration, shall be restored 
to life again, and joined with the rest whom the graves shall 
render, that all may be partakers of the resurrection. 

But the apostle's description of the last day mentioneth no 
such kind of death, yea rather excludeth it, ''For we which 
are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not 
prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the arch- 
angel and the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise 
first ; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up 
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 
and so shall we be ever with the Lord.*' (1 Thess. iv. 15 — 17.) In 
which words, they which remain unto the coming of the 
Lord," are not said to die or to rise from the dead, but are dis- 
tinguished from those ''which are asleep" and ''rise first;" 
yea, being alive, are caught up together with thera,J having 
not tasted death. 



* This is cleared by the author of the 
Questions and Answers under the name 
of Justin Martyr : El ro tw? avaa-raff-Boot 
^aipov Tfcia-i roii ^avouTiv o ©£o? SiJovaj vtri- 

Tai TO, Kfimv \£K^ovg ha] ^oovrctq tov KugJov ; 
"ardJf vExpot Kpj^^vat Iwncrovrai, mv to, fxh 
a-ciifActTO, Iv fA,vhfA,etiTiv Vf'fi'jtra.i, al Sg ^f^at 
t5)v a-wixkroov xs^oopitrfAivai sla-iv ; Resp. Ov 
iTaVTSi;, <pria-], KoifxriQnaSfXBBcf K^iviT oZv I^Sivraf 
/XEV, Tou? to'te ^Sivraq, VEJtgoiif Si, rohq ivia-ra- 
fji.tvovq Ik ruiv vsk^uiv. Quest, et Resp. ad 
Orthod. q. 109. 

t ' Omnium enim hominum erit resur- 
rectio. Si omnium erit, ergo omnes mo- 
riuntur, ut mors ab Adam ducta omnibus 



filiis ejus dominetur, et maneat illud pri- 
vilegium in Domino, Non dabis sanctum 
tuum videre corruptionem. Hanc rationem 
maxima Patrum turba tradente suscepi- 
mus.' Gennad. de Eccl. Dogrnat. c. 7. 

% This is the observation of Epiphanius, 
who from these words proves as much ; 
for having repeated the text, he thus in- 
fers : 'Ato-o tc5v a-vn^ivyy,i\oct 'maa-rti; Xe^s- 
<wf ea-riv iSeTV to, BTrix^Bipa. AiatpaJv ya^ o 
ayioq " Avoirro'Ko; ra>v ^vo rpoirm to eT5oj, elq 
fxiav i'K'ifi'^et a-vnya,yzv , aito nroZ, Hfxitq i^Tra- 
yrta-ofxt.'ba. h VB'^i'Ka.iq Et; o-uv<ivT>](rtv al'rau- 
I'm Sst'^n ovrwq tov to to (TcHifAa., Koi ov'X, ETEpov 
'BTct^ct, TovTO, 0 ya^ a^Tiaytiq ovnco TfiflvAJtE. 
Hecres. Ixiv. §. 70. 



464 



ARTICLE VIL 



The same is farther confirmed by the apostle, sayhig, " Be- 
hold, I shew you a mystery ; we shall not all sleep, but we 
shall all be changed/' (1 Cor. xv. 51.) Which, being added to 
the former, putteth this doctrine out of question : for the living 
which remain at the coming of Christ, are opposed to them 
which are asleep, and the opposition consists in this, that they 
" shall not sleep which sleep is not opposed to a long death, 
but to death itself, as it foUoweth, '* the dead shall be raised 
incorruptible/' and we (which shall not sleep)*' shall be chang- 
ed;" so that their mutation shall be unto them as a resurrec- 
tion. And the collation of these two Scriptures maketh up 
this conclusion so manifestly, that I conceive no man had ever 
doubted or questioned the truth of it, had they not first differed 
in the reading of the text.f 



* ' Nam et in hoc ingemiscimus, domici' 
Hum nostrum, quod de ccelo est, superindui 
desiderantes, siquidem induti et non midi 
inveniamur : id est, ante voluimus super- 
induere virtutem coelestem aeternitatis, 
quam carne exuamur. Hujus enim gra- 
tise privilegium illos manet, qui ab ad- 
ventu Domini deprehendentur in carne, 
et propter duritias temporum Antichristi 
merebuntur, compendio mortis per demu- 
tationem expunctae, concurrere cum re- 
surgentibus, sicut Thessalonicensibus 
scribit.' Tertull. de Resur. Cam. c. 41. 
* Sancti, qui die consummationis atque 
judicii in corporibus reperiendi sunt, cum 
aliis Sanctis qui ex mortuis resurrecturi 
sunt, rapientur in nuhibus obviam Christo 
in aere, et non gustabunt mortem, erunt- 
que semper cum Domino, gravissima 
mortis necessitate calcata ; unde ait Apo- 
stolus, Omnes quidem non dormiemxis, omnes 
autem immutabimur.' Theod. Heracleotes 
Com. ad loc. apud S. Hieron. ep. 152. al. 
9. ' ApoUinarius, licet aliis verbis, eadem 
quae Theodorus asseruit ; quosdam non 
esse morituros, sed de praesenti vita ra- 
piendos in futuram, ut mutatis glorifica- 
tisque corporibus sint cum Christo.' S, 
Hieron. ib. "O SI "Ki-yBi, rouro eariv ov ttkv- 
TE? /otgv a'mo^a,vov[jLi'^a, Travrs? Si aXKayria-o- 
jue&a, Kot ol fA.h airroQvriaHovrsg' bvnroi yaf Ka- 
Xiivoi. Mh Toivvv, l7r6jSav a7roQvf>iTKeig, Sia 
Tovro S'eiVjjf, (pna-h, wq ovK avcLa-rria-ofAivoq. 
Etcrt ya^ tjv£? o; koX rovro ^ici.(pEv^ovrai, xat 
o^w? QVK a^KBi rouro alroT? £i? riiv avatrra- 
triv Ixet'vjjv, SsT xal luiiva ra a-oofxara 

ra fA,h a.TTo^vhs'itovra aXXetywaj, Hetl tig 
a<pQito(ria,v fxsramcreiv. S. Chrysost. Hom, 42. 
ad loc. So St. Jerome speaking of that 
place, 1 Thess. iv. * Hoc ex ipsius loci 
continentia sciri potest, quod Sancti, qui 
in adventu Salvatoris fuerint deprebensi 
in corpora, in iisdem corporibus occur- 
rant ei, itatamen,ut inglorium et corrup- 
tivum et mortale gloria et incorruptione 



et immortalitate mutetur : ut, qualia cor- 
pora mortuorum surrectura sunt, in talem 
substantiam etiam vivorum corpora trans- 
formentur.' .S. Hieron. ep. 149. al. 6. ad 
Marcell. And St. Augustin, in relation 
to the same place : ' Revera, quantum 
ad verba beati Apostoli pertinet, videtur 
asserere quosdam in fine saeculi, adveni- 
ente Domino, cum futura est resurrectio 
mortuorum, non esse morituros, sed vivos 
repertos, in illam immortalitatem, quas 
Sanctis etiam caeteris datur, repente mu- 
tandos, et simul cum illis rapiendos, si- 
cut dicit, in nubibus. Nec aliquid aliud 
mihi visum est, quoties de his verbis volui 
cogitare.' Ad tertiam Qucest. Dulcitii, §. 2. 
These and others of the ancients have 
clearly delivered this truth, so that Gen- 
nadius, notwithstanding his maxima Pa- 
trum turba for the contrary, did well con- 
fess : ' Verum quia sunt et alii aeque ca- 
tholici et eruditi viri, qui credunt, anima 
in corpore manente, immutandos ad in- 
corruptionem et immortalitatem eos qui 
in adventu Domini vivi inveniendi sunt ; 
et hoc eis reputari pro resurrectioue ex 
mortuis, quod mortalitatem prassentis vi- 
tae immutatione deponant, non morte. 
Quolibet quis acquiescat modo, non est 
haereticus, nisi ex contentione haereticus 
fiat.' De Eccl. Dogm. c. 7. 

t There have been observed three se- 
veral readings of that place, 1 Cor. xv. 
51 . one of the Latin, two of the Greek. 
• Illud autem breviter in fine commoneo ; 
hoc, quod in Latinis codicibus legitur, 
Omites quidem resurgemus,non omnes autem 
immutabimur, in Graecis voluminibus non 
haberi, sed vel, Omnes dormiemus,non au- 
tem omnes immutabimur ; vel, Non omnes 
dormiemus, omnes autem immutabimur.' S. 
Hieron. e^. 152. al. 9. But there was 
not one of these three only in the Latin 
copies, that is the first ; but one which 



THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. 



455 



Wherefore being the place to the Tbessalonians sutiiciently 
proves it of itself, being that to the Corinthians, as we read it, 
invincibly confirmeth the same truth, I conclude that the liv- 
ing, when Christ shall come, are properly distinguished from 
all those which die before his coming ; because death itself 
hath passed upon the one, and only a change different from 
death shall pass upon the other; and so conceive that Christ is 
called the Lord and Judge of the quick and the dead, in refer- 
ence at least to this expression of the Creed. For although it 



was iQ the Greek, was also in the Latin, 
that is the second. For both these St. 
Augustin takes notice of : * Nam et illud 
quod in plerisque codicibus legitur, Omnes 
resurgemus, unde fieri poterit, nisi omnes 
moriamur 1 Resurrectio quippe, nisi mors 
praecesserit, nulla est. Et quod nonnulli 
codices habent, Omnes dormiemus, multo 
facilius et apertius id cogit intelligi.' Ad 
tertiam QucEst. Dulcit. §. 3. ' Sed aliud 
rursus occurrit, quod idem dicit Aposto- 
lus, cum de resurrectione corporum ad 
Corinthios loqueretur, Omnes resurgemus 
vel sicut alii codices habent, Omnes dor- 
miemus.' Idem, de Civit. Dei, 1. xx. c. 20, 
Two readings thereof were anciently in 
the Latin, two in the Greek ; one of the 
Greek in the Latin, and no more. First 
then that reading, Omnes quidem resurge- 
mus, &c. which is at this day in the V^ul- 
gar Latin, was by the testimony of St. 
Jerome and St. Augustin the ordinary 
reading in their times, and is also used 
by Tertullian : ' Horum demutationem 
ad Corinthios dedit dicens, Omnes quidem 
resurgemus, non autem omnes demutahimur.' 
De Resur. Cam. c. 42. And although 
St. Jerome testified! that it was not to be 
found in the Greek copies, yet to the 
same purpose it is amongst the Varia: Le- 
ctiones March. Veles. Tlavrsq ava^iMcrofxEv, 
oXXa ov TraVTE? a.'naXXa.yyicrofxB^a. And in 
Codice Claromontano, the Greek is erased 
in this place, but the Latin left is, Omnes 
quidem resurgemus. As for the second 
reading, Omnes dormiemus, &c. this was 
anciently in the Latin copies, according 
to St. Augustin; and also in the Gr^ek, 
according to St. Jerome. Didymus did so 
read it, and contended for that reading : 
'SciO quod innonnullis codicibus scriptum 
sit, Non quidem umnes dormiemus, omnes 
autem immutubimtir. Sed considerandum 
est, an ei quod praemissum est, omnes im- 
mutahimur, possit convenire quod sequi- 
tur, Mortui surgent incorrupti, et nos im- 
mutahimur. Si enim omnes immutabun- 
tur, et hoc commune cum caeteris est, su- 
perfluum fuit dicere, et nos immutahimur. 
Quamobrem ita legendum est, Omnes 
quidem dormiemus, non autem omnes iminu- 
tabimur.' Apud S. Hieron. ep. 152. al. 9. 
Indeed Acacius bishop of Csesarea doth 



not only acknowledge this reading, but 
saith it was in most copies ; * Dicamus 
primum de eo, quod magis in plurimis co- 
dicibus invenitur, Ecce mystsrium dico vo- 
bis, Omnes quidem dormiemus, non omnes 
autem immutabimur Ibid. The Alexan- 
drian MS. may confirm this lection, 
which reads it thus : Ot Travrgf |U£v ov koi- 
fAYi^KiTOfAEQa,, ov TTaVTSg Se k'K'kayr,a-ofxiQa, for 
the first ov is not written in the line, but 
above it. And the Ethiopic version to 
the same purpose, Omnes nos moriemitr, 
sed non omnes nos immutahimur. 'I'iie third 
reading, Non omnes dormiemus, &c. though 
it were not anciently in the Latin, yet it 
was frequently found in the Greek copies. 
Acacius testifieth thus much : ' Transea- 
mus ad secundam lectionem, qua; iia fer- 
tur in plerisque codicibus, Noji quidem om- 
nes dormiemus, omnes autem imnititubimur.' 
Apud Hier. ibid. It was so anciently 
read in the time of Origen, as appeareth 
by the Fragment taken by St. Jerome out 
of his 'E^»y»TiHa upon the First Epistle to 
the Tbessalonians (which he mentioneth 
himself inhis secondbook against Celsus), 
and by his words in the fifth against Cel- 
sus : Ovx^ vTto'Ka.QMV fxtra tjvoj kiro^Laq XsXs^- 
Qai TTdpa, TO? ^ Atioo-toXm rov 'Iko'oZ to, ov Trav- 
TEj xoif/,nQy)o-6fxeQa,, itaVTiq aWayna-ofj.iQa. 
§. 17. The same is acknowledged by 
Theodorus Heracleotes, ApoUinarius, Di- 
dymus, [vid. Hieron. ep. 132. al. 9.] St. 
Chrysostom, Theodoret,Theophylact, and 
CEcumenius. ad loc. The same is confirm- 
ed by the ancient Syriac translation, lb 
:^br\n r"T lO-iD ibD as also by the Ara- 
bic. Being then of the three readings, 
but two were anciently found in the 
Greek copies, (' Quajritis quo sensu 
dictum sit, et quo modo in prima ad 
Corinthios Epistola Pauli sit legendum, 
Omnes quidem dormiemus, 7um autem omnes 
immutabimur ; an juxta quaedam exem- 
plaria, Non omnes dormiemus, omnes autem 
immutabimur ; utrumque enim in Gr?ecis 
codicibus invenitur.' S. Hieron. Ep. 152. 
al. 9.) and of those two but one is now 
to be found, and the Greek fathers suc- 
cessively have acknowledged no other, 
being that which is left agrees with the 
most ancient translations, we have no 
reason to doubt or question it. 



456 



AKTICLE VII. 



be true of the living of any age to say that Christ is Lord and 
Judge of them and of the dead, yet in the next age they are not 
the living, but the dead, which Christ shall come to judge, and 
consequently no one generation, but the last, can be the quick 
u^hich he shall judge. As therefore to the interpretations of 
this Article, I take that distinction to be necessary,* that in 
the end of the world all the generations dead shall be revived, 
and the present generation living so continued, and C^mf shall 
gather them all to his tribunal-seat, and so shall truly come to 
judge both the quick and the dead. 

To believe a universal judgment to come is necessary; first. 
To prevent the dangerous doubts arising against the ruling of 
the world by the providence of God ; that old rock of offence, 
upon which so many souls have suffered shipwreck. That which 
made the prophet David confess, his ^* feet were almost gone, 
his steps had well nigh slipped," (Psal. Ixxiii. 2.) had hurried 
multitudes of men to eternal perdition. The conspicuous pros- 
perity of the wicked, and apparent miseries of the righteous ; 
the frequent persecution of virtue, and eminent rewards of vice; 
the sweet and quiet departures often attending upon the most 
dissolute, and horrid tortures putting a period to the most reli- 
gious lives, have raised a strong temptation of doubt and mistrust, 
whether there be a God that judgeth the earth. Nor is there 
any thing in this life considered alone, which can give the least 
rational satisfaction in this temptation. Except there be a life 
to come after such a death as we daily see, except in that life 
there be rewards and punishments otherwise dispensed than 
here they are, how can we ground any acknowledgment of an 
overruling justice ? That therefore we may be assured that God 
who sitteth in heaven ruleth over all the earth, that a divine 



* This was well observed by St. Au- 
gustin : ' Si autem in his verbis Apostoli 
nullus alius sensus poterit reperiri, ethoc 
eum intelligi voluisse clarum erit, quod 
videntur ipsa verba clamare ; id est, quod 
futuri sint in fine seeuli, et secundo ad- 
ventu Domini, qui non exspolientur cor- 
pore, sed superinduautur immortalitate, 
ut absorbeatur mortale a vita : huic sen- 
tentiaj proculdubio conveniet quod in Re- 
gula Fidei confitemur, ventnrum Dominum, 
jndicaturum vivos et mortuos ; ut non hie 
intelligamus, vivos justos, mortuous au- 
tem injustos, quamvis judicandi sint et 
justi et injusti ; sed vivos quos nondum 
exiisse, mortuos autem quos jam exiisse 
de corporibus adventus ejus inveniet.' 
Ad tertiam Qucest. Dulcitii. §. 4. And 
Origen long before did make the same 
exposition of these words, " that he might 
be Lord both of the dead and living," 
Rom. xiv. 9."0pa ya^ Iv toutoj?, on aTesBa- 
vav 'ina-ovi, iva, vejtfSv Kvpisia-ri, no.) aviffTn, 
I'vtt jM>j /wovov vEKpSv aXXa KcCi ^scvtwv Kuptsuff-jj. 



Kai olYi yi 6 'AttoVtoXoj vbh^ov; /Uev av nv- 
^levBi 6 X^ia-rog, rov; otiTo) }iarWK£yfA,i\ovi 
Iv nrn TTgo? Ko^iv^iovg Ttfork^a. (craXTTio-ej yaf, 
Kcii 01 vExgot iyio'^ha-ovrcn a.<^^a^TOi) ^Zvrag 
S'E avTOvQ, Kai Tolig aXkayna-ofxkvovq, ETEpou? 
ovra? Toov lye§br)a-oiJ.iva)V vsyteoov. "Ep^Et 51 nctl 
TEgt Tovroov h "ki^iq ovTooq, Kat hfj.iiq aXkctyn- 
(TOfAiOet, k^riq i\fri[A,i\n tw, Ot vsk^oj Ij/Ep&^iroy- 
Tai Trpct'Tov. 'AXXii acu Iv tr^oq ©EtriraXo- 
vjxeT? TTpoTspa Iv ETSpai? "hs^Es-t rhv avrriv ^la- 
<})Ogav TTapto-Ttt?, (pniriv, aXXou? jUEV slvai rovq 
ncifA.ciCfA,evouq, aXXovq 51 Tovq ^wvrag, 'hsyaiv, 
&c. 1. ii. contra Celsum, §. 65. Which 
exposition is far more proper than that of 
Methodius : 'Rttj tmv ■^v')(Zv hclI inr) tZv 
a-XfAaroov ira^aK-^Trrkor ^mvrm fxh rZv -^v- 
p^5v, xaSo a^avaroi, vsnpoov 51 rZv a-cufxartuy. 
Phot, in Biblioth. Cod. ccxxxiv. ad Jin. 
And Ruffinus, ' Quid autem dicitur ju- 
dicare vioos et mortuos, nisi quod alii vivi, 
alii mortui, ad judicium veniant? sed 
animae simul judicabuntur et corpora, in 
quibus vivos animas, corpora nominavit.' 
Erpos. in Symb. §. 32. 



THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. 457 



and most holy providence disposeth and dispenseth all things 
here below ; it is absolutely necessary to believe and profess, 
that a just and exact retribution is deferred, that a due and 
proportionable dispensation of rewards and punishments is 
reserved to another world ; and consequently that there is a 
universal judgment to come. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe a judgment to come, 
thereby effectually to provoke ourselves to the breaking off our 
sins by repentance, to the regulating our future actions by the 
word of God, and to the keeping a conscience void of offence 
towards God and towards man. Such is the sweetness of our 
sins, such the connaturalness of our corruptions, so great our 
confidence of impunity here, that except we looked for an ac- 
count hereafter, it were unreasonable to expect that any man 
should forsake his delights, renounce his complacences, and by 
a severe repentance create a bitterness to his own soul. But 
being once persuaded of a judgment, and withal possessed with 
a sense of our sins, who will not tremble with Felix? w^ho will 
not "flee from the wrath to come V What must the hardness be 
of that impenitent heart, which " treasureth up unto itself 
wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous 
judgment of God?" (Rom. ii. 5.) We are naturally inclined to 
follow the bent of our own wills, and the inclinations of our own 
hearts : all external rules and prescriptions are burdensome to 
us ; and did we not look to give an account, we had no reason 
to satisfy any other desires than our own : especially the dic- 
tates of the Word of God are so pressing and exact, that were 
there nothing but a commanding power, there could be no ex- . 
pectation of obedience. It is necessary then that we should 
believe that an account must be given of all our actions ; and 
not only so, but that this account will be exacted according to 
the rule of God's revealed will, that God shall judge the 
secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to the Gospel." 
(Rom. ii. 16.) There is in every man not only a power to reflect, 
but a necessary reflection upon his actions ; not only a volun- 
tary remembrance, but also an irresistible judgment of his own 
conversation. Now if there were no other judge beside our own 
souls, we should be regardless of our own sentence, and wholly 
unconcerned in our own condemnations. But if we were 
persuaded that these reflections of conscience, are to be so 
many witnesses before the tribunal of Heaven, and that we are 
to carry in our own hearts a testimony either to absolve or 
condemn us, we must infallibly watch over that unquiet inmate, 
and endeavour above all things for a good conscience. For 
''seeing that all things shall be dissolved, what manner of per- 
sons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 
looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God." 
(2 Pet. iii. 11.) Reason itself will tell us thus much; but if 
that do not, or if we will not hearken to our own voice ; *' the 



458 



ARTICLE VII. 



grace of God that bringeth salvation teacheth us, that, deny- 
ing ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, 
righteously, and godly, in this present w^orld, looking for that 
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and 
our Saviour Jesus Christ." (Tit. ii. 11 — 13.) 

Thirdly, It is necessary to profess faith in Christ as Judge of 
the quick and the dead, for the strengthening our hope, for the 
augmenting our comfort, for the establishing our assurance of 
eternal life. If we look upon the judgment to come, only as 
revealing our secrets, as discerning our actions, as sentencing 
our persons according to our works done in the flesh, there is 
not one of us can expect life from that tribunal, or happiness 
at the last day. We must confess that we have all sinned, and 
that there is not any sin which we have committed, but de- 
serves the sentence of death ; we must acknowledge that the 
best of our actions bear no proportion to eternity, and can 
challenge no degree of that weight of glory ; and therefore in 
a judgment, as such, there can be nothing but a fearful expec- 
tation of eternal misery, and an absolute despair of everlasting 
happiness. It is necessary therefore that we should believe, 
that Christ shall sit upon the throne, that our Redeemer shall 
be our judge, that we shall receive our sentence not according 
to the rigour of the Law, but the mildness and mercies of the 
Gospel ; and then we may look upon not only the precepts but 
also the promises of God j whatsoever sentence in the sacred 
Scripture speaketh any thing of hope, whatsoever text admi- 
nistereth any comfort, whatsoever argument drawn from thence 
can breed in us any ass-urance, we may confidently make use 
of them all in reference to the judgment to come : because by 
that Gospel which contains them all, we shall be judged. If 
we consider whose Gospel it is, and who shall judge us by it, 
we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones;" 
(Eph. V. 30.) " for which cause he is not ashamed to call us 
brethren." (Heb. ii. 11.) As one of our brethren he hath re- 
deemed us, (Lev. XXV. 48.) he hath laid down his life as a ran- 
som for us. He is our High-priest who made an atonement for 
our sins, " a merciful and faithful High-priest, in all things 
being made like unto his brethren." (Heb. ii. 17.) He which 
is Judge, is also our Advocate; and who shall condemn us, if 
he shall pass the sentence upon us, who maketh intercession 
for us? Well therefore may "we have boldness and access 
with confidence by the faith of him" (Eph. iii. 12.) unto the 
throne of that Judge, who is our Redeemer, who is our High- 
priest, who is our Advocate, who will not by his word at the 
last day condemn us, because he hath already in the same 
word absolved us, saying, " Verily, verily, I say unto you, he 
that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath 
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is 
passed from death unto life." (John v. 24.) 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



459 



Having thus explained the nature of the judgment to come, 
and the necessity of believing the same, we have given suffi- 
cient light to every Christian to understand what he ought to 
intend, and what it is he professeth, when he saith, I believe 
in him who shall come to judge the quick and the dead. For 
thereby he is conceived to declare thus much : I am fully per- 
suaded of this, as an infallible and necessary truth, that the 
eternal Son of God, in that human nature, in which he died, 
and rose again, and ascended into heaven, shall certainly come 
from the same heaven into which he ascended, and at his com- 
ing shall gather together all those which shall be then alive, 
and all which ever lived and shall be before that day dead: 
when causing them all to stand before his judgment-seat, he 
shall judge them all according to their works done in the flesh; 
and passing the sentence of condemnation upon all the repro- 
bates, shall deliver them to be tormented with the devil and his 
angels ; and pronouncing the sentence of absolution upon all 
the elect, shall translate them into his glorious kingdom, of 
which there shall be no end. And thus I believe in Jesus 

Christ, WHO SHALL JUDGE THE QUICK AND THE DEAD. 



ARTICLE VIIL 

/ believe in the Holy Ghost. 

In this Article we repeat again the first word of the Creed, I 
believe; whereas a conjunction might have been sufficient, but 
that so many particulars concerning the Son have intervened. 
For as we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and 
the Holy Ghost; so do we make confession of our faith, saying, 
I believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;* and the 
ancients, whose Creed was something shorter, made no repe- 
tition of the act of faith, but only an addition of the object. 
And in the Holy Ghost. \ And as we repeat this act of faith in 



* * Sed enim ordo rationis et fidei auc- 
toritas, digestis vocibus et Uteris Domini, 
admonet nos post haec credere etiam in 
Spiritum Sanctum, olim Ecclesiae repro- 
missum, sed statutis temporum opportu- 
nitatibus redditum.' Novatian. de Trin. 
c. 29. Schlictingius the Socinian, in his 
Preface to the Polonian Confession of 
Faith, endeavoareth to persuade us, that 
this Article of the Holy Ghost is not so 
ancient as the rest ; which being diame- 
trically opposite to that original of the 
Creed, which 1 have delivered, the bap- 
tismal words, Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost, it will be necessary to examine 
his reason, which is drawn only from the 
authority of Tertullian ; who in his book 



De Velund. Virg. c. 1. reciting the rule of 
faith, makes no mention of the Holy 
Ghost : and De PrcEScr. H<eret. propounds 
this Article no otherwise: ' Quam utcre- 
damus Christum in ccelos receptum se- 
dere ad dextrara Patris, misisse vicariam 
vim Spiritus Sancti.' c. 13. But this 
objection made for the novelty of this 
Article is easily answered : for Irenaeus 
before Tertullian hath it expressly in his 
Confession, 1. i. c. 10. and calls it the 
faith, * in Patrem et Filium, et Spiritum 
Sanctum and also declares, that the 
Church received that faith, and preserved 
it through the whole world. 

t So the ancient Greek MS. not ei'c 
7rv£u/j.a Hyiov ; and Marcellus, xai el; to 



460 



ARTICLE VIII. 



this Article, so some did also in the second, / believe in Jesus 
Christ.* Wherefore being this word, / believe, is taken here 
only by way of resumption or repetition, and consequently 
must be of the same sense or importance, of which it was in 
the beginning of the Ckeed, it may well receive the same ex- 
plication here which it received there ; to that therefore the 
reader is referred. 

For although the ancient fathers did frequently make use of 
this language to prove the Divinity of the Spirit,f and did thence 
argue that he is really and truly God, because we believe in the 
Holy Ghost ; yet being that language is not expressly read in 
the Scriptures in relation to the Spirit, as it is in reference to 
the Son ; being to believe in the Holy Ghost, is only the expres- 
sion of the Church contained in the Creed ; being in the same 
Creed many of the ancients, without any reprehension, have 
used the same phrase in the following Articles expressly, and 
where the preposition is not expressed, it may very well be 
thought it was understood : therefore I think fit to acquiesce 
in my former exposition, and lay no great force on the prepo- 
sition. 

It will therefore be sufficient for the explication of this Ar- 
ticle, if we can declare what is the full and proper object of our 
faith contained in it, what we are obliged to believe concern- 
ing the Holy Ghost, And as to this we shall discharge our 
undertaking, and satisfy whatsoever is required in this Expo- 
sition, if we can set forth these two particulars, the nature and 



ayiov nvivfxa ; as also Arius and Euzoius, 
and the Council of Nice. Socrat. 1. i. c. 8. 
Thus also the Latins : ' Post hoc ponitur 
in ordine fidei, Et in Spiritum Sanctum.' 
Riiffinus in Symb. §. 34. Maximus Taurin. 
et Auctor lib. de Symb. ad Cateclium. The 
MS. in the Oxford Library, Et in Spiritum 
Sanctum. Others, instead of the conjunc- 
tion, made use of credo, by way of repetition, 
as we do : ' Credo in Spiritum Sanctum.' 
Chrysologus, Eusebius Gallican., Auctor 
Serm. ad Catechum, 1. iv. §. 9. Etherius 
Uxam., the Greek and Latin MS. in Bene't 
College Library : and ' Credo in Sancto 
Spiritu.' Venantius Fortunatus. 

* As the ancient Saxon Creed set forth 
by Freherus. 

t Gregory Nazianzen, disputing for the 
divinity of the Holy Ghost, proveth that 
he is no creature thus : 'axx' si fxh uria-- 
fA,a, mSx; i\q auTo ms-revofXBv ; ri Iv avrS te- 
Xsjoujusfla ; ov yap valrov Io-ti 'jtia-rtvm eIj 
Ti, )iai Ttifi avTov mamiviiv' to /xh ya^ la-ri 
©■e^nTOf, TO Se -zzravTo? 'm^kyfxa.roq, Orat, 
xxxvii. p. 596. Epiphanius seems to 
speak thus much, shewing, that though 
the fathers of the Nicene Council had 
determined nothing particularly of the 
Holy Ghost, yet they sufficiently shew 



that he is God, by those words : xai ei? 
Ttnvixa ayiov. EvBvi ya^ h ixSesrif oixo\oytX 
Kcui ovu. a^nHrai' TLio-Ttvofxiv yap eIj ha ©Eov 
ITaTEga TravToxpttTOfa. To Tncrrsvofjifv 
ov^ a^r'KZg s^nrai, aXX' h usia-riq eif Tov ©Eov. 
Ka» s\q Eva Kt;pjov 'iflO-oUv XpnTTOv, ov)(^ a7rX£f 
il^rirai, aXX' Etf ©Eov i) 'EriVrt?. Kaj, elf to 
"Ayiov nvEDiUtt, Qv)(^ airXSoQ sUptirai, aW' Eif 
fxiav So^oXoyt'av, Kai eIj /ui'av haxriv ^eornroQ, 
y.ai fjiiav ofxoovirtortjra, etf Tgi'a TEXEia, fxiav Je 
S^EOT^Ta, |Uiav ova-iav, fxiay JofoXoyt'av, fx'iav 
Kv^toTDTa, alto T6V 'ana-revofA,ev xai iria-riiofxiv 
nal 'wia-nvofxsv. Hceres. Ixxiv. §.14. * Agno- 
scamus verbi ipsius priviiegium. Cre- 
dere illi quilibet potest hominum ; credere 
vero in ilium, soli debere te Majestati 
noveris. Sec et hoc ipsum aliud est Deum, 
credere, aliud est credere in Deum. Esse 
Deum et diabolus credere dicitur, secun- 
dum Apostolum ; nam et deem ones credunt 
et contremiscunt. In Deum vero credere, 
hoc est fideliter eum quaerere, et tota in 
eum dilectione transire. Credo ergo in 
ilium, hoc est dicere, Confiteor ilium, 
colo ilium, adoro ilium, totum me in jus 
ejus ac dominium trado, atque transfundo. 
In professionis hujus reverentia universa 
divino nomini debita continentur obse- 
quia.' Paschasius in Frafat. Operis de 
Spiritu S. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST, 461 



the office of that blessed Spirit. For the name of Gliost or 
Gast in the ancient Saxon language signifieth a Spirit, and in 
that appellation of the Spirit of God, his nature principally is 
expressed. The addition of holiness, though it denote the in- 
trinsical sanctity essentially belonging to that Spirit, yet not- 
withstanding it containeth also a derivative notion, as signify- 
ing an emanation of that holiness, and communication of the 
effects thereof; and in this communication his office doth con- 
sist. Whatsoever therefore doth concern the Spirit of God, 
as such, and the intrinsical sanctity, which belongeth to that 
Spirit, may be expressed in the explication of his nature; what- 
soever belongeth to the derivation of that sanctity, may be 
described in his office ; and consequently more cannot be ne- 
cessary, than to declare what is the nature, what the office, of 
the Spirit of God. 

For the better indagation of the nature of the Holy Ghost, I 
shall proceed by certain steps and degrees; which as they will 
render the discourse more clear, so will they also make the 
reasons more strong, and the arguments more evident. And 
first, as to the existence of the Spirit of God, it will be unne- 
cessary to endeavour the proof of it ; for although the Saddu- 
cees seemed to deny it, who said " that there is no resurrec- 
tion, neither angel, nor spirit;" (Acts xxiii. 8.) though it hath 
been ordinarily concluded from thence that they rejected the 
Holi/ Ghost,'^ yet it cannot be proved from those words that 
they denied the existence of the Spirit of God, any more than 
that they denied the existence of God who is a spirit: nor did 
the notion which the Jews had of the Spirit of God any way 
incline the Sadducees, who denied the existence of the angels 
and the souls of men, to reject it. The resurrection, angel, 
and spirit, which the Sadducees refused to acknowledge, were 
but two particulars ; for it is expressly added, that the Pha- 
risees confessed both ;" of which two the resurrection was one, 
angels and spirits were the other ;+ wherefore that which the 
Sadducees disbelieved was the existence of such created spiri- 
tual natures, as the angels and the souls of men are conceived 
to have. And as for those disciples at Ephesus, who had "not 
so much as heard whether there be a Holy Ghost ;" (Acts xix. 
2.) if they were Gentiles, it is no wonder, because they never 
had that notion in their religion ; if they were Jews, as they 
seem to be, because they were baptized with the baptism of 
John, it signifieth not that they never heard of the Spirit of 
God, but only that they had not heard of the giving of it, which 
the apostle mentioned : as we read elsewhere, that the *' Holy 



* As Epiphanius Hceres. xiv. To nvivfxa 
TO ayiov 2A^SvKa7oi [A.h ou5e eTvai to ira^ctirctv 
hofxia-ctv (oii^H ya.^ ayyeXovi, ouJs a.va.a-Tacriv') 
oi))t oiy o6ev Tfl? Too-auTa? Trsgt avrov fxa^rv- 
fi'a; Iv T>) TTahaia, ^laTTTva-MTS;. Greg. Naz. 



Orat. xxxvii. p. 595. 

t <l>a^i(raXoi 5s, <pns'h, ofA,o\oyov(rt ra, ufX' 
iporsfa., Kai y.nv r^ia la-rt' 'orZj oZv Ksyei afj.- 
<}>0TSfa ; h on Trvivf/.a. xaX a,yys\oq I'v ia-n ; 
S. Chrysost. Horn, 49. in Act. Apost. xxiii, 8. 



462 



ARTICLE VIII. 



Ghost was not yet;" (John vii.39.) not denying the existence, 
but the plentiful effusion of it. For, whatsoever the nature of 
the Spirit of God may be thought to be, no man can conceive 
the apostle should deny his existence before Christ's glorifi- 
cation, whose operation was so manifest at his conception. 
Howsoever, the apostle asked those ignorant disciples, " Unto 
what then were ye baptized?" (Acts xix. 3.) intimating, that 
if they were baptized according to the rule of Christ, they could 
not be ignorant that there is a Holy Ghost ; because the apo- 
stles were commanded to baptize in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matt, xxviii. 19.) 
It is therefore presumed that every one who professeth the 
name of Christ, from the first baptismal institution, acknow- 
ledgeth that there is a Holy Ghost ; and the only question 
consists in this, what that Holy Ghost is, in whose name we 
are baptized, and in whom, according to our baptism, we pro- 
fess in the Creed to believe. 

In order to the determination of which question, our first 
assertion is, That the Holy Ghost, described to us in the Word 
of God, and joined with the Father and the Son in the form of 
baptism, is a person. We are all baptized in the name of the 
three, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and the public 
confession of our faith hath relation to those three. We all 
confess that two of these, the Father and the Son, are persons: 
that which we now assert, is only this. That the Holy Ghost, 
who is of the three the third, is also a person as the other two. 
That blessed Spirit is not only an energy or operation,^ not a 
quality or power, but a spiritual and intellectual subsistence. 
If we conceive it as an operation only,t then must it only 
be actuated and not act ; and when it is not actuated, it must 
not be at all. If we say, that it is a quality, and not a sub- 
stance ; we say that it is that, which we cannot prove to have 
any being. It seemeth to me strangely unreasonable, that men 
should be so earnest in endeavouring to prove that the Holy 



* To conclude the nature of the Holy 
Ghost, which is not so immediately ex- 
pressed in the Scriptures, it will be need- 
ful so to place our assertions, as that they 
may occur to all other misconceptions. 
Now the old notions (and more they can- 
not now have) were thus delivered by 
Gregory Nazianzen, that great divine, so 
much concerned in this subject : TZv Ss 
xa9' hfxag c-o<pZv ol fxh hk^ynav rouro (to 
•nrvivfxa,^ vTTS'KaQov, ol Ss JCTiV^aa, ol S'scv, o( 
SI oLa eyvcos-n.v ottotb^ov tovtxv al^oT rrt; ypa- 
<png, a>g <pa^iv, ov^btb^ov a-a<pu:g ^nXais-a^-ng, 
Orat. xxxvii. p. 595. These were the 
three particular and opposite opinions, 
either the Spirit is an operation, or a cre- 
ated substance, or God] the fourth is but 
a doubt or hesitation which of the three 
is true. The first of these is thus pro- 



pounded by way of question : To itvbv [xst. 
TO ayiov h Ta-v xa6 lavTO v<^i(rTDX.6Tci}V TTaVTiwc 

VTToSbtBCV, h Ta>V h STEpCe) ^BX^OVfjlBVliOV , cioV TO 

[xh ols-iay xaXovTiv ol 'SJBpi ravTO. S'fivoi, to 
5~H crv/x^B^mog. Ibid. Either it is subsist- 
ing in itself, as a substance ; or in an- 
other, as an accident. This was the first 
question then, and still is. 

t This is the argument of the same 
father : El fxh oijv trvpcBBBnuBv, lykpyBia, tovtq 
av bXt, ©sou- Ti yap I'tj^cv, h Tmq ; tovto yag 
TTo^g fxa,\7\oy, xai <p:vysi c-o'.'Bbtiv xa] si Ivlp- 
ysia, hB^yK&r-is-BTcii ^rAoviri, ol'/. hseyriosi, 
HO.] oy.oZ t5 hBfyvQKva.1 Travs-STAf tojoi/tov 
ya,^ h hspyBia,. Tloo^ ovv evspys'i, v-ol. TaSs 
>.£j/EJ, xai a(|)opi^Ei, %aX XviTB'iTai, yiai irapo^v- 
vSTai, Ha) o'tra XiVOUf/.B\ov Twpa-glinh, ol mvh- 
s-ecoc, Ihifl. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



463 



Ghost, which sanctifieth them, is no substance, when they can- 
not be assured, that there is any thing operative in the world 
beside substantial beings ; and consequently if they be not 
sanctified by that, they can be susceptible of no holiness. By 
what reason in nature can they be assured, by what revelation 
in Scripture can they be confident, that there is a reality de- 
serving the name of quality distinguished from all substance, 
and yet working real and admirable effects ? If there were no 
other argument but this, that we are assured by the Christian 
faith, that there is a Holy Ghost existing; and we cannot be 
assured, either by reason or faith, that there is a quality really 
and essentially distinguished from all substance; it would be suf- 
ficient to deter us from that boldness, to assert the Holij Ghost, 
in whose name we are baptized, to be nothing else but a quality. 

But we are not left to guess at the nature of the Spirit of 
God ; the word of God which came from that Spirit, hath suffi- 
ciently delivered him as a person. It is indeed to be observed, 
that in the Scriptures there are some things spoken of the Holy 
Ghost, which are proper and peculiar to a person, as the adver- 
saries confess; others, which are not properly and primarily to 
be attributed to a person, as we cannot deny: and it might 
seem to be equally doubtful, in relation to the Scripture- 
expressions, whether the Holy Ghost were a person or no ; and 
that they which deny his personality, may pretend as much 
Scripture as they which assert it. But in this seeming indiffe- 
rency, we must also observe a large diversity; inasmuch as the 
Hoii/ Ghost or Spirit of God, is not always taken in the same 
propriety of signification ; nor do we say that the Holj/ Ghost, 
which signifieth a person, always signifieth so much. It is 
therefore easily conceived how some things may be attributed 
to the Spirit in the Scriptures which are not proper to a person, 
and yet the Spirit be a person, because sometimes the Spirit is 
taken for that which is not a person, as we acknowledge : 
whereas, if ever any thing be attributed to the Holi/ Ghost as 
to a person, which cannot be otherwise understood of the Spirit 
of God than as of a person, then may we infallibly conclude 
that the Holi/ Ghost is a person. This therefore we shall en- 
deavour fully and clearly to demonstrate; first. That the Scrip- 
tures declare unto us the Holi/ Ghost as a person, by such attri- 
butes and expressions as cannot be understood to be spoken of 
the Spirit of God any other way than as of a person : secondly. 
That whatsoever attributes or expressions are used in the Scrip- 
tures of the Holj/ Ghost, and are objected as repugnant to the 
nature of a person, either are not so repugnant as is objected; 
or if they be, they belong unto the Spirit, as it signifieth not a 
person. 

First, then, The Holi/ Ghost, or good Spirit of God, is clearly 
and formally opposed to those evil spirits, which are and must 
be acknowledged persons of a spiritual and intellectual sub- 



464 



ARTICLE VIII. 



sistence : as, " The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and 
an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him." (1 Sam. xvi. 14.) 
Now, what those evil spirits from the Lord were, is apparent 
from the sad example of Ahab, concerning whom we read, 
" there came out a spirit and stood before the Lord and said, I 
will entice him; and the Lord said unto him. Wherewith? and 
he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of' all 
his prophets ; and the Lord said. Thou shalt entice him, and 
thou shalt also prevail ; go out, and do even so." (2 Chron. 
xviii. 20, 21.) From whence it is evident, that the evil spirits 
from God were certain persons, even bad angels, to which the 
one good Spirit as a person is opposed, departing from him to 
whom the other cometh. 

Again, The New Testament doth describe the Holy Ghost by 
such personal dispositions, and w^ith such operations, as are as 
evident marks and signs of a person as any which are attributed 
to the Father or the Son, which are unquestionable persons ; 
and whatsoever terms are spoken of the Spirit by way of qua- 
lity, are spoken as well of those which are acknowledged per- 
sons. We are exhorted by the apostle not to grieve the Spirit 
of God ;" (Eph. iv. 30.) but grief is certainly a personal affec- 
tion, of which a quality is not capable. We are assured that 
the same " Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings 
that cannot be uttered (Rom. viii. 26.) and we can under- 
stand what are interceding persons, but have no apprehension 
of interceding or groaning qualities. The operations of the 
Spirit are manifest, and as manifestly personal ; for he *' search- 
eth all things, yea, even the deep things of God ;" (1 Cor. ii. 
10.) and so he knoweth all things, even the things of God," 
(Ibid. 11.) which can be no description of the power of God i\ 
he ^' worketh all the spiritual gifts, dividing to every man seve- 
rally as he will," (1 Cor. xii. 11.) in which the operation, dis- 
cretion, distribution, and all these voluntary, are sufficient de- 
monstrations of a person. He revealeth the will of God, and 
speaketh to the sons of men, in the nature and after the man- 
ner of a person ; for the Spirit said unto Peter, Behold three 
men seek thee : arise therefore and get thee down, and go with 
them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them." (Acts x. 19.) 
And " the Holy Ghost said" unto the prophets and teachers at 
Antioch, ''Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the w^ork where- 
unto I have called them." (Acts xiii. 2.) We cannot better 
understand the nature of the Hoii/ Ghost than by the description 
given by Christ which sent him : and he said thus to his dis- 
ciples, "The Comforter (or the Advocate), which is the Holy 
Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach 
you all things ;" he shall testify of me : and ye also shall 
bear witness." *' If I go not away, the Comforter will not 
come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 
And when he is come, he will reprove the world," and "he 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



465 



will guide you into all truth ; for he shall not speak of 
himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and 
he shall shew you things to come ; he shall glorify me, for he 
shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you." (John xiv. 
26. XV. 26, 27. xvi. 7, 8. 13, 14.) All which words are nothing 
else but so many descriptions of a person, a person hearing, a 
person receiving, a person testifying, a person speaking, a per^ 
son reproving, a person instructing. 

The adversaries to this truth,* acknowledging all these per- 
sonal expressions, answer that it is ordinary in the Scriptures 
to find the like expressions, which are proper unto persons, 
given unto those things which are no persons : as when the 
apostle saith, " Charity sufFereth long and is kind, charity en- 
vieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not 
behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily pro- 
voked, thinketh none evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but re- 
joiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, 
hopeth all things, endureth all things (1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 7.) all 
which personal actions are attributed to charity, which is no 
person, as in other cases it is usual,t but belonging to that 
person which is charitable ; because that person which is so 
qualified doth perform those actions according to, and by vir- 
tue of, that charity which is in him. In the same manner, say 
they,J personal actions are attributed to the Holy Ghost, which 
is no person, but only the virtue, power, and efficacy of God, 
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, because that God the 
Father is a person, and doth perform those personal actions^ 

* The present adversaries to this truth vii. 11.) et legi quod loquatnr, (Rom. iii. 

are the Socinians, and their opinion was 19.) et Scripturae quod prospiciat et pra- 

thus delivered by Socinus : ' Quod in tes- nunciet, (Gal. iii. 18.) et Charitati quod 

timoniis sacris quaeadversariicitant.Spi- sit longanimis, &c. (1 Cor. xiii. 4 — 7.) 

ritui S. actiones tribuuntur, et ea quae denique Spiritui, i. e. vento, quod spiret 

personarum sunt propria, ex hoc nihil ubi velit.' c. 6. Vide Socbii Epistolam 3, 

concludi potest, cum aliis rebus, quas per- ad Petrum Statorium, 
sonas non esse constat, similiter in Scri- t ' Quod si quis dixerit, satis constare, 

pturig sacris actiones tribuantur, et ea Paulum eo in loco figurate loqui, et cha- 

quae sunt propria personarum. Cujus rei ritatis nomine eum intelligere qui chari- 

plenissimam fidem facere potest vel locus tate est praeditus, quateuus ea est prae- 

ille Pauli, (1 Cor. xiii. a 4 ad 8.) ubi ditus : respondebo, cum Spiritus S. sit 

perpetuo de charitate, tanquam de per- Spiritus Dei, certumque sit alioqui spi- 

sona aliqua loquitur, illi permulta tribu- ritum alicujus personae non posse esse 

ens, quae revera non nisi in personam personam ab ea, cujus est spiritus, dis- 

cadunt.' Faustus Socinus contra Wiekum, tinctam, non minus constare, cum Spiritui 

G. 10. S. ea tribuuntur, quae personge et simul 

t So the Racovian Catechism doth en- ipsius Dei sunt propria, nihil aliud inteL- 

large this answer, stating the question ligendum nomine Spiritus S. esse, quam 

thus: ' Qui vero ii Scripturae loci accipi- ipsum Deum spiritu suo, id est, virtute 

endi sunt, in quibus Spiritui S. actiones atque efficacia sua, agentem atque ope-? 

personarum propriae, et ad Deum ipsum rantem.' F. Socinus, cpnt. Wieh. c. 10. 

spectantes, attribuuntur V And returning ' Quoniam vero Spiritus S. virtus Dei est, 

this solution : ' Ad eum modum, quo in hinc fit ut ea qu?e Dei sunt, Spiritui S. 

Scripturis rebus id attribuatur saipenu- attribuantur, et sub nomine Spiritus S. 

mero, quod personarum est ; neque tamen saepe Deus ipse intelligaturj quatenus 

res illae propterea personae censentur, ut suam virtutem Deus per spiritum suum 

peccato, quod d^eccperit, et occiderit, (Rom. exerit.' Catech. Racov. c, 6. 

2h 



466 



ARTICLE VIII. 



attributed to the Holy Ghost, hy that virtue, power, and efficacy 
in himself, which is the Ho/i/ Ghost. As when we read the 
Spirit said unto Peter, Behold three men seek thee ; arise there- 
fore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing ; 
for I have sent them:'"' (Acts x. 19, 20.) we must understand 
that God the Father was the person which spake those words, 
and which sent those men; but because he did so by that 
virtue which is the Ho/i/ Ghost, therefore the Holi/ Ghost is 
said to speak those words, and send those men. In the same 
manner when we read, **the Holy Ghost said" unto those at 
Antioch, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work where- 
unto I have called them (Acts xiii. 2.) we must conceive it 
was God the Father who spake those words, who had called 
Barnabas and Saul, and to whom they were to be separated ; 
but because God did all this by that power within him, which 
is his Spirit, therefore those words and actions are attributed 
to the Holi/ Ghost. This is the sum of their answer; and more 
than this I conceive cannot be said in answer to that argument 
which we urge from those personal expressions attributed to 
the Spirit of God, and, as we believe, as to a person. 

But this answer is most apparently insufficient, as giving no 
satisfaction to the argument. For if all the personal actions, 
attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit, might proceed from 
the person of God the Father, according to the power which is 
in him, then might this answer seem satisfactory : but if these 
actions be personal, as they are acknowledged, and cannot be 
denied ; if the same cannot be attributed to the person of God 
the Father, whose Spirit it is ; if he cannot be said to do that 
by the power within him, which is said to be done by the 
Holj/ Ghost; then is that defence not to be defended, then 
must the Holt/ Ghost be acknowledged a person. But I shall 
clearly prove, that there are several personal attributes given 
in the sacred Scriptures expressly to the Holi/ Ghost, which 
cannot be ascribed to God the Father; which God the Father, 
by that power which is in him, cannot be said to do ; and con- 
sequently cannot be any ground why those attributes should 
be given to the Spirit if it be not a person. 

To make intercession is a personal action, and this action is 
attributed to the Spirit of God, " because he maketh interces- 
sion for the saints according to the will of God.'' (Rom. 
viii. 27.) But to make intercession, is not an act which can be 
attributed to God the Father, neither can he be said to inter- 
cede for us according to that power which is in him ; and there- 
fore this can be no Prosopopceia ; the Holi/ Ghost cannot be 
said to exercise the personal action of intercession, for that 
reason, because it is the Spirit of that person which intercedeth 
for us. To come unto men, as being sent unto them, is a per- 
sonal action ; and so the Comforter, or Advocate, who is the 
Holy Ghost, did come, being sent ; " when the Comforter is 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 467 



come whom I will send you from the Father," (John xv. 26.) 
saith Christ: and again, If I go not away, the Comforter will 
not come unto you ; but if I depart, I will send him to you." 
(John xvi. 7.) But to come unto men, as being sent, cannot 
be ascribed to God the Father who sendeth, but is never sent ; 
especially in this particular, in which the Father is said ex- 
pressly to send, and that in the name of the Son (" whom the 
Father will send in my name," saith our Saviour. John xiv. 26.) 
When therefore the Holi/ Ghost cometh to the sons of men, as 
sent by the Father in the name of the Son, and sent by the 
Son himself, this personal action cannot be attributed to the 
Father as working by the power within him, and consequently 
cannot ground a Prosopopoeia, by which the virtue or power 
of God the Father shall be said to do it. To speak and hear 
are personal actions, and both together attributed to the Spirit, 
in such a manner as they cannot be ascribed to God the Fa- 
ther. " When he (saith Christ), the Spirit of truth, is come, 
he will guide you into all truth : for he shall not speak of him- 
self: but whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall speak." 
(John xvi. 13.) Now to speak, and not of himself, cannot be 
attributed to God the Father, who doth all things of himself ; 
to speak what he heareth, and that of the Son; to deliver what 
he receiveth from another, and to glorify him from whom he 
receiveth by receiving from him, as Christ speaketh of the 
Holy Ghost, He shall glorify me, for he shall receive of mine, 
and shew it to you," (John xvi. 14.) is by no means applicable 
to the Father; and consequently it cannot be true that the 
Holy Ghost is therefore said to do these personal actions, be- 
cause that person whose spirit the Holy Ghost is, doth those 
actions, by and according to his own power, which is the Holy 
Ghost, It remaineth therefore, that the answer given by the 
adversaries of this truth is apparently insufficient, and conse- 
quently that our argument, drawn from the personal actions 
attributed in the Scriptures to the Spirit, is sound and valid. 

I thought this discourse had fully destroyed the Socinian 
Prosopopoeia; and indeed as they ordinarily propound their 
answer, it is abundantly refuted. But I find the subtilty of 
Socinus prepared another explication of the Prosopopoeia,* 

* ' Credo me satis ostendisse, Spiritum Spiritui S. Dei actio tribuatur : sin autem 

S. non esse personam, non magis quam haec virtus et efficacia Dei consideratur, 

alicB vel proprietates, vel efFecta Dei, sint et accipitur, ut res in quibus agit, ab ipsa 

personae, cum nihil sit aliud quam pecu- afficiuntur, utrique isti figuras similiter ap- 

iiaris quaedam virtus et efficacia Dei ; tissimus est locus ; quandoquidem com- 

quae si, ut ipsius Dei proprietas, et vis modissime per Metonymiam is qui a Spi- 

per quam agit, consideratur et accipitur, ritu S. aliquo modo afFectus quidpiam 

figurae Metonymies aut Prosopopoeiae ac- agit, quatenus id agit, Spiritus S, seu 

commodatissimus est locus : et Metony- Spiritus Dei metonymice dici poteBt 5 ut 

miae quidem, si Spiritus S. nomine ipse factum est apud Paulum, cum ait (1 Cor. 

Deus, cujus est spiritus, quique per eum ii. 10.) Spiritum (sub. Dei) omnia scru- 

agit, significetur ; ProsopopcEiae vero, ut tar i, etiam profunda Dei : ubj Spiritus Dei 

quando Deus per Spiritum S. agit, ipsi nomine sine dubio intellexit liominem 

2 H 2 



468 



ARTICLE VIII. 



to supply the room where he foresaw the former would not serve. 
Which double figure he groundeth upon this distinction : The 
Spirit, that is, the power of God, saith he, may be considered 
either as a propriety and power in God, or as the things on 
which it worketh are affected with it. If it be considered in 
the first notion, then if any personal attribute be giTen to the 
Spirit, the Spirit is there taken for God, and by the Spirit God 
is signified : if it be considered in the second notion, then if 
any personal attribute be given to the Spirit, the Spirit is taken 
for that man in which it worketh ; and that man, affected with 
it, is called the Spirit of God. 

So that now we must not only shew that such things which 
are attributed to the Holy Ghost cannot be spoken of the Fa- 
ther ; but we must also prove that they cannot be attributed 
unto man, in whom the Spirit worketh from the Father : and 
this also will be very easily and evidently proved. The Holy 
Ghost is said to come unto the apostles as sent by the Father 
and the Son, and to come as so sent is a personal action, 
which we have already shewn cannot be the action of the Fa- 
ther, who sent the Spirit ; and it is as certain that it cannot 
be the action of an apostle who was affected with the Spirit 
which was sent, except we can say that the Father and the Son 
did send St. Peter an Advocate to St. Peter ; and St. Peter, 
being sent by the Father and the Son, did come unto St. Peter. 
Again, our Saviour speaking of the Holy Ghost saith, " He 
shall receive of mine therefore the Holy Ghost in that place 
is not taken for the Father; " and shew it unto you," therefore 
he is not taken for an apostle: in that he receiveth, the first 
Socinian Prosopopoeia is improper; in that he sheweth to the 
apostle, the second is absurd. The Holy Ghost then is de- 
scribed as a person distinct from the person of the Father, 
whose power he is, and distinct from the person of the apostle 
in whom he worketh, and consequently neither of the Socinian 
figures can evacuate or enervate the doctrine of his proper and 
peculiar personality. 

Secondly, For those attributes or expressions used of the 
Holy Ghost in the sacred Scriptures, and pretended to be re- 
pugnant to the nature of a person, either they are not so repug- 
nant, or, if they be, they belong unto the Spirit, as itsignifieth 
not the person, but the gifts or effects of the Spirit. They tell 
us that the Spirit is given, and that sometimes in measure, 
sometimes without measure that the Spirit is poured out, 

Spiritu Dei praditum, quatenus, viz. ab ea quae Spiritui S. in Scripturis attri- 

isto Spiritu afficitur. Jam per Prosopo- buuntur, nulla prorsus ratione Personae 

poeiam ipsi Spiritui S. actionem tribui, conveniant, ut sunt, quod detur, quod ex 

quae ipsius Spiritus ope ab homine fiat, eo detur, idque aut secundum mensuram 

adeo est proclive ut nihil magis.' F. Socin. aut absque omni mensura, quod effundatur 

in Resp. ad Wiek. e. 10. ipse et ex ipso effundatur, et quod eo po- 

• • Spiritum S. non esse Deitatis Per- tentur homines, quod augeatur, quod in 

sonam hinc discere potes ; primum quod duplo detur, in partes distribuatur, tol- 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



469 



and that men do drink of it, and are filled with it ; that it is 
doubled and distributed, and something is taken from it ; and 
that sometimes it is distinguished : and from thence they ga- 
ther, that the Holy Ghost is not a person, because these expres- 
sions are inconsistent with personality. But a satisfactory 
answer is easily returned to this objection. It is true, that 
God is said to have " given the Holy Ghost to them that obey 
him (Acts v. 32.) but it is as true that a person maybe given: 
so we read in the prophet Isaiah, " unto us a son is given 
(Isa. ix. 6.) and we are assured that " God so loved the world, 
that he gave his only-begotten Son," (John iii. 16.) and cer- 
tainly the Son of God is a person. And if all the rest of the 
expressions be such as they pretend, that is, not proper to a 
person ; yet do they no way prejudice the truth of our asser- 
tion, because we acknowledge the effects and operations of the 
Spirit to have in the Scriptures the name of the Spirit, who is 
the cause of these operations. And being to that Spirit, as 
the cause, we have already shewn those attributes to be given 
whicli can agree to nothing but a person ; we therefore con- 
clude against the Socinians and the Jews, that the Holy Ghost 
is not a quality, but a person ;* which is our first assertion. 

Our second assertion is. That the Holy Ghost, in whose name 
we are baptized, and in whom we profess to believe, is not a 
created, but a divine and uncreated person. And for the proof 
of this assertion, we shall first make use of that argument which 
our adversaries have put into our hands. The Spirit of God 
which is in God is not a created person ; but the Holy Ghost 
is the Spirit of God which is in God, and therefore not a 
created person. This argument is raised from those words of 
the apostle, ** For what man knoweth the things of a man save 
the spirit of a man which is in him ; even so the things of God 
knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God." (1 Cor. ii. 11.) That 
this Spirit of God is the Holy Ghost, I find denied by none : that 
the same Spirit is in God, appeareth by the apostle's discourse, 
and is granted by the Socinians :f that it is so the Spirit of God, 



latur ipse et ex ipso tollatur j et similia in 
Scripturis exstant..' Catech. Racov. c. 6. 
QucEst. 12. 

* The opinion of the Jews was. that 
the Holy Ghost was nothing else but the 
afflatus, or energy of God ; and therefore 
they which denied the substantiality of 
the Spirit were looked upon as symboliz- 
ing with the Jews in this particular. 
' Lactantius in libris suis, et maxime in 
Epistolis ad Demetrianum, Spiritus S. 
omnino negat substantium ; et errore Ju- 
daico dicit eum vel ad Patrem referri, vel 
ad Filium, et sanctificationem utriusque 
Personae sub ejus nomine demonstrari.' 
5. Hieron. ep. 65. al. 41. Moses Mai- 
monides sufficiently declareth the opinion 



of the Jews, who delivering the several 
significations of rm, maketh the fifth and 
sixth to be these : ' Quinto significat in- 
lluentiam illam intellectualem divinam a 
Deo Prophetis instillatam, cujus virtute 
prophetant. Sexto significat Propositum, 
et Voluntatem.' And then concludes : 
* Vox haec nn quando Deo attribuitur, 
ubique sumitur partim in quinta, partim in 
sexta significatione, quatenus voluntatem 
significat.' More Nevochim. p. I.e. 40. 

t The Socinians, endeavouring to prove 
from this place that the Holy Ghost is 
not a person, lay the foundation of their 
argument in this, That he is the Spirit of 
God, and by nature in God, so that those 
things which are proper to the Divine na- 



410 



ARTICLE Vlll. 



and so by nature in God that it cannot be a creature, is granted 
by the same. It followeth therefore undeniably that the Holt/ 
Ghost is no created person, inasmuch as that cannot be a 
created jDerson, which hath not a created nature ; and that can 
neither have nor be a created nature, which by nature is in 
God. Wherefore although it be replied by others, that it is not 
said in the text that the Spirit is in God, yet our adversaries' 
reason overweighs their negative observation ; and it availeth 
little to say that it is not expressed, which must be acknow- 
ledged to be understood. The Holi/ Ghost then is a person (as 
I have proved), and is not of a nature distinguished from that 
which is in God (as is confessed, and only denied to be in God, 
because it is not said so when it is implied); therefore he is no 
created person. 

Secondly, The Holj/ Ghost is such a one as against whom a 
sin may be committed, and when it is so, cannot be remitted. 
But if he were no person, we could not commit that sin against 
him ; and if he were a created person, the sin committed 
against him could not be irremissible : therefore he is a person 
and that uncreated. The argument is grounded upon the 
words of our Saviour, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall 
be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy 
Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speak- 
eth a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him : 
but whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost, it shall 
not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world 
to come.'' (Matt. xii. 31, 32.)=^ By which words it appeareth 



ture are attributed and belong to him, 
and because there is another person in the 
divine essence, and, as they say, there 
can be but one, therefore the Holy Ghost 
is not a person. • Deinde idem (sc. Spi- 
ritum S. non esse Personam) ex eo patet, 
quod non sit extra Deum natura sed in 
ipso Deo* Nisi enim natura Deo inesset, 
non potuisset Paulus Spiritum Dei cum 
spiritu hominis qui homini inest natura 
conferre, idque eo in loco, (1 Cor. ii. 11.) 
ubi ait, Qitfs homimnn novit quce, sunt ho- 
minis nisi spiritus hominis qui est in hominel 
Ita qucE sunt Dei nemo novit nisi Spiritus 
Dei. Quoniara vero Spiritus S. in Deo 
est, nec tamen in Spiritu S. reciproce dici 
potest esse Deum, hinc apparet Spiritum 
S. non esse Personam. Prasterea cum 
superius demonstratum sit unam tantum 
esse in Deitate personam, et Spiritus S. 
sit Dei virtus, ut verba Christi ad Apo- 
stolos indicant, (Luc. xxiv. 49.) efficitur 
Spiritum S. non esse personam divinam. 
Denique si Spiritus S. esset persona, es- 
sentiam quoque divinam eum habere 
oporteret. JMam ea attribuuntur illi quae 
propria sunt essentiae divinse : at superius 
docuimus substantiam divinam unam esse 



numero, nec tribus personis esse posse 
communem. Quamobrem Spiritum non 
esse Deitatis personam planum est.' 
Catech, Racovian, c. 6. To the same pur- 
pose doth Socinus argue against Wiekus, 
that the nature of the Spirit is the nature 
of God, and that the Spirit cannot there- 
fore be a person, because there can be 
but one person in the nature of God. 
Whereas therefore independently from 
this place we have proved, that the Holy 
Spirit is a person ; and from this place 
have inferred with them, that the same 
Spirit is in God, and of the Divine na- 
ture, it followeth, that he is no created 
Spirit, inasmuch as nothing in the divine 
nature can be created. 

* ' Quomodo audent inter omnia nu- 
merare Spiritum S., quando ipse Dominus 
dixerit, Qui blasphemaverit in Filium ho- 
minis, remittetur ei ; qui antem blasphema- 
vei'it in Spiritum S., nec hie nec infuturum 
remittetur ei. Quomodo igitur inter crea- 
turas audet quisquam Spiritum compu- 
tare 1 Aut quis sic se obligat, ut si crea- 
turae derogaverit, non putet sibi hoc ali- 
qua venia relaxandum.' S. Ambros. de 
Spiritu S, h i. c. 3. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



471 



there is a sin or blasphemy against the Holif Ghost distinct 
from all other sins and blasphemies committed against God 
the Father, or the Son of God ; that this sin hath an aggrava- 
tion added unto it, beyond other sins and blasphemies : but 
if the Holy Spirit were no person, the sin could not be distinct 
from those sins which are committed against him whose Spirit 
he is ; and if he were a person created, the sin could receive 
no such aggravation beyond other sins and blasphemies. 

To this they answer, that the sin against the Holy Ghost is 
not therefore unpardonable, because he is God, which is not 
to our purpose ; but they do not, cannot, shew that it can be 
unpardonable, if he were not God. It is not therefore simply, 
and for no other reason unpardonable, because that person is 
God against whom it is committed : for if so, then any sin 
committed against that person which is God, would be un- 
pardonable; which is false. But that sin, which is particularly 
called blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is a sin against God, 
and in such a manner aggravated, as makes it irremissible ; 
of which aggravation it were incapable, if the Spirit were 
not God. 

Thirdly, Every created person was made by the Son of God 
as God, and is now put under the feet of the Son of God as 
man. But the Spirit of God was not made by the Son of God, 
nor is he now put under the feet of the Son of man. Therefore 
the Spirit of God can be no created person. " All things were 
made by the Word, and without him was not any thing made 
that was made (John i.3.) therefore every created person was 
made by the Word. God hath put all things under the feet 
of Christ; and when he saith all things are put under him, it 
is manifest that he is excepted which did put all things under 
him (1 Cor. xv. 27.) and being none is excepted beside God, 
every created person must be under the feet of the Son of man. 
But the Spirit of God in the beginning, was not made, yea 
rather in the beginning made the World, as Job speaks of God, 
" By his Spirit he hath garnished the heavens (Job xxvi. 
13.)=^' nor is he under the feet of Christ, now set down at the 



* Those which anciently did believe 
the Spirit of God to be a created person, 
did also teach that he was made by the 
Son, as Epiphanius testifieth of the Arians: 
n<xvTt toSto S^^Xov Hfl-Ttv, oTi 0 [xciKoy OV(Tl TOU? 
ayyiXovi; viro rov Tlov yiyovkvai, teal ya§ nal 
TFEfi TOV nvsu^uaro? BXai3-<pr]fAovai xat ToXfxSiai 
Xej/siv KiHTicrQai liiTo tov Tloy. H(zr. Ixix. 
§. 52. * Ariani ab Ario, in eo sunt no- 
tissimi errore, quo Patrem et Filiura et 
Spiritum nolunt esse unius ejusdemque 
naturae, sed esse Filium creaturam, Spi- 
ritum vero S. creaturam creaturae, hoc est, 
ab ipso Filio creatum volunt.' S. Angvst. 
Hsr. 49. As Euscbins : To ntapaiCk-^Tov 
Ayioy Tlvivy.a, ovTt ®ioq, o'dri Tlog, tirei fxh 



Ik tov Uar^og ofAoioog tm YliS nal avro Triv 
ymnciv a'i'Kr]<piv, h SI ti txv Sta tov Tlov 
yEvofA,svaiv Tuyp^avet, on S'e mavTo, ^i' avTov 
iyiviTO, Koi p^«pi? avTov lyiviro ovSs h. De 
Eccl. Theol. 1. iii. c. 6. 'O Se Tlog /uovoi; 
israrpixri 0eoT>)Tj TiTifxrifxivoi;, 'nromriKcg av 
sh xal ^tifA,iovpyriTixog Trig tmV yEvvijTxV airav- 
TCOV opctTooV TS Kdl uo^aTOiV, Kcil S"n Xal aLrrig 
tS; tov Trapaa'KtiTOV IlvivfxaTOi vTTa^^eoog' 
TravTct ya^ Si' avTOv lykviTO, not "XJ^pii; avTOv 
lyiuTo ooSi I'v. Ibid. Where it is worth 
our observation, that Eusebius citing the 
place of St. John, to prove that the Holy 
Ghost was made by the Son, leaves out 
those words twice together, by which the 
Catholics used to refute that heresy of 



472 



ARTICLE Vlll. 



right hand of God, who with supreme authority, together With 
the Father, sent the prophets ; as Isaiah testifieth, saying, 
" Now the Lord God and his Spirit hath sent me (xlviii. 16.) 
and with the same authority, since the exaltation of our Sa- 
viour, sent forth such as were separated to himself, as appear- 
eth in the case of Barnabas and Saul, and with the same au- 
thority giveth all spiritual gifts,* '* dividing to every man se- 
verally as he will;'* (1 Cor. xii. IL) so that in the kingdom 
of Christ all things are done by the power of the Spirit of 
God.'' (Rom. XV. 19.) 

Fourthly, He, by whose operation Christ was conceived in 
the womb of the Virgin, was no created person ; for by virtue 
of that conception he was called the Son of God ; whereas if 
a creature had been the cause of his conception, he had been 
in that respect the son of a creature ; nay, according to the 
adversaries' principles, he had taken upon him the nature of 
angels. But the Holi^ Ghost it was by whose operation Christ 
was conceived in the womb of a virgin. For it was an angel 
that said to Mary (not that an angel, but that) " the Holy 
Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall 
overshadow thee ; therefore also that holy thing which shall 
be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God." (Luke i. 35.) 
Therefore the Spirit of God is no created person ; which is our 
second assertion against the ancient, but newly-revived heresy 
of the Arians and Macedonians.! 



the Arians, viz. o yeyonv. All things 
which were made, were made by the Son, 
but the Holy Ghost was not amongst 
them, a yiyovBV, which were made, and 
therefore was not made by the Son. To 
Ayiov yk^ UvBvfxa Hria-fxa TraXjv ynia fxatoq 
<pctaiv bTvch, Sja to, Sta toS tlou ra Travra 
ysysvyja-Qai, wq bI'stbv h y^a<^ri, aa-w'srocq rivaq 
5(a^7ra^ovT£j* ou iia^cin; sI'gJjTai to p^jTov 'iy^ovrBq, 
aXXa KctAZq vTrovoovvTSq, Hal a-aro pnrou to 
v.a'kZg Bl§r)/xiVov xara, rriV KaHhv avraiv Imo- 
voiav fxsds^fXKt/SvovTBq' ol yap to QbTov Evayyi- 

XtOVTTSpt ToS UvBVfjl,enoqB<^n, aWa TTIgt TTaVTOW 

tZv y.iiiris-ju.Bva}v, on £t T; )tri<rrov, Sja rou 
Aoyov yByhnrai, ml vtto tou Aoyov to, ya^ 
Travra h' avrov lyBVBTO, Hal X^oi^l? avTOU 
ByBvETo ol^B Ev, 7rag£>tT£ivo,a£v»? Tvq avayvcti- 
atouq, B)(^Bi, 0 yiyouv, I'va ovro} y^MO-B^, oti 
iraVTa St' avToZ lyivBro, Ha'i x,'^elq avTov lyi- 
VETo ov^B sv. S. Epiphan. Hcer. Ixix. §. 56. 

* TavTa 'wavra BVE^yeT to ev Kal to avTo 
Uvevfxa, ^laipovv ISia BKaartt) Ka'booq ^ouXsrai. 
Kadobq /SoyXETai <f)H3-tv, ovHaQibq Tt^oaTaTTBTai' 
^iaipoZv, ou ^icLi^ovfA-Bvov avBiVTouv, ovk av^Bv- 
Ti'a vTroHsifABvov rhv ya^ aWnv l^ovg-iav, riwBp 
■ffxaprv^tio'B t3> riaTft, TavTnv aai tS> ayicis 
tlvBvfxaTi ava-TiBria-iv o TlaZ'Koq' Hal uij-iTB^ itri 
TOU YlaTBoq <f»)ir(V, 'O H ®Boq \ttiv i he^yZv 
Ti TraVTa Iv TTacriv ovtw v.aX Itti tou ayicu 
TlvBvfj,ctToq, Tavra Si TFavTa, (p>j(rlv, Ivt^yiX to 
I'v Jtat TO avTo TLvBufxa, ^lAipuv JSi'a knao-rui, 



Ha&ftjf (SouXBTai' tt^eq ar/rn^Tiff-fxBvny l^ovciaj; 
(tiV ya^ h oLa-ia [xia, SnXov xal oti h avbBvrUt 
fji.ia.' Ka\ div WoTifxoq h a^itt, tovtcdv Hal h 
$6va/xiq xal h s^ovcria fxia. S. Chrysost. de 
Sanct. Pentecost. Horn. ii. t. v. p. 10. 

t This express notion of the Spirit of 
God, that he was a person, as a minis- 
tering Spirit, and created, was acknow- 
ledged the doctrine of the Arians, as may 
appear out of the former testimonies, and 
is evident by those which followed his 
opinions. Which being of two kinds, the 
Anomeans, or pure Arians (such as were 
Aetius, Eunomiiis, and lEudoxius), and 
the Homoousians or Semi-Ariaus (such 
as Eusebius and Macedonius), they both 
alike denied the Divinity, and as- 
serted the creation of the Holy Ghost. 
The opinion of the Anomeans is clear out 
of the words of Eunomius, who very sub- 
tilly delivered it, as if it had been the 
opinion of the ancients : T^jv tZv ayim 
h airaa-i (pvXaa-a-ovTBq StSao-xaXtav, 7r«g' Sv 
•tplTOV avTO a^ixfxaTi xai ra^Bi [xaBovTBq, 
TfiTov ilvai Hal Tn <^v&Bi ttB'rrid-TBvKafxBV. S. 
Basil, contra Eunom. 1. iii. 1. The con- 
fession of the ancients was, that the Holy 
Ghost was the third person in the Trinity 
in order and dignity ; and Eunomius pre- 
tending to follow them, added, that he 
was also third in nature ; which the an- 



1 BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



473 



Our third assertion is that which necessarily followeth from 
the former two, that the Spirit of God, in whose name we are 
baptized, and in whom we profess to believe, is properly and 
truly God. For if he be a person, as we have proved in the 
declaration of our first assertion ; if he be a person not created, 
as we have demonstrated in the corroboration of the second 
assertion : then must he of necessity be acknowledged to be 
God, because there is no uncreated essence beside the essence 
of the one eternal God. And there is this great felicity in the 
laying of this third assertion, that it is not proved only by the 
two precedent assertions, but also by the adversaries of them 
both. He which denies the first, that is, the Socinian, affirms 
that the Spirit of God is in God, and is the eternal and omni- 
potent power of God ; he which denies the second, that is, 
the Macedonian, asserts that he is a person of an intellectual 
nature subsisting ; but whatsoever is a person subsisting of 



cients never taught. And what this third 
in nature was, he thus declared : Tfirov 
Va^si KOI <pva-£i,7r^oa-rayixari fXBvrov UaT^ot;, 
ive^ysU Je too Yluv yevofxevov r^Lrn 'Xji'ia. 
tiixasfxtvav, a>g v^mtov Kal fxeX^ov aTravrm, 
xai fxowv ToiovTQi^ TOV fxovoysvovi vr'AKfAa, 
^Bornrog Kal Jn^toofyJit^? ^uvafxeoog awoXst- 
TTOfxevov. Ibid. §. 5. And again : 'Eav 
fxh jiTiVjUtt Eo-Tiv, ovKOuv yivvtifxa h ayivmrov 
ttg §■£ ava^x^og ©so? Kal aymnrog' ovts fxhv 
ysmfxa' XeiVhtch oSv Kria-fxa Kal nomfxa 
avro ovofxa^ea-Qai. Ibid. §. 6. So Gregory 
Nyssen repeats the words of the same 
Eunomius : Hitmvofxiv tlq tov riapaxXnTov 
yEVo^evov alto tov fMOVov ®£oo tia too |M.ovoj/£Voo?, 
and declares that their ordinary language 
was avrl TOO ayiov Tlnvfxaroi; KTia-fx-a Kti- 
o-fxaToq Kal 'i^yov i^you ovofxa^stv. Orat. 1. 
cont. Ennorn. p. 485—7. Besides these, 
the Semi-Arians, and some of those 
which were orthodox as to the Divinity 
of the Son, were of the same heresy as 
to the nature of the Holy Ghost, and 
therefore were called nvBVfxarofxaxoi (as 
Epiphanius derives them in the descrip- 
tion of that heresy, amo 'HfAia^sioDV Kal 
aTTo 'O^QoSo^m, Hcer. Ixxiv. §. 1.), and 
afterward Macedoniani. ' Macedoniani 
sunt a Macedonio Constantinopolitanae 
Ecclesiffi Episcopo, quos et Uvevfxaro- 
[xaxpvi; Grfeci dicunt, eo quod de Spiritu 
S. litigent. Nam de Patre et Filio recte 
sentiunt, quod unius sint ejusdemque sub- 
stantias vel essentia?, sed de Spiritu S. 
hoc nolunt credere, creaturam eum esse 
dicentes,'' S. August. Hceres. 52. This 
heresy was first condemned by the Coun- 
cil of Alexandria : "Ev&a to "Ayiov Uvsvfxa 
bBo\oyr](ravrBg, Tn ofAOova-ta) TpjaSt ff-vvave- 
\afx$avovro. Socrat. 1. iii. c. 7. After- 
ward, by the Council held in Illyricum : 
'HfAtii; Se <pfovovfA.BV cuj Kal al 2,6vo^oi vuv ri ti 



Kara 'Pm/xkv xal h Kara FaWiav, fxiav tTvai 
Kal TTiv avTnv oviriav tou Ylar^og, Kal tov Tioo, 
Kal TOV ayiov ITvEO/uaTof Iv Tgiirt 7r;0«r«7rotf, 
toutIo-tiv Iv T^ia-l TiXdaiq vTros-Taosa-i. Apud. 
Tneodoret. Hist. Eccl. 1. iv. c. 8. The 
Synod held at Rome with the Galilean 
bishops under Damasus ; "si<rT£ tov UaTEpa 
Kal TOV Yiov fxiai ovaiag, fxiag Steothto;, fxiat; 
ap£T>]f, fxiaq Sova//C£flyf, Kal Ivo? p(^apaxT?gof 
TriaTSvea-^ai p^^pn, Kal t?? alrtig vmoa-Taa-ioK; 
Kal oha-iaq Kal to Uvivfxa to ayiov, Apud 
Tlieodoret. 1. ii. c. Another Synod 

held under the same Damasus at Rome : 
El' Tig bIttoi to nvEDjua to ayiov 'aTo'infxa h ^la 
TOV Tiov yByBvviT^ai, ava^Bfxa bo-tui. Apud. 
Tlieodoret. 1. v. c. 11. After and upon 
these particular Synods this heresy was 
fully condemned in the second general 
Council held at Constantinople, in which 
these words were added to the Nicene 
Creed : Kal bU to UvBufxa to ayiov, to Kvpiov, 

TO ^(WOTTOJOV, TO BK TOV IlaTpOJ B KIT O^BV 6 fA BV OV , 

Kal a-vv TlaT^l Kal TIm (rvfx,7r^oa-KvvovfA.evov, to 
Ka'Kricrav Sia tZv 7r^o<pr)Toov. And in the first 
Canon mentioning the heresy condemned 
expressly by the Council, they name : 
l^iKcLg rhv tmv Evvofxiavoov, ttTow 'Avo/xoiauv, 
Kal rhv Twv 'AgEtavatv, eI'toov EoJo|iav2v, Kal 
TYiv Txv 'HfJiia^Biavoov, nyow nysvfA.aTOfjt,a^oov. 
And thus the heresy of Macedonius, 
who made the Holy Ghost a created per- 
son, was condemned by the second ge- 
neral Council ; Goto? S« ovv o t£po<:})ttVTtjj 
X°?o<: MaxfiSo'vjo'v Tiva, tov Koavs-TavTiVoTToXEa;? 
S'fovov apnayfjta waXai irotna-afxBvov, on to 
icavayiov jtat ^(wa^p^txoV ESu<r<j>)ijUE{ TivBvfxa, 
ivbvvag B^iKaiov SoSvaf <wj Kal "A^Biof Kara 
"tov Tlov, ovToo Koi avToq JcaTa TCavayiov 
TTa^araTTOfXBVog nvsvfxttTog, slg SouXoo? Kal 
vTm^BTai; rhv SEawoTiKw Kal tiTre^KsifxBvnv 
avrov a-vviram Kv^iornra. Photius, Epist. i. 
§. 10. 



174 



ARTICLE VIII. 



eternal and omnipotent power, must be acknowledged to be 
God. Whether therefore we look upon the truth of our as- 
sertions, or whether we consider the happiness of their nega- 
tions, the conclusion is, that the Holy Ghost is God. 

But were there nothing, which is already said, demonstrated, 
there is enough written in the Word of God to assure us of the 
Deity of the Holy Ghost, to make us undoubtedly believe that 
the Spirit of God is God. It is written by Moses, that " when 
he went in before the Lord to speak with him, he took the veil 
off, until he came out." (Exod. xxxiv. 34.) And that Lord, 
with whom Moses spake, was the one Jehovah, the God of 
heaven and earth. But we are assured that the Spirit was and 
is that Lord to which Moses spake ; for the apostle hath taught 
us so much by his own interpretation, saying, ** Even unto 
this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. 
Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be 
taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit." (2Cor.iii. 15 — 17.) 
The Spirit is here so plainly said to be the Lord, that is, Je- 
hovah, the one eternal God, that the adversaries of this truth 
must either deny that the Lord is here to be taken for God, or, 
that the Spirit is to be taken for the Spirit of God : either of 
which denials must seem very strange to any person, who con- 
sidereth the force and plainness of the apostle's discourse. 

But indeed they are so ready to deny any thing, that they 
will by no means acknowledge either the one or the other : 
but the Lord must be something which is not God, and the 
Spirit must be something which is not the Spirit of God : and 
then they conclude the argument is of no force, and may as 
well conclude the apostle's interpretation hath no sense. The 
Lord, they say, is Christ, and not God ; for Christ, they say, 
is not God : the Spirit, they say, is the mystery of the Law, or 
the hidden sense of it, and that every one knows is not the 
Spirit of God, But we are assured that the apostle did mean 
by the Spirit, the Spirit of God, not the sense of the Law ; for 
he addeth immediately, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there 
is liberty and the sense of the Law is never called the Spirit 
of the Lord. Nay, were it not that the coherence of the dis- 
course did satisfy us ; yet the objection ought not at all to 
move us : for the name of Spirit, in those places mentioned by 
them to signify the sense of the Law, hath no aflSnity with this, 
according to their own way of argumentation : for it is never 
so taken with the emphasis of an article,* and put in the place 



* The places alleged by them are 
these : n£«tTO|aii xag^ia? Iv UvevfAan, ov 
y^i/xfxaTi. Rom. ii. i!9. ^SIo-ts ^ovMOsiv 
hfxag Iv XflfvoTUTi msufActroi;, Kal ov naXaio- 
T»T{ y^afxixaTog. Rom. vii. 6. "Hth; aaXet- 
Tai msvfxdTiiiMi l.oto[j.a. nai AiyuTrroj. Rev. 
xi. 8. One of these places speaks only 
adverbially, the other two have TtuvfAa in 



obliqnn ; and one of those two have it cum 
udjuncto, both of them cum opposite, none 
of them cum articulo, none of them are in 
loco subjecti, or pradicati ; and therefore 
how any of these can shew, that to <rTHvfA.a 
in this place by us urged, invested with 
an article, standing in the place either of 
a complete subject, or a touiplete predi- 



1 BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



475 



either of an entire subject or a predicate in a proposition, ex- 
cept by way of opposition ; and one of those it must of ne- 
cessity be, in the words of the apostle, " now the Lord is the 
Spirit," and that without the least intimation of any opposition. 

Again, we are assured that by the Lord the apostle did un- 
derstand the eternal God ; for he speaketh of the same Lord 
which he mentioned in the verse before, and that is the Lord 
God spoken of in the Book of Exodus; of which except the 
apostle speaks, his argument hath neither inference nor cohe^ 
rence. In vain therefore is this pretended for an answer, that 
the apostle by the Lord doth always, unless he cite some place 
but of the old Covenant, understand Christ; for in this parti- 
cular he citeth a certain place out of the Book of Exodus, ^'^ 
and useth the name of the Lord in the same notion in which 
there it is used, framing an argument and urging it from thence; 
and if he did not, that rule is not so universal and infallible,^ 
but that the Lord in the language of the same apostle may not 
signify the second, but the first or third person of the Trinity. 
If then the Lord be the eternal God, as the apostle without 
any question understood him in Moses ; if the Spirit be the 



cate, with nothing adjoined, nothing op- 
posed unto it, must be taken in the same 
sense with them, I cannot imagine. In 
the sixth verse of this chapter (2 Cor. iii.) 
indeed i), is the subject of a proposition, 
and invested with an article ; but that is 
an article of opposition : To ykf y^diAfj^a, 
ivoiirsivsi , TO H mivfxct ^^cDOTtoiBi- and this 
not. Howsoever, in that sense objected, 
it neither agrees with the words before 
it, nor with those which follow it. 

* The words in Exodus were these, 
xxxiv. 34. 'Hvtxa Se av zla-iiropzviro MMVcrriq 
gWvTf KvpUu Xa7\.£~v avrS, ift^i-n^iiro to kcL- 
'KvfAfxa' which are thus made use of by 
the apostle : hvUa Se av iTria-rpe^ri Tr^oj 
Kvpiov, m^iai^siTui TO )cd\vfAfA,a. Kvfiog 
then is here used by St. Paul citing some 
place out of the old covenant, and the 
words which follow, 'O S"£ Kugio?, signify 
the same Kilgtof, a.s appeareth by the con- 
junction Se : and if so, then according to 
the doctrine of our adversaries, it cannot 
signify Christ. For that the Lord of 
whom Moses spake, was then when Moses 
wrote ; but that Christ of which they in- 
terpret it, was not then, as they teach; 
therefore that Lord cannot be Christ, in 
their interpretation, without a contradic- 
tion. 

t For though Christ be most frequently 
called our Lord, yet being God the Father 
of Christ is our Lord, being o Kv^iog is 
often used by St. Paul without any re- 
striction or intimation of appropriating 
that act unto the Son, which is attributed 
to the Lord by him, the rule cannot be 



certain and universal. For I desire to 
know by what means they can be assured 
that the apostle doth by the title o Ku^io? 
intend Christ, and not the most high God 
the Father, in these following places : 
1 Cor. iii. 5. iv. 19. vii. 10. VI. xvi. 7. 

1 Thess. iv. 6. v. 27. 2 Thess. iii. 1. 5. 16. 

2 Tim. i. 16. 18. ii. 7. And beside, I 
ask how the pretence of this general rule 
can be properly objected by those who 
know that they, to whom they do object 
this rule, have contended that this title 
is elsewhere attributed to the Holy Ghost. 
As St. Basil upon that place, 2 Thess. 
iii. 3. 'O Se Kv^ioi xarBv^vvai vfj(.Zv rag 
JtixgSiflf Elf Tr,v ayaTTnv rou Obov, nat e'? rhv 
iiTTOjUovw TOV XfifTToy, thus disputes : Ti? o 
narivQvvciov Kugjo? Etc rhv rev ®£ov aydinv, 
Kai £15 rhv vTtl^ roov S^^'^|/E(wv toD XpjtTTOu 
vnofxovhv ; aTroKpivda-Qooa-av hfxTv cl to Tlvsvfxa 
y.ara^ov'KcvfA.ivoi. EI'te yap irip\ rov Tlar^og 
0 7\oyo<;, irdvroii; av zipriro, o Je Kupwf u,«af 
nartu^vvai eI? rhv lavrov aydirnv eI'tE TTEft 
Toy Tlov, ir^oa-SKSiro av, Et; rhv savrov vtto- 
fxovhv f^vrsirooa-av obv rl l^riv dWo frpoa-caTrov, 
0 T? ir^oanyopia. rov K.u^iou rifjiaa-^ai a^iov. 
Aud upon the like place, 1 Thess. iii. 
12, 13. IToTov Kuptov iv')(Srai 'ifXTT^oiT^BV rou 
®sov xal ITttTfoj hfji,oov Iv rri 'rra^ovyla rov 
Kv^iov hfjiZv, afxifXTTrovq rag napliag icrrn^i- 
yfxkvag Iv ayixavvn raiv Iv QB<ra-aXovUri m- 
crwv (rrri^i^ai ; 'AffoJtgiVaV&a-'crav n^t/iTv oi 
|tt£Ta TiDv Xsirovpyinciv meufAaroDV roov tt^oj 
^laxoviav ama-reXXofj.Bvoiiv (the newly-re- 
vived opinion clearly) to ayiov nvBvfxa n- 
Sevtej- aXX' ovx, \x,'>v!7i. De Spiritu SanclOf 
c. 21. 



476 



ARTICLE VIIL 



Spirit of the Lord, as the apostle expounds himself in the words 
immediately following; then the Spirit of the Lord is the 
eternal God, and so termed in the Scriptures. 

Again, the same Scriptures do clearly manifest the same 
Spirit to be God, and term him plainly and expressly so. For 
when Peter said, '* Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart 
to lie to the Holy Ghost?" (Acts v. 3.) he repeateth the same 
question in reference to the same offence, Why hast thou 
conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto 
men, but unto God." (Ibid. 4.) To lie unto the Holy Ghost, is 
to lie unto God : to lie unto the Holy Ghost, is not to lie unto 
men, because the Holy Ghost is not man: and consequently 
not to lie unto any angel, because the Holi/ Ghost is not an 
angel ; not to lie unto any creature, because the Holy Ghost 
is no creature ; but to lie unto God, because the Holy Ghost 
is God. 

To this plain and evident argument there are so many an- 
swers, that the very multitude discovers the weakness of them 
all ; for if any one of them were sufficient to bear down the 
force of our reason, the rest would be superfluous. First, They 
answer that it cannot be collected from hence that the Spirit 
is God, because the Holy Ghost in the original is put in one 
case ;* and God in another ; and the apostle speaking in one 
manner of the Spirit, and in another of God, cannot shew that 
the Spirit is God. To which is easily answered, that the case 
or manner of the apostle^s speech can make no difference, if 
the sense and substance be the same, as here it is ; for to de- 
ceive the Holy Ghost, is nothing else but to lie unto him, or 
by a lie to endeavour to deceive him. The act objected to 
Ananias was but one, which act of his the apostles looked 
upon as injurious, not to themselves, but to the Holy Ghost; 
and therefore St. Peter shewed the sin to be not against men, 
but against God : as certainly then as the apostles were men, 
so certainly was the Holy Ghost, in the esteem of St. Peter, 
God. 

As for that sense which they put upon the words, different 
from that of lying to God, as if Ananias were accused for 
* counterfeiting the Holy Ghost,' it is most certain that the 
words can in this place bear no such sense; for the sin of 
Ananias is again expressed in the case of his wife Sapphira, 
to whom St. Peter said, *^ How is it that ye have agreed toge- 
ther to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" (Ibid. 9.) But to tempt 
the Spirit, and to counterfeit the Spirit, are two several things ; 
and it is evident that in this place the tempting of the Spirit 
was nothing else but lying to him : for St. Peter said to Sap- 

* ' Ex his facile apparet haudquaquam ex eo loco concludi posse Spiritum S. esse 
Deum ; cum alio modo de Spiritu S. loquatur Petrus, alio de Deo. Illic dicit mentiri 
sen fallere, ac ludijicari Spiritum S,, hie mentiri Deo.' Crellius, De uno Deo Patre, 1. i. 
§, 3. Argiim, 1. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 477 



phira, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much ? and 
she said, Yea, for so much." (Ibid. 8.) In which answer she 
lied. " Then Peter said unto her. How is it that ye have 
agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ?" viz. in say- 
ing that ye sold the land for so much. Here is no colour then 
for that new pretence, that Ananias did bear the apostles in 
hand that what was done, he did by the motion of the Holy 
Spirit, and so did pretend, counterfeit, and belie the Holy 
Ghost. This is not to expound St. Peter, but to belie Ananias, 
and make him guilty of that sin, which he was never yet ac- 
cused of. It is most certain that he lied; it is also certain that 
he to whom he lied was the Holy Ghost ; and therefore it might 
be well translated, that he lied to the Holy Ghost,* 

Next, Because they may very well be conscious that this 
verbal or phraseological answer may not seem sufficient, they 
tell us, though both the phrases were synonymous, yet they 
did no way prove that the Spirit is God : and the reason which 
they render to justify this negation, is, because there are se- 
veral places of the Scripture, in which the messengers of God, 
who are acknowledged not to be God, are mentioned in the 
same relation unto God as here the Spirit is. To which the 
answer is most plain and clear, that there is no creature ever 
mentioned in the same manner as the Holy Ghost is here. As 
when they allege those words of the apostle, He therefore 
that despiseth, despiseth not man but God, who hath also 
given us his Holy Spirit;" (1 Thess. iv. 8.) I cannot see what 
similitude can be made unto the Scripture now in question; 
for if the Spirit be not understood in the first words, " he there- 
fore that despiseth,'' it hath no relation to the present ques- 
tion ; and if it be, it were so far from being a confutation, that 
it would be another confirmation. As for the other, He that 
heareth you, heareth me; he that despiseth you, despiseth 
me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me 
(Matt. X. 40. Luke x. 16.) it is so far from justifying their in- 
terpretation, that it hath nothing in it like that which founds 



* Our translation is here accused with- 
out reason. For though the original be, 
■^ivs-ua-^ai TO 'rrvsvf/.a, to ayiov, yet some 
copies have it st? to msvfxa, and the Sy- 
riac did so read and interpret it, b^nm 
NiynpT Nmin the Vulgar Latin to the 
same purpose, mentiri te Spiritui S. And 
the author of the Tractate De Temp. Bar- 
barico, under the name of St. Augustin, 
mentiri te apiid Spiritum S. c. 3. Now 
•^£vh<r^at el; to wvEu/Att is the same with 
Tw itnvfjt,a.ri, as ft^ -^^ivTiiir^e si? aXXjjXouf, 
lie not one to another. Col. iii. 9. If we 
read it el? irvfvfAct, then it is rightly trans- 
lated. Again, if we read it to msvfxa,, it 
has in this case the sense of tw meCfxari. 
As Psal. Ixv. 2. T^-N lb ^W2'< LXX. 



■^iia-ovrai ct oi ajj^^S"' the same 

sense with that Psal. Ixxxi. 16. "XIU'D 
ib-Wna- mn- LXX. Oi Ix^P"* Kupi'oy i^sy- 
o-avTo ctvrZ. So Deut. xxxiii. 29. 
l"? LXX. Ka; ■\,ev(rovrai a-£ ol lx.^^oi 

a-ov. And Isa. Ivii. 11. *nT3n *3 xa; i-\,roa-a> 

ft£. 2 Kings iv. 16. innswn nT3n fxh 

Jja^Eucrjj Tw JoyXflv a-ov. If therefore we 
read it ■^'iva-air^ai to Trnufxct, it is rightly 
translated to lie unto the Holy Ghost ; and 
so agreeth with that which followeth to 
tempt the Holy Ghost, as Psal. Ixxviii. 36. 
T« y'Kcio'a't} avrSiv e>|/£ij<rttVTo alrS, and 
verse 41. iTria-r^t-^^av nai \mi^a.a-av tov 
©eov. Therefore whatsoever shifts are 
laid upon the phrase, or diiFerence of qts,' 
pression, are either false or frivolous* 



478 



ARTICLE VIII. 



our reason, that is, no opposition. For there are three parti- 
culars in that Scripture, which we produce for our assertion ; 
first. That they lied to the Holy Ghost ; secondly. That in doing 
so, they lied not unto men ; and thirdly, That by the same act 
they lied unto God. In which the opposition is our founda- 
tion. For, if the Spirit of God were not God, as we are sure 
it is not man, it might as well have been said. You lied not 
unto the Holy Ghost, but unto God. And indeed if the apostle 
would have aggravated the sin of Ananias with the full pro- 
priety and iniquity, in their sense, he must have said, Thou 
hast not lied unto men, nor unto the Spirit of God, but unto 
God. But being he first told him plainly his sin, lying to the 
Holy Ghost ; and then let him know the sinfulness of it, " thou 
hast not lied unto men, but unto God;" it is evident that the 
Holi/ Ghost to whom he lied, is God. 

Thirdly, That person whose inhabitation maketh a temple, 
is God, for if the notion of a temple be nothing else but to be 
the house of God, if to be the house of any creature is not to 
be a temple, as it is not; then no inhabitation of any created 
person can make a temple. But the inhabitation of the Holv 
Ghost maketh a temple, as we are informed by the apostle*": 
*' What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy 
Ghost which is in you?" (1 Cor. vi. 19.) Therefore the Holy 
Ghost is God. 

To this is replied difterently according to the diversity of 
our adversaries ; as it is not probable that the deniers of so 
great a truth should agree. The first tells us, that if we would 
enforce by this reason, that the Holy Ghost is God, we must 
prove that he is a person,* and that he doth possess our bodies 
by a divine right. But we have already proved that he is a 
person, and certainly there can be no other right but that 
which belongs to God, by which the Holy Ghost inhabiteth 
and possesseth us. Nor have they any pretence to evince the 
contrary, but that which more confirmeth our assertion ; for 
they urge only those words of the apostle, " Know ye not, 
that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God 
dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. iii. 16.) We do certainly know that 
we are the temple of God ; and we also know that the 
Spirit of God therefore dwelleth in us ; and we therefore know 
that we are the temple of God, because we know that the 
Spirit of God dwelleth in us ; and we know no other reason 
why we are the temple of God, when the Spirit of God dwelleth 
in us, but only because we know the Spirit of God is God; 
for if the Spirit were any other person not divine, or anything 



• ' Si quis ex eo, quod corpus nostrum 
Spiritus S. templum sit, concludere velit, 
eum esse Deum ; illi demonstrandum est, 
ita corpus nostrum Spiritus S. templum 
dici, ut intelligatur eum esse personam, 



cujus honori corpus nostrum sit dedica- 
tum, a qua corpus nostrum eo jure quod 
divini numinis proprium est possideatur, 
et principaliter incolatur.' Crell. De uiio 
Deo Patre, 1. 1. i. S. arg. 1. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 479 



but a person though divine, we could not by any means be as- 
sured, that he did properly inhabit in us ; or if he did, that by 
his inhabitation he could make a temple of us. The second 
hath very little to say, but only this, that being the Holy Ghost 
who possesseth us is a person, we must shew that our bodies 
are his by the highest interest, and primarily dedicated to his 
honour; which he therefore conceives we cannot shew, because 
he thinks our body is not at all his by interest, or dedicated to 
his honour. But it were very strange, if we should be bap- 
tized in the name of the Holy Ghost, and that the Holy Ghost 
should have no interest in us, but that he should be ours by 
interest, and not we his ; that the Spirit of God should call for 
men to be separated to himself, and that they which are so 
separated should be no way dedicated to his honour. If the 
Holy Ghost had no interest in us, because he is given unto us, 
then Christ can have no interest in us, for he is also given 
unto us. Indeed if the apostle had said, as our adversary 
doth, that * we ought with our body to glorify, not the Spirit, 
but God I should have concluded that the Spirit is not God : 
but being that the blessed Spirit which dwelleth in us, and 
spake by the apostles, never taught us not to glorify him, I 
shall rather take leave to suspect that of blasphemy, than the 
assertion of his Deity to be false divinity. And whereas it is 
said, that, *the apostle hath hinted in what respect our body is 
the temple of the Holy Spirit, to wit, by inhabitation;* that is 
so far from breeding in me the least thought of diminution, 
that by this only notion I am fully confirmed in the belief of 
my assertion. For I know no other way by which God pecu- 
liarly inhabiteth in us, but by the inhabitation of the Spirit : 
and I understand no other way, by which we can be the temple 
of God, but by the inhabitation of God; as it is written, *^ Ye 
are the temple of the living God, as God hath said, I will dwell 
in them, and walk in them, and I will be their God, and they 
shall be my people:" (1 Cor. vi. 16.) and therefore I conclude 
that the Holy Ghost, who by his inhabitation maketh our bodies 
temples, is that God which dwelleth in us. 

Fourthly, He, to whom the divine attributes do belong as 
certainly as they belong unto God the Father, is truly and 
properly God ; because those are divine attributes, which are 
properties of the divine nature, and consequently none can 
be endued with them, to whom the nature of God belongeth 
not. But the divine attributes, such as are omniscience, omni- 
potence, omnipresence, and the like, do belong as certainly 
unto the Holy Ghost as they do unto God the Father: there- 
fore we are as much assured that the Holy Ghost is God. The 
Scriptures to prove these attributes are so well known, that I 
shall not need to mention them ; and they are so many, that to 
manage them against the exceptions of the adversaries, would 
take up too much room in this discourse; especially consider- 



480 



ARTICLE VIII. 



ing they question some of them in the Father as well as in the 
Spirit, and so I should be forced to a double proof. 

Fifthly, He, to whom are attributed those works which are 
proper unto God, by and for which God doth require of us to 
acknowledge and worship him as God, is properly and truly 
God : because the operations of all things flow from that essence 
by which they are ; and therefore if the operations be truly 
divine, that is, such as can be produced by no other but God, 
then must the essence of that person which produceth them be 
truly such. But such works as are proper unto God, by and 
for which God hath required us to acknowledge him and wor- 
ship him as God, are attributed often in the Scriptures to the 
Spirit of God, as the acts of creation and conservation of all 
things, the miracles wrought upon and by our blessed Saviour, 
the works of grace and power wrought in the hearts of true 
believers, and the like. Therefore, without any farther dispu- 
tation, which cannot be both long and proper for an exposition, 
I conclude my third assertion, that the Holi/ Ghost, or Spirit of 
God, is a person truly and properly divine, the true and living 
God. 

Now being we do firmly believe, that the true and living God 
can be but one, that the infinity of the divine essence is inca- 
pable of multiplicity ; being we have already shewn that the 
Father is originally that one God, which is denied by none; 
and have also proved, that the only Son is the same God, re- 
ceiving by an eternal generation the same divine nature from 
the Father : it will also be necessary, for the understanding of 
the nature of the Spirit of God, to shew how that blessed Spirit 
is God : to which purpose, that I may proceed methodically, 
my fourth assertion is. That the Spirit of God, which is the 
true and living God, is neither God the Father, nor the Son of 
God. 

First, Though the Father be undoubtedly God, though the 
Hull/ Ghost be also God, and (because there cannot be two 
Gods) the same God ; yet the Holi/ Ghost is not the Father : 
for the Scriptures do as certainly distinguish them in their 
persons, as they do unite them in their nature. He which pro- 
ceedeth from the Father is not the Father, because it is impos- 
sible any person should proceed from himself: but the Holj/ 
Ghost proceedeth from the Father (John xv. 26.) therefore 
he is not the Father. He which is sent by the Father, and 
from the Father, is not the Father, by whom and from whom 
he is sent; for no person can be sent by himself, and by 
another from himself: but the Holj/ Ghost is sent by God the 
Father, and by the Son " from the Father (Ibid.) therefore 
he is not the Father. 

Secondly, Though we have formerly proved, that the Son of 
God is properly and truly God ; though we now have proved, 
that the Spirit of God is God, and in reference to both we un- 



t BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST- 



481 



derstand the same God ; yet the H0I7/ Ghost is not the Son : 
for he which receiveth of that which is the Son's, and by re- 
ceiving of it glorifieth the Son, cannot be the Son, because no 
person can be said to receive from himself that which is his own, 
and to glorify himself by so receiving; but the Comforter, 
which is the Holy Ghost," (John xiv. 26.) receiveth of that 
which is the Son's, and by receiving of it glorifieth the Son; 
for so our Saviour expressly said, He shall glorify me, for he- 
shall receive of mine :" (John xvi. 14.) therefore the Holi/ Ghost 
is not the Son. Again, he whose coming depended upon the 
Son's departing, and his sending after his departure, cannot be 
the Son, who therefore departed that he might send him. But 
the coming of the Holi/ Ghost depended upon the Son's de- 
parting, and his sending after his departure : as he told the 
apostles before he departed, " I tell you the truth, it is expe- 
dient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the Com- 
forter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him 
unto you :" (Ibid. 7.) therefore the Ho/?/ Ghost is not the Son. 

Thirdly, Though the Father be God, and the Son be God, 
and the Holj/ Ghost be also the same God, yet we are assured 
that the Hoi?/ Ghost is neither the Father nor the Son; because 
the Scriptures frequently represent him as distinguished both 
from the Father and the Son. As, when " the Spiiit of God 
descended like a dove, and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This 
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," (Matt. iii. 16.) 
he was manifestly distinguished from the person of the Son, 
upon whom he lighted, and from the person of the Father, who 
spake from heaven of his Son. The apostle teaches us, that 
" through the Son we have an access by one Spirit unto the 
Father," (Eplu ii. 18.) and consequently assureth us, that the 
Spirit bj/ whom, is not the Father to whom, nor the Son through 
whom, we have that access. So God sent forth his Son, that 
we might receive the adoption of sons :" and '* because we are 
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. iv. 4 — 6.) Where the Son is dis- 
tinguished from the Father as first sent by him, and the Spirit 
of the Son is distinguished both from the Father and the Son, 
as sent by the Father after he had sent the Son. And this our 
Saviour hath taught us several tim.es in his word, as, ''The 
Comforter whom the Father will send in my name ;" "The 
Comforter whom I will send unto you from the Father;" (John 
xiv. 26. XV. 26.) and when that Comforter is come, " Go, teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 
the Son, and of the Holy Gliosi." (Matt, xxviii. 19.) I con- 
clude therefore against the old Sabellian heresy,* that the 

♦ This heresy was very ancient, even opinion of Praxeas, against whom Tertul- 

before Sabellius, tliough those which held iian wrote ; who being urged with that 

it were afterwards all so denominated place, where the three persons were dis- 

from Sabellios. For we find it was the tinguished, "The Holy Ghost shall come 

2 I 



482 



ARTICLE VIII. 



Holy Ghost, although he be truly and properly God, is neither 
God the Father, nor God the Son, which is my fourth assertion. 

Our fifth assertion is, That the Holy Ghost is the third per- 
son in the blessed Trinity. For being he is a person, by our 
first assertion ; a person not created, by the second ; but a 
divine person, properly and truly God, by the third ; being 
though he is thus truly God, he is neither the Father nor the 
Son, by the fourth assertion it followeth that he is one of the 
three ; and of the three is the third. For as there is a number 
in the Trinity, by which the persons are neither more nor less 
than three ; so there is also an order, by which, of these per- 
sons, the Father is the first, the Son the second, and the Holy 
Ghost the third. Nor is this order arbitrary or external, but 
internal and necessary, by virtue of a subordination of the 
second unto the first, and of the third unto the first and second. 
The Godhead was communicated from the Father to the Son, 
not from the Son unto the Father ; though therefore this were 
done from all eternity, and so there can be no priority of time, 
yet there must be acknowledged a priority of order, by which 
the Father, not the Son, is first, and the Son, not the Father, 
second. Again, the same Godhead was communicated by the 
Father and the Son unto the Holy Ghost, not by the Holy Ghost 
to the Father or the Son ; though therefore this was also done 
from all eternity, and therefore can admit of no priority in re- 
ference to time ; yet that of order must be here observed ; so 
that the Spirit receiving the Godhead from the Father who is 
the first person, cannot be the first ; receiving the same from 
the Son, who is the second, cannot be the second ; but being 
from the first and second must be of the three the third. And 
thus both the number and the order of the persons are signified 
together by the apostle, saying, " There are three that bear 
record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, 
and these three are one.'' (1 John v. 7.) And though they are 
not expressly said to be three, yet the same number is suffi- 
ciently declared, and the same order is expressly mentioned, 
in the baptismal institution made " in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." As therefore we have 



upon thee, and the power of the Highest 
shall overshadow thee ; therefore that 
which is born of thee, shall be called the 
Son of God," answereth thus : ' Filius 
Dei Deus est, et virtus altissimi altis 
simus est.' c. 26. After Praxeas followed 
Noetus : (xovoTuttToo; TOV ainov UATB^a, nctl 
Tlov, }tai a-yiov Uvsvixei 'r)yn<ra.[xzvo(;. S. Ep'l- 
phan. H(£r. Ivii. $.2. ' Noetiani a quodam 
No'eto, qui docebat Christum eundem ip- 
sum esse Patrem et Spiritum S.' S. Au- 
gust. H<£r. 36. Suddenly after Noetus 
arose Sabellius : i^oyij.a.ri'(^Ei Si olroi;, nal 
ol air' avTou laQiXT^iavol, tov avrov slveti 
TLetrsgO', TOV auTOV Tlov, tov clvtoV stvai ayicv 



triat;. S. Epiphan. Har. Ixii. §. 1. From 
him afterwards were all which held the 
same opinion, called Sabellians : ' Sabel- 
liani ab illo Noeto, quern supra memora- 
vimus, defluxisse dicuntur. Nam et dis- 
cipulum ejus quidam perhibent fuisse Sa- 
bellium. Sed qua causa duas Ha-reses 
Epiphanius computet, nescio ; cum fieri 
potuisse videamas, ut fuerit Sabellius iste 
famosior, et ideo ex illo celebrius hnec 
Hferesis nomen acceperit. Noetiani enim 
difficillime ab aliquo sciuntur ; Sabelliani 
autem sunt in ore multorum,' S. August. 
H(Er. 41. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



483 



foi-Qierly proved the Son to be truly the second person, and at 
the same time the Father to be first, so doth this which we 
have (but briefly) spoken, prove that the Holy Ghost is the 
third which is our fifth assertion. 

, Our sixth and last assertion (sufficient to manifest the nature 
of the Holy Ghost, as he is the Spirit of God) teacheth that 
Spirit to be a person proceeding from the Father and the Son, 
From whence at last we have a clear description of the blessed 
Spirit, that he is the most high and eternal God, of the same 
nature, attributes, and operations, with the Father and the Son, 
as receiving the same essence from the Father and the Son, by 
proceeding from them both. Now this procession of the Spi- 
rit, in reference to the Father, is delivered expressly, in rela- 
tion to the Son, and is contained virtually in the Scriptures. 
First, it is expressly said. That the Holt/ Ghost proceedeth 
from the Father, as our Saviour testifieth, *' When the Com- 
forter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, 
even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he 
shall testify of me." (John xv. 26.) And this is also evident 
from what hath been already asserted : for being the Father 
and the Spirit are the same God, and being so the same in the 
unity of the nature of God, are yet distinct in their personality, 
one of them must have the same nature from the other ; and 
because the Father hath been already shewn to have it from 
none, it followeth that the Spirit hath it from him. 

Secondly, Though it be not expressly spoken in the Scrip- 
ture, that the Hoii/ Ghost proceedeth from the Son, yet the sub- 
stance of the same truth is virtually contained there : because 
those very expressions, which are spoken of the Holy Spirit 
in relation to the Father, for that reason because he proceedeth 
from the Father, are also spoken of the same Spirit in relation 
to the Son ; and therefore there must be the same reason pre- 
supposed in reference to the Son, which is expressed in refer- 
ence to the Father. Because the Spirit proceedeth from the 
Father, therefore it is called the Spirit of God and the Spirit of 
the Father. " It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your 
Father which speaketh in you." (Matt. x. 20.) For by the 
language of the apostle, the Spirit of God is the Spirit which 
is of God, saying, The things of God knoweth no man but 
the Spirit of God. And we have received not the Spirit of 
the world, but the Spirit which is of God." (1 Cor. ii. 11, 12.) 
Now the same Spirit is also called the Spirit of the Son, for 

because we are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his 
Son into our hearts :" (Gal. iv. 6.) the Spirit of Christ, '*Now 
if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his 
(Rom. viii. 9.) even the Spirit of Christ which was in the 
prophets :" (1 Pet. i. 11.) the Spirit of Jesus Christ, as the 

* Vide p. 104. So Epiphanius several times calls the Holy Spirit rpirov 
QVoy-aT-lu. In Ancorat. §. 8. &c. 

2 I 2 



484 



ARTICLE VIII. 



apostle speaks, I know that this shall turn to ray salvation 
through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus 
Christ." (Phil. i. 19.) If then the Holy Ghost be called the 
Spirit of God the Father because he proceedeth from the Fa- 
ther, it followeth that; being called also the Spirit of the Son, 
he proceedeth also from the Son. 

Again, Because the Holif Ghost proceedeth from the Father, 
he is therefore sent by the Father, as from him who hath by 
the original communication a right of mission ; as, " the Com- 
forter which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send.'' 
(John xiv. 26.) But the same Spirit which is sent by the Fa- 
ther, is also sent by the Son, as he saith, when the Comforter 
is come whom I will send unto you." (John xv. 26.) Therefore 
the Son hath the same right of mission wnth the Father, and 
consequently must be acknowledged to have communicated 
the same essence. The Father is never sent by the Son, be- 
cause he received not the Godhead from him ; but the Father 
sendeth the Son, because he communicated the Godhead to 
him : in the same manner neither the Father nor the Son is 
ever sent by the Holy Spirit, because neither of them received 
the divine nature from the Spiiit; but both the Father and the 
Son sendeth the Holy Ghost, because the divine nature, com- 
mon to both the Father and the Son, was communicated by 
them both to the Holy Ghost. As therefore the Scriptures de- 
clare expressly, that the Spirit proceedeth from the Father ; so 
do they also virtually teach, that he proceedeth from the Son. 

From whence it came to pass in the primitive times, that 
the Latin fathers taught expressly the procession of the Spirit 
from the Father and the Son,* because by good consequence 
they did collect so much from those passages of the Scripture 



* This is not the late but ancient opinion 
of the Latin Church, as will appear by 
these testimonies. ' Loqui de eo (Sp. S.) 
non necesse est, quia de Patre et Filio 
auctoribus confitendus est.' S. Mil. de Trin. 
I. ii. ^. "29. ' Spiritus quoque Sanctus cum 
procedit a Patre et Filio, non separatur a 
Patre, non separatur a Filio.' S. Amhros. 
de Sp. S. 1. i. c. 11. ' Spiritus autem Sanc- 
tus vere Spiritus est, procedens quidem a 
Patre et Filio : sed non est ipse Filius, 
quia non generatur, neque Pater, quia 
procedit ab utroqus.' hi. de Symb.c. 3. 
' Et in servos coelestia dona profudit, 

Spiritum ab Unigena Sanctum et Patre 

procedentem.' 
Paidinus in Nat. 9. S. Felices, ver. 92. 
* Noa possumus dicere quod Spiritus S. 
et a Filio non procedat ; neque enim fru- 
stra Spiritus et Patris et Filii Spiritus- 
dicitur.' S. August, de Trin. 1. iv. c. 20. 
' Firmissime tene et nullatenus dubites, 
eundem Spiritum S^ qui Patris et Filii 
unus est Spiritus, de Patre et Filio proce- 



dere.' Fulg. de Fide ad Petrum, c. 11. 
' Qui noster Dominus, qui tuus unicus 
Spirat de Patrio corde Paracletum.' 

Prud. Cuthem. Hymn, v. 139. 
' Tanquam idem Deus nunc Pater, nunc 
Filius, nunc Spiritus S. nominetur ; nec 
alius est qui genuit, alius qui genitus est, 
alius qui de utroque processit.' Leo (speak- 
ing of the Sabellian heresy), epist. xciii. 
c. 1. ' Audimanifestius : proprium Patris 
esse genuisse, et proprium Filii natura 
fuisse ; proprium ^ero Spiritus S. proce- 
dere de Patre Filioque.' Vigil, emit. Eut. 
1. i. §. 10, By which testimonies, and 
the like, of the Latin fathers, we may 
well guess in which Church the Creed, 
commonly attributed to Athanasius, first 
was framed ; for as it is confessed to be 
written first in Latin, so it is most pro- 
bable that it was composed by some mem- 
ber of the Latin Church, by that expression 
in it : 'Spiritus S. a Patre et Filio, non 
factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed pro- 
cedens.' Inter Op. Athanus. vol. ii. p. 728. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 485 



which we have used to prove that truth. And the Greek fa- 
thers, though they stuck more closely to the phrase and lan- 
guage of the Scripture, saying, that the Spirit proceedeth from 
the rather, and not saying,* that he proceedeth from the Son ; 
yet they acknowledged under another Scripture expression 
the same thing which the Latins understand by procession, 
viz. That the Spirit is of or from the Son, as he is of and from 
the Father ; and therefore usually when they said, he proceed- 
eth from the Father, they also added, he received of the Son.^; 
The interpretation of which words, according to the Latins, 
inferred a procession and that which the Greeks did under- 
stand thereby, was the same which the Latins meant by the 
procession from the Son, that is, the receiving of his essence 
from him. That as the Son is God of God by being of the 
Father, so the Holi/ Ghost is God of God by being of the Fa- 
ther and the Son,§ as receiving that infinite and eternal essence 
from them both. 



* The ancient Greek fathers, speaking 
of this procession, mention the Father 
only, and never, I think, express the Son, 
as sticking constantly in this to the lan- 
guage of the Scriptures. Thus Gregory 
Nazianzen distinguisheth the three per- 
sons : 'EttI tiZv f)jW.£TEg(wv opMV lo-rafxivoi, ro 
ayswnrov sliTci,y(ufj.ev, nal to yivvnTov , kai to Ik 
Tov Tlar^o; inTro^tvoixevov. Oral, i. de Filio, 
p. 563. And the three properties attribu- 
ted to the three persons are these, aysnria-ia, 
to the Father, yivvna-iq to the Son, and 
iKTro^sva-iq to the Holy Ghost. But this 
word BKmo^eva-ii or the verb IxtETogeueo-^at 
was not used by the Greeks in reference 
to the Son, but only as the Scriptures 
speak, in relation to the Father. 

t As Epiphanius : Kal ya^ nal 7r£f( rou 
nviufxetroq B}^a.(r<^nfxov(ri, nal roXfAoca-i xiyeiv 
X£>tT;V9aj Ltto rou Tlou, otts^ Iittiv aXTi^-Tov, 
£K riaTfoc EKTroffuijUEVoVjJtat Toy T'.oZ KafxQavov, 
Har. Ixix. §. 52. To a.yiov Tlvevfxa, Uvevfxa, 
ayiov, Tlvtvfxa ©£oiI, aeI ov a-vv Uctr^l nctl T'lS, 
ovit aXXoTgtov ©tov, «7ro @sov ov, aTTo ria- 
Tfo? £X7rof)£i/o'^£vov, Hal rov Tlov "KclixQclmov . Id 
Ancor. §. 6. 'A£i -/a^ to nvcZfAO. <rvv TlaT^l 
Hal Tim, oi) <ri;vaSeX<}>ov Uar^l, ov ysvirirov, ov 

XTitTTOV, OVK a.li\(^QV TlOV, OvX SyyOVOV ITttT^OJ, 

en n«Tffo? liiTro^evofAsvov, x-al tov Tlov 
"KafxQavov. Id. Hcer. Ixii. 4. 

$ ' A Filio accipit, qui et ab eo mittitur, 
et a Patre procedit : et interrogo, utrum id 
ipsum sit a Filio accipere, quod a Patre 
procedere. Quod si differre credetur inter 
accipere a Filio, et a Patre procedere, 
certe id ipsum atque unum esse existima- 
bitur, a Filio accipere, quod sit accipere 
a Patre. Ipse enim Dominus ait, Quoniam 
de meaccipiet, et aniuoiciahit vohis.' S. Hil. 
1. viii. de Trin. §. 20. So St. Cyril : 'E7r£»^;i 

(to riVSU^tt) OfXOOVCTLOV T£ lo-ri TW TiS, Kal 

Wfceio-j Bto-m^iTfooq l| avrov, 7ra<rav avrou rhv 



e<p awag-i TeXeiorarnv e'j^ov hs^yeiav t£ Kal 
^vvafxiv, ^la tovto (pria-iv, Ijc tolI hfxou Xn^erai. 
Com. in loan. 1. xi. c. 1. ' De Filio ergo 
accepit, et omnia quae habet Pater Filii 
sunt, quee Spiritus S. accepit ; quia nou 
de solo Filio, sed simul de utroque pro- 
cedit.' Fulg. 1. vii. contra Fab. fragm. 
apud Theodulph. de Sp. S. 

§ That this was the sense of the Greek 
fathers anciently, who used those two 
Scriptures of the Holy Ghost, appeareth 
by Epiphanius, who frequently declares 
so much ; as in Ancorato : Uyivfj.a yap&Bou 
Kal UnvfM ITctTfof xai UvsZfxa Tlov, In rou 
Uar^oq xal rou Tlou, r^irov t? ovofA.aa-ia. 
§. 8. And speaking of Ananias who lied 
unto the Spirit : "Aja ©eoj Ik Tlar^oq Kal 
Tiou, TO Uveufxa, w i^Svs-avro ol am rou 
rifxr)fMaroq voa-<^icrafA.tvoi. 9. Ovk aKXor^tov 
Harfoq Hal Tlov, aXXa Ik tS; avTriq ova-iaq, Ik 
T>5f avrriq Qi6^moq, en TJarpoq xal Tlov, <rlv 
Uar^l Kal TlZ hviroa-rarov ail Uviufxa ayiov. 
Id. Hceres. Ixii. §.4. In these words is 
plainly contained the truth, That the 
Spirit is God of God the Father, and of 
God the Son. And that they did conclude 
this truth from those two scriptures, he 
proceedeth from the Father, and receiveth 
of the Son, as is also evident by these and 
the like passages : El X^icroq Ik rou 
Uarpoq TTopivirai @eoq EJt rou Qtov, Kal to ITveD- 
fxaeK rov Xpicrrov, ri qta^ afx<poT£pa}V, coq <J»)i?-tV 
0 XpiaToq, 0 Tra^a rov Uarpoq iKTro^susrai, Kal 
obroqeK rou Sfxou Xii^sfai. Epiph. Ancor, 
67. E; roivvv Trapa rou Tlarpoq kKVo^evsrai, 
Hal Ik rou lfA,ov, (pntrlvoKu^toq, Xr)^^/ETa^. "Ovyaj 
TgoTTov ou^elq syvM rov Uars^a bI fjuh o Tloq, ouSe 
Tov Tlov ii jutv 0 rTaT>j^, ouTiw roXfxo!} Xiysiv, on 
oiiSe to nvsS.ota si jAT) 0 TlarY\p, Kal o Tloq, Ttap 
oZ SKTTopeverai, Kal "mag ou Xa/xBavBi, Kal 
oiiJe tov Tlov Kal rov liark^a, b\ fxh to Tlvsufxa 
TO ayiov, 0 ma^a, rou llarpoq Kal Ik rou Tlw* 



486 



ARTICLE VIII. 



This being thus the general doctrine of the eastern and the 
western Church, differing only in the manner of expression, 
and that without any opposition; Theodoret gave the first oc- 
casion of a difference, making use of the Greeks' expression 
against the doctrine both of Greeks and Latins;* denying that 
the Holy Ghost receiveth his essence from the Son, because the 
Scripture saith, he proceedeth from the Father, and is the 
Spirit which is of God. But St. Cyril, against whom he wrote, 
taking small notice of this objection ; and the writings of 
Theodoret, in which this was contained, being condemned ; 
there was no sensible difference in the Church, for many years, 
concerning this particular. Afterwards divers of the Greeks 
expressly denied the procession from the Son, and several dis- 
putations did arise in the western Church, till at last the Latins 
put it into the Constantinopolitan Creed ;t and being admo- 



Ibid. §. 73. ' Non loquetur a semetipso, hoc 
est, non sine me et Patris arbitrio I (^Ul 
inseparabilis a mea et Patris est vo- 
luntate ; quia non ex se, sad ex Patre et 
me est i hoc enim ipsum quod subsistit et 
loquitur, a Patre etmeilli est.' Didifinus 
de Sp. S. 1. ii. §. 13. Et paulo post ; ' lUe 
me clarlficabit, id est Paracletus, quia de 
meoaccipiet, Rursum hoc accipere ut divinse 

naturas conveniat intelligendum Spi- 

ritum S. a Filio accipere id quodsuaj na- 
turae fuerat, cognoscendum est. Neque 
enim quid aliud est Fiiius, exceptis his 
quae ei dantur a Patre, neque alia sub- 
stantia est Spiritus S. preeter id quod da- 
tur ei a Filio.' 

* St. Cyril having set forth anathema- 
tisms against the heresy of Nestorius, in 
the ninth anathematism condemned all 
who did not speak of the Holy Ghost as 
tliov roZ X^nTToD to UviZfj-a. To which 
Theodoret returned this answer ; "l^jov S'l 
TO TlvivfA.a rou Tiou, bI fxh, aiq c/Lio<pueg ml 
la ITaTpo? SKTro^ivofXevov, £<j>J5, a-vvofxoXoyhs-O' 

a;f 1^ TIov ri TloZ tkv 'jTTa^^iy e^ov, oog 
B>^a.a-<prifAOV rovro Hal ccc; Ji;(rc-£j3£f , a7TOppl-l<o- 
{XIV. UiimvouBv ya,^ tS Kypi's; KsyoMri, To 
HvBVfxa 0 ex. rov TlaTPog linro^iverni' Jtai rtS 
fisjOTttTW n.av'kcc ofAoioo); <pa,a-Kovri' 'Ufxstg S'e 
ov TO TTVivfAci rov Koirfxoij IXa^ofAiv, aXXa to 
UvEufxa TO Ik rov @eov. Repreheus. Anath. 
Cyril, t. V. p. 717. St. Cyril in his reply 
takes no great notice of this high charge 
of impiety and blasphemy, and only an- 
swers the argument so far as it concerned 
his expression, viz. That the Spirit is I'Stov 
rou Tlov Uvsvy.a, but in this answer makes 
use of that Scripture by which he and 
others used to prove that the Spirit had 
his essence from the Son : 'Ey.7ro(is6erai 
fxlv yap oog la rou Qsov nal Tlar^og to UvBvfxa 
TO ayiov, Kara rhv rov SiwtkjOJ cjjww, aXXa 
cm aXXoTpiov l(Tri rov Tlov' Travra ya^ ex^Bi 
fxsra rov Uar^og' aal rovro alrog l^i^a^sv 



bWoov TTepi To3 ayiau Uvevfxaro?' TLavra o'<rct 
'i)(Bi 0 Uarr)^, Ifxi. Icrrr Sia toUto sTwov Ifxiv, 
on la rov Ifxcv y^h-^Brat, aaX avayyeXeX vfjuv. 
vol. vi. p. ;229. Although therefore St. 
Cyril doth not go to maintain that which 
Theodoret denied, and St. Cyril else- 
where teacheth, viz. that the Holy Ghost 
is from the Son, yet he justifieth his own 
position by that Scripture which by him- 
self and the rest of the fathers is thought 
to teach as much. 

* The second general Council held at 
Constantinople, finding it necessary to 
make an addition to the Nicene Creed 
in the Article concerning the Holy Ghost, 
of which that Council had said no more 
than this, I believe in the Holy Ghost, 
framed this accession against Macedo- 
nius : Elg ro UvsvfAa to ayiov, to Kugjov, to 
^oooiroilv, TO EX rov Uar^oq Ixtto^suojUSvoV 
Concil. Gen. t. i. par. 1. p. 536. in which 
they spake most warily, using the words 
of the Scripture, and the language of the 
Church which was so known and public, 
that it is recorded even by Lucian in his 
dialogue called Philopatris. §. 12. 
Kpj, Kai riva Inoy.oa-oy.a'i ys ; 
Tfj. 'T-^ifxB^ovra Qbov, fASyav, afx^^oroy, 
ov^avimcL, 

Ttov IlaTpo?, Tlvtvfxa. Ik Uarpo; iKtHQ- 

^BVO(XBVOV, 

"Ev Ik rpiZv, Koi l| Ivog r^ia' 
Tavra vofxi^s Zvva, tovS' hyov Qsov. 

This Creed being received bv the whole 
Church of God, and it being added also 
by the next general Council at Ephesus, 
that it should not be lawful to make any 
addition to it: notwithstanding, the ques- 
tion being agitated in the West : ' Utrum 
Spiritus S. sicut procedit a Patre, ita et 
procedat a Filio and it being con- 
cluded in the affirmative, they did not 
only declare the doctrine to be true, but 
also added the same to the Constantino- 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



487 



nished by the Greeks of that, as of an unlawful addition, and 
refusing to rase it out of the Creed again, it became an oc- 



politan Creed, and sang it publicly iu 
their Liturgy : * Credimus et in Spiritum 
S., Dominum et vivificatorem, ex Patre 
Filioque procedentem/ This being first 
done in the Spanish and French churches, 
and the matter being referred to Leo the 
third bishop of Rome, he absolutely con- 
cluded that no such addition ought to be 
tolerated : for in the acts of the Synod 
held at Aquisgranum, we find it so de- 
termined by the pope, upon the confer- 
ence with the legates : ' Ergo, ut video, 
illud a vestra Paternitate decernitur, ut 
primo illud de quo quajstio agitur, de 
ssepe fato Symbolo tollatur, et tunc de- 
mum a quolibet licite ac libere, sive can- 
tando sive tradendo, discatur et docea- 
tur:' so one of the legates. To which 
Leo answered thus : ' Ita proculdubio a 
nostra parte decernitur : ita quoque ut a 
vestra assentiatur, a nobis omnibus mo- 
dis suadetur.' Beside, lest the Roman 
church might be accused of joining with 
the Spanish and French churches in this 
addition, the same pope caused the Creed 
publicly to be set forth in the Church, 
graven in silver plates, one in Latin and 
another in Greek, in the same words in 
which the Council of Constantinople had 
first penned it. ' Hjec, pro amore et cautela 
Orthodoxas Fidei, fecit in B, Petri Basilica 
scuta argentea duo scripta utraque Sym- 
bolo, unumquidem Uteris Graecis, et alium 
Latinis, sedentia dextra laivaque super in- 
gressum corporis.' Anastasiusinvita Leonis 
IlI.De Vit. Pojttif.Rom. xcviii. 'Leotertius 
(Symboli) transcriptura in tabula argen- 
tea, post altare B. Pauli posita, posteris 
reliquit, pro amore, ut ipse ait, et cautela 
Fide orthodoxa?. In quo quidem Sym- 
bolo in processione Spiritus S. solus com- 
memoratur Pater his verbis. Et in Spiri- 
tum S., Dominum vivijicatorem, ex Vatre 
procedentem, cum Patre et Filio co-adoran- 
dum,et glorificandum.' P. Lombardiix, l.i. 
distinct, 11. §. SJ. These were taken out 
of the archiva at Rome, saith Photius, 
and so placed by Leo, that they might be 
acknowledged and perpetuated as the 
true copies of that Creed not to be al- 
tered. *0 Seo-TTEc-jcj AioDV Kcti rag Iv roTg ?r>i- 
{rau^o<pv7\a}<.LOig t<£v Kopucf)aifit?v ITet^oli nal JJav- 

o-fAivag ToXt; l^oXt; aeifAnXion; ^vo ka-nrllcLt;, cu 
ypafA-fAua-i yal pr-i/xueriv iXXwvjJCoT? s^^Byov Triv 
ifpav tJj? hfji^MV TriVrEa'? ExQsriv, rctvTai; Kcnct- 
vayvMo-^tivm HarBvoo'Tncv tov ''P^^^fxainou 'ji'kh- 
Bov; KcLi £i; o-^iv a.'riTcDirMV IxQhv IS'tJtstiWe* 

avByvooKoraiv en tw j34w 7tapa,fjtivovai. Pho- 
tius apud Nicetan. Thes. Orthod. Fid. t. 



21. ut exscripsit ArcJiiep. Armachanus. 
Ovrog 0 Asm nai to Srtia-av^o<pvXaniov rKi 
'Awoo-ro'Kiy.Tig 'EnnXncrictg 'PaifA,a,'iiuv avoi^ai 
aa-m^aq ^vo roXq U^oiQ xsifjttj'hioiq aTrore&n- 
crav^iiTfj.svcig l^meynsv I'KXnviiioiq xal y^af.*.- 
fxaa-i Kai prifxacriv \yov<7a.q 'vm sva-i^rj rrig 
Trlo-TSCix; BK^sa-iv. Idem apud Euthymium, 
Panopl. Dom. Tit. 12. ah eodem Archiep. 
exscript. This was the great and prudent 
care of Leo the Third, that there should 
be no addition made to the ancient Creed 
authorized by a general Council, and 
received by the whole Church ; and by 
this means he quieted all distempers for 
his time. But not long after, the follow- 
ing popes, more in love with their own 
authority than desirous of the peace and 
unity of the Church, neglected the tables 
of Leo, and admitted the addition Fi- 
lioque. This was first done in the time 
and by the power of Pope Nicoiaus the 
First, who by the activity of Photius 
was condemned for it. ' Tunc inter alias 
accusationes hoc principaliter posuit Pho- 
tius ipsum (Nicolaum) fore excommuni- 
caturn, quod apposuerat ad Syrabolum 
Spiritum S. a Filio procedere. Similiter 
et depositum, quod ipse Nicoiaus Papa 
incidisset in sententiam teitii Concilii.' 
Antonin. Part. 3. tit. 22. c 13. This was 
it which Photius complained of so highly 
in his Encyclic Epistle to the Archiepis- 
copal Sees of the Eastern Church : 'AXXi 
yu^ oip^i fj(,6vov slq ravTct Tra^avofABiv l^nvB^Qt]- 
crav, ftXXii nal Bi rii; kukccv bc-ti nofcyvij, elq 
tavrw avB^pafj^ov 'UX^oQ ya,^ Tot roTq Blpr}/xi- 
votq aro'srhfAaai Kctl to Ib^ov Kat ayiov crvfA.Bo- 
Xov, 0 TTais-i ToTg cruvoJiKoT? nai olHoufxBMtiioiq 

Xoj/iiTjUOK xci Tra.peyypaTrroK; "hoyoiq aal 
Tovq VTIB^Bo'Kri Ki^^nXBuBiV STri^Bi^na-av (a; toiV 
Tou TTovn^ou fJ.n^a.w/ui.ATm') to ITveD^* to 
ayicv ovK BH, TOV Uarpog fAOVOv, aXKa ys Ha} In 
TOV Tlov iy.Tto^BvBaQa.i KatvoXoyha-avTsq. Phot. 
Epist. ii. §. 8. * Hugo Etherianus legit 
JtEvoXoj/VavTEj, dura vertit^rustra projite- 
tur.' Thus far Photius against Nicoiaus 
before he was deposed. After he was 
restored again, in the time of Pope John 
the Eighth, in the eighth general Coun- 
cil, as the Greeks call it, it was declared 
that the addition of Filioque, made in the 
Creed, should be taken away, 'e^^'tjictev 
Se h Ivvotoq aurn Koi ttb^I Tr,; Trpotrbhrni tou 
lufA.Bo'Kou, Kal EXgivsv ci^iov I'vtt B^aipyi^rl rsav- 
Ti\(hq, says Marcus bishop of Ephesus, in 
the Council of Florence. After this the 
same complaint was continued by Mi- 
chael Cerularius, and Theophylact, in as 
high a manner as by Photius. "Eirrtv oZv 
TO fA,ByiTTOv IxeTvo o-f^aKf/.a, kcu touto Sg to 



488 



ARTICLE VIII. 



casion of the va^t schism between the eastern and western 
Churches. 

Now although the addition of the words to the foriual Creed 
without the consent, and against the protestation of the Orien- 
tal Church, be not justifiable; yet that which was added, is 
nevertheless a certain truth, and may be so used in that Creed 
by them wdio believe the same to be a truth ; so long as they 
pretend it not to be a definition of that Council, but an addi- 
tion or explication inserted, and condemn not those who, out 
of a greater respect to such synodical determinations, will 
admit of no such insertions, nor speak any other language than 
the Scriptures and their fathers spake. 

Howsoever, we have sufficiently in our assertions declared 
the nature of the Holy Ghost, distinguishing him from all qua- 
lities, energies, or operations, in that he is truly and properly 
a person ; differencing him from all creatures and finite things, 
as he is not a created person ; shewing him to be of an infinite 
and eternal essence, as he is truly and properly God ; distin- 
guishing him from the Father and the Son, as being not the 
Father, though the same God with the Father, not the Son, 
though the same God with him ; demonstrating his order in 
the blessed Trinity, as being not the first or second, but the 
third person, and therefore the third, because as the Son re- 
ceiveth his essence communicated to him by the Father, and 
is therefore second to the Father, so the Holy Ghost receiveth 
the same essence communicated to him by the Father and the 
Son, and so proceedeth from them both, and is truly and pro- 
perly the Spirit of the Father, and as truly and properly the 
Spirit of the Son. 

Thus far have we declared the nature of the Holy Ghost, 
what he is in himself, as the Spirit of God ; it remaineth that 
we declare what is the office of the same, what he is unto us 
as the Holy Spii-it : for although the Spirit of God be of 
infinite, essential, and original holiness, as God, and so may 



tSv, h Iv Tft? T^g 'mitr-riMi lufA-^oXo) khivoto- 
^I'tt, r.v I'^oiha-a.VTO ava.}ir,^vrT0VTSg to Tlvivfxa 
EJt TOV UctTpo; Kai In tov T\ov luTrofzCsr^ai, 
TheopJiul. ad loan, c. 3. Kat toTj AvTiX^oT? 
TOi'vuv £i' Tt juh TTlft TO ^oy/xa ^tafxa^TavBTdi 
Tnv TmcLT^iy-hv 'mia-Tiv caXivov, olov ^f> to Iv tx 
IVfxQaXo} TTsfi TOV ayiov Tlvevy-ctTcg Tr^oTTi^i- 
fASvov, EvSra o xivJuvo; fxiy^s-TOQ, toZto fxh 
lio^'$S'Ji(Ti'j}i a^iov/xr.ov 0 a-vy-)(x(M'i krwyjx^-n. 
Tcj. Ihid. Thus did the Urieutal Church 
accuse the Occidental for adding Filioque 
to the Creed, contrary to a general Coun- 
cil, which had prohibited all additions, 
and that without the least pretence of the 
authority of another Council ; and so the 
schism between the Latin and the Greek 
Church began and was continued, never 
to be ended until those words nal Ik t«u 



Tlov, or Filioque, are taken out of the 
Creed. The one relying upon the truth 
of the doctrine contained in those words, 
and the authority of the pope to alter 
any thing ; the other either denying or 
suspecting the truth of the doctrine, and 
being very zealous for the authority of the 
ancient Councils. This therefore is much 
to be lamented, that the Greeks should 
not acknowledge the truth which was_ 
acknowledged by their ancestors, in the 
substance of it ; and that the Latins 
should force the Greeks to make an ad- 
dition to the Creed, without as great an 
authority as hath prohibited it, and to 
use that language in the expression of 
this doctrine which never was used by 
any of the Greek fathers. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 489 



be called Holy in himself ; though other spirits, which were 
created, be either actually now unholy, or of defectible sanc- 
tity at first, and so having the name of Spirit common unto 
them, he may be termed Holy, that he may be distinguished 
from them ; yet I conceive he is rather called the Holy Spirit, 
or the Spirit of holiness," (Rom. i. 4.) because, of the three 
persons in the blessed Trinity, it is his particular office to sanc- 
tify or make us holy. 

Now when I speak of the office of the Holy Ghost, I do not 
understand any ministerial office or function, such as that of 
the created angels is, who are all ministering spirits sent forth 
to minister for them, who shall be heirs of salvation f ' (Heb. 
i. 14.) for I have already proved this Spirit to be a person pro- 
perly divine, and consequently above all ministration. But I 
intend thereby whatsoever is attributed unto him peculiarly in 
the salvation of man, as the work wrought by him, for which 
he is sent by the Father and the Son. For all the persons in 
the Godhead are represented unto us as concurring unto our 
salvation: ''God so loved the world, that he gave his only- 
begotten Son," (John iii. 16.) and through that Son we have an 
access by one Spirit unto the Father." (Eph. ii. 18.) As there- 
fore what our Saviour did and suffered for us belonged to that 
office of a Redeemer, which he took upon him ; so whatsoever 
the Holy Ghost worketh in order to the same salvation, we look 
upon as belonging to his office. And because without holiness 
it is impossible to please God, because we are all impure and 
unholy, and the purity and holiness which is required in us to 
appear in the presence of God, whose eyes are pure, must be 
wrought in us by the Spirit of God, who is called Holy because 
he is the cause of this holiness in us, therefore we acknowledge 
the office of the Spirit of God to consist in the sanctifying of 
the servants of God, and the declaration of this office, added to 
the description of his nature, to be a sufficient explication of 
the object of faith contained in this Article, / believe in the 
Holy Ghost. 

Now this sanctification being opposed to our impurity and 
corruption; and answering fully to the latitude of it, whatsoever 
is wanting in our nature of that holiness and perfection, must 
be supplied by tlie Spirit of God. Wherefore being by nature 
we are totally void of all saving truth, and under an impossi- 
bility of knowing the will of God ; being as " no man knoweth 
the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him ; 
even so none knoweth the things of God, but the Spirit of God 
this " Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God," 
(1 Cor. ii. 10, 1 1 .) and revealeth them unto the sons of men; 
so that thereby the darkness of their understanding is expelled, 
and they are enlightened with the knowledge of their God. 
This work of the Spirit is double, either external and general, 
or internal and particular. The external and general work of 



490 



ARTICLE VIII. 



the Spirit, as to the whole Church of God, is the revelation of 
the will of God, by which so much in all ages hath been pro- 
pounded as was sufficient to instruct men unto eternal life. 
For there have been *' holy prophets ever since the world be- 
gan," (Luke i. 70.) and prophecy *'came not at any time by the 
will of man, but holy men of God spake, as they were moved 
by the Holy Ghost.""'(2 Pet. i. 21.) When it pleased God " in 
the last days to speak unto us by his Son," (Heb. i. 2.) even 
that Son sent his Spirit into the apostles, ** the Spirit of truth, 
that he might guide them into all truth," *' teaching them all 
things, and bringing all things to their remembrance, whatso- 
ever Christ had said unto them." (John xvi. 13. xiv. 26.) By 
this means it came to pass, that " all Scripture was given by 
inspiration of God," (2 Tim. iii. 16.) that is, by the motion and 
operation of the Spirit of God; and so whatsoever is necessary 
for us to know and believe, was delivered by revelation. Again, 
the same Spirit which revealeth the object of faith generally to 
the universal Church of God, which object is propounded ex- 
ternally by the Church to every particular believer, doth also 
illuminate the understanding of such as believe, that they may 
receive the truth : for faith is the gift of God, not only in the 
object, but also in the act; Christ is not only given unto us, 
in whom we believe, but it is also given us in the behalf of 
Christ to believe in him;" (Phil. i. 29.) and this gift is a gift of 
the Holy Ghost, working within us an assent unto that which 
by the word is propounded to us : by this " the Lord opened 
the heart of Lydia, that she attended unto the things which 
were spoken of Paul ;" (Acts xvi. 14.) by this the word preached 
profiteth, being " mixed with faith in them that hear it." (Heb. 
iv. 2.) Thus ^' by grace we are saved through faith, and that 
not of ourselves, it is the gift of God." (Eph. ii. 8.) As the in- 
crease and perfection, so the original, or initiation of faith is 
from the Spirit of God,* not only by an external proposal in 
the word, but by an internal illumination in the soul; by which 
we are inclined to the obedience of faith, in assenting to those 
truths, which unto a natural and carnal man are foolishness. 
And thus we affirm not only the revelation of the will of God, 
but also the illumination of the soul of man, to be part of the 
office of the Spirit of God, against the old and new Pelagians. f 



* Tliis is the ancient determination of 
the second Arausican Council : ' Si quis 
sicut augmentum, ita etiam initium fidei, 
ipsumque credulitatis affectum, quo in 
eum credimus, qui justificat impium, at 
ad regenerationem baptismatis perveni- 
mus, non per gratise donum, id est, per 
inspirationem Spiritus S. corrigentis vo- 
luntatem nostram ab infidelitate ad fidem, 
ab irapietate ad pietatem, et naturaliter 
nobis inesse dicit, Apostolicis dogmatibus 
adversarius approbatur, beato Paulo di- 



cente, Conjidinms, quia qui cxpit in vobis 
bonum opus, perjiciet usque in diem Domini 
nostri Jesu Chrisii ; et illud, Vohis datum 
est pro Christo, noa solum ut iti. eum creda- 
tis, sed etiam ut pro illo patiamini. Et, 
Gratia salci facti estis per fidem, non ex 
vobis, Dei enim donum est.' Can, o. Concil. 
Araus, and Gennad. Eccl, Dogm. c. 4:^2. 

t It was the known opinion of the Pe- 
lagians, That it is in the power of man to 
believe the Gospel without any internal 
operation of the grace of God ; and St. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



491 



The second part of the office of the Holy Ghost is the sanc- 
tificatioii of man, in the regeneration and renovation of him. For 
our natural corruption consisting in an aversation of our wills, 
and a depravation of our affections, an inclination of them to 
the will of God is wrought within us by the Spirit of God. For 
"according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of rege- 
neration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." (Tit. iii. 5.) So that 

except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit, he 
cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John iii. 5.) We are all 
at first defiled by the corruption of our nature, and the pollution 
of our sins, "but we are washed, but we are sanctified, but we 
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit 
of our God." (1 Cor, vi. 11.) The second part then of the office 
of the Holy Ghost is the renewing of man in all the parts and 
faculties of his soul. 

The third part of this office is to lead, direct, and govern us 
in our actions and conversations, that we may actually do and 
perform those things which are acceptable and well-pleasing 
in the sight of God. " If we live in the Spirit," quickened by 
his renovation, we must "also walk in the Spirit," (Gal. v. 25.) 
following his direction, led by his manuduction. And if we 
'* walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh 
(Gal. V. 16.) for we are not only directed but animated and act- 
ed in those operations by the Spirit of God, "who giveth both 
to will and to do ; and as many as are thus led by the Spirit of 
God, they are the sons of God." (Rom. viii. 14.) Moreover 
that this direction may prove more effectual, we are also guided 
in our prayers, and acted in our devotions by the same Spirit, 
according to the promise, ^' I will pour upon the house of 
David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of 
grace and supplication." (Zech. xii. 10.) Whereas then " this 
is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing 
according to his will, he heareth us ;" (1 John v. 14.) and where- 
as " we know not what we should pray for as we ought, the 
Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which 
cannot be uttered, and he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth 
what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh interces- 
sion for the saints according to the will of God." (Rom. viii. 
26, 27.) From which intercession especially I conceive he 



Augustin was once of that opinion : 'Ne- 
que enim fidem putabam,' says he, ' Dei 
gratia prseveniri, ut per illam nobis dare- 
tur quod posceremus utiliter, nisi quia 
credere non possemus, si non prsiecederet 
pra?conium veritatis. Ut autem preedi- 
cato nobis Evangelio consentiremus no- 
strum esse proprium, et nobis ex nobis 
esse arbitrabar. Quern meum errorem 
nonnulla opuscula mea satis indicant ante 
Episcopatum meum scripta.' Be Fradest. 
Sanct. 1. i. c. 3. But whatsoever he had 



so written before he was made a bishop, 
he recalled and reversed in his Retracta- 
tion, 1. i. c. 23. and disputed earnestly 
against it as a part of the Pelagian heresy. 
This, as the rest of Pelagianism, is re- 
newed by the Socinians, who in the Raco- 
vian Catechism deliver it in this manner : 
' Nonne ad credendum Evangelio Spiritus 
Sancti interiore dono opus est"? NuUo 
modo : neque enim in Scripturis legimus 
cuiquam id conferri donum, nisi credenti 
Evangelio.' 



492 



ARTICLE VIII. 



hath the name of the Paraclete given him by Christ, who said, 
" I will pray unto the Father, and he shall give you another 
Paraelete." (John xiv. 16.) For ** if any man sin, we have a 
Paraclete with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," (1 John 
ii. 1.) saith St. John; "who also maketh intercession for us," 
(Rom. viii. 34.) saith St. Paul: and we have another Paraclete, 
saith our Saviour; which also maketh intercession for us," 
saith St. Paul. A Paraclete then, in the notion of the Scrip- 
tures, is an intercessor.* 



* n*faxX«Toj is five times used in the 
Scriptures, and that by St. John alone : 
four times in his Gospel, attributed to the 
Holy Ghost, once in his First Epistle, 
spoken of Christ [xiv. 16. 26. xv. 26. 
xvi. 7. 1 Ep. ii. 1.] When it relates to the 
Holy Ghost, we translate it always Com- 
forter ; when to Christ, we render it Ad- 
vocate : of which diversity there can be no 
reason, because Christ, who is a Para- 
clete, said, that he would send another 
Paraclete ; and therefore the notion must 
be the same in both : "aXXov TrasaxXurov 
^MTSi vixXv, touteVtiv, aXXov ly.k. 8. Chry- 
sost. ad loan. xiv. 16. If therefore in the 
language of St. John TrapajiXjjrof be a com- 
forter, then Christ is a comforter ; if Traga- 
3tX)]To? be an advocate, the Holy Ghost is 
the advocate. The Vulgar Latin keeps the 
Greek word in the Gospels Paracletus, 
but in the Epistle renders it Advocatus. 
The Syriac keepeth the original altoge- 
ther Kii-bpia as being of ordinary use in 
the writers of that and the Chaldee lan- 
guage ; and therefore was not well trans- 
lated Paracletus in the Gospels, and Ad- 
vocatus in the Epistle, by Tremellius. 
That the Latins did use generally the 
word Paracletus for the Holy Ghost, as it 
is now in the Vulgar Latin, appeareth by 
the description of the heresy of Montanus, 
which Tertullian calls : ' novam prophe- 
tiam de Paracleto iaundantem.' De Resur. 
Cam. c. 63. and ' spiritualem rationem, 
Paracleto auctore.' coat. Marc. 1. i. c. 29. 
And yet the most ancient Latin transla- 
tors rendered it Advocatus even in the Gos- 
pels, in reference to the Spirit ; as we 
read it in Tertullian : ' Bene quod et 
Dominus usus hoc verbo in persona Para- 
cleti, non divisionem significavit, seddis- 
positionem, Rogabo enim, inquit, Patrem, 
et alium advocatum mittet vobis Spiritum 
veritatis.' Adv. Prax. c. 9. So Novatian: 
* Ego rogabo Patrem, et alium Advocatum 
dabit vobis. Necnon etiam subdidit illud 
quoque, Advocatus autem Spiritus S. quern 
rnismrus est Pater, ille vos docebit.' De 
Trill, c. 28. ' Cum venerit Advocatus ille, 
quern ego mittam.' Apud S. Hilar, de Trin. 
I. viii. §. 19. Notwithstanding Consolator 
also is of good antiquity : as we read in 



the same St. Hilary : * Sumus nunc qui- 
dem consolati, quia Dominus ait, Mittet 
vobis Pater et alium Coiisolatorem.' Enar, 
in Psal. cxxv. §. 7. And it is possible 
that some which used Advocatus, might 
understand so much : for in the ancient 
Christian Latin, Advocare signifieth to 
comfort, and Advocatio, consolation; as 
being the bare interpretation of Trapajta- 
Xetv and 7rctpa.K\ns-i<;. As Tertullian trans- 
lates Tra^axaXBtrai 'STBvSoivTa,;, Isa. Ixi. 2. 
'Advocare languentes.' Adv. Marc. I. iv. 
c. 14. So when we read : * Vee vobis di- 
vitibus, quia habetis consolationem ve- 
stram :' Tertullian reads it : ' Vae vobis 
divitibus, quoniam recepistis advocatio- 
nem vestram.' Adv. Marc. 1. iv. c. 15. 
And speaking in his own language : 
' Beati, inquit, ^erttes at que lugentes. Quis 
talia sine patientia tolerat 1 Itaque tali- 
bus et advocatio et risus promittitur.' de 
Patient, c. 11. And as St. Hilary read 
it, so did St. Augustin expound it : ' Con- 
solabuntur Spiritu S., qui maxime pro- 
pterea Paracletus nominatur, id est, Con- 
solator.' De Serm. Dom. in Monte, 1. i. c. 2. 
' Cum Christus promiserit suis missurum 
se Paracletum, id est, Consolatorem vel 
Advocatum.' Contra Faust. 1. xiii. c. 17. 
' Consolator ergo ille, vel Advocatus, 
utrumque enim interpretatur quod est 
Graece Paracletus.' Expos, in loan. Tract. 
94. §. 2. And as they read or expound 
it, so did the Arabic translator render it 
by two several words, one in the Gospel, 
another in the Epistle, both signifying 
Consolator. Now what they meant by 
Advocatus is evident, that is, one which 
should plead the cause of Christiana 
against their adversaries which accused 
and persecuted them ; that as there is an 
accuser which is a spirit, even Satan ; so 
there should be an advocate to plead 
against that accuser, even the Holy Spirit. 

* Necessarius nobis est ros Dei, ut non 
comburamur, neque infructuosi efficiamur ; 
et ubi accusatorem habemus, illic habe- 
mus et Paracletum.' Iren. 1. iii. c. 19. 

• Hie ipse (Spiritus) et in Prophetis po- 
pulum accusavit, et in Apostolis advoca- 
tionem gentibus praestitit. Nam illi ut 
accusarentur merebantur, quia contemp- 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



493 



Fourthly, The office of the same Spirit is to join us unto 
Christ, and make us members of that one body of which our 
Saviour is the Head. *' For by one Spirit we are all baptized 
into one body. And as the body is one and hath many mem- 
bers, and all the members of that one body, being many, are 
one body, so also is Christ." (1 Cor. xii. 13. 12.)* "Hereby 
we know that God abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath 
given us." (1 John iii. 24.) As we become spiritual men by 
the Spirit which is in us, as that union with the body and the 
head is a spiritual conjunction, so it proceedeth from the Spi- 
rit; and " he that is joined unto the Lord is one Spirit." (1 Cor. 
vi. 17.) 

Fifthly, It is the office of the Holi/ Ghost to assure us of 
the adoption of sons, to create in us a sense of the paternal 
love of God towards us, to give us an earnest of our everlast- 
ing inheritance. "The love of God is shed abroad in our 
hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." (Rom. v. 5.) 
** For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the 



serant legem, et qui ex Gentibus credunt 
ut patrocinio Spiritus adjuventur meren- 
tur, quia ad Evangelicam perveiiire ges- 
tiuut legem.' Novat. de Trin. c. 29. And 
again : ' Quoniam Dominus in coelum as- 
set abiturus, Paracletum discipulis neces- 
sario dabat, ne illos quodammodo pupil- 
los, quod minime decebat, relinqueret, et 
sine Advocato et quodam Tutore desere- 
ret.' Ibid. In this sense it was, that when 
Vettius pleaded for the Gallican martyrs 
before their persecutors : h^iov anova-btivai 
a.rro'KoyovfA.ivoq vrref tmv aSsX<|)i;v endeavour- 
ing to clear them, he was called the Uaea.- 
kXmtoj of the Christians : a.vB\h<pQri Kctl av- 
TOj e'f Tov xX>)gov Ta)v {x,a^Tv^ciov, 7r«paxX»T0j 
X^ia-riavZv j^p»|UaTt'sra?. Acta Mart. Gul. 
apud Euseb. Hint. 1. v. c. I. In the same 
notion did the ancient Rabbins use the 
same word retained in their language, 
I3'''?p"l3, as appearetli by that in the Pii ke 
Avoih.c. 4. u*-'7pi3 lb n^ip nnK nv:ft3 nunyn 
: iHK n.-top "lb n2ip nnx m-ny -laiym mx 

He which keepeth one commandment, ga'ineth 
one adi orate, and he which transgresseth 
one, gelteth one accuser. As therefore "nj-Dp 
is xaTiij/opoj, SO U^bpIS is crvvrjyo^og, or pj- 
trouus qui cnusam ei agit. And so Advo- 
catus is ordinarily understood for him 
which pleadeth and maintaineth the cause 
of any one. But I conceive there were 
other Advocati, and especially TrapaJtXnrot 
among the Greeks, who did not plead or 
maintain the cause, but did only assist 
with their presence, entreating and inter- 
ceding by way of petition to the judges, 
such as were the friends of the reus, 
called by him to his assistance, and inter- 
teding for him ; in both which respects 
they were called vragaxX^iTof. As we read 



in Isaeus tt. t. KXsojv. kXyj^. p. 36. 1. ed. 
Steph. rovg (piXovq 7rapaxaX£<ravT6j, xctj pnTO- 
^ai; TTct^aa-nevcta-afxsvoi- the pfiropig were to 
plead, the <^);Xoi TrafaKXriroi were to inter- 
cede. The action of these Advocati was 
called 7rapaxX»3-tf, and by the ancient 
grammarians TragaxXnirjc is interpreted 
SsMiTi? ; as Harpocration : TiQsTai fA,svTOi 
<7-7ran'(wj y.a.1 avrl t»i; Jeiisrea;?" AvuoZ^yog, Iv 
TiS Trept 'iBpiiag, Tr^oEiTTo^v, El ^sv i.7r£p liiov 
Tivo? riv 6 ayaiv, ISeo^oojv kv v/xoov (/.It ev- 
vota? aKovcrcti fj,QV fjt.iT oXiyov (pnTt, Hvvi 
avrovi; tifxag otfAai tovto TToinireiv xat 
)(ict>fiiq Tra^anXha-BMq rr? SfA-nq. And that 
the action of the TrapanXJi-rot was ^sna-i;, 
entreaty, and petition, appears by those 
words of Demosthenes .• Ai Sa tZv Trapa- 
icXhrctiv rowrcicv ^Bhsstq aai a-Trou^cti roliv l^ioDV 
TrXeove^iouy 'ivenct Byivovro. Orat. 'sre^i TragaTT^. 
§. 1. Of these Tra^ax-Xnroj is ^schines to 
be understood : T^v fj.lv Tra^aa-xivfiv o^ars, 
Kal rriv TTd^cLTcL^iV, otTK ysyBvmai, koi raj 
Kar ayo^av hhffiK;, al'g Kt^pnVTai rtyiq. Orat. 
Kara. Krnj. 1. Thus I conceive the 
notion of Tra.pkv.Xnroq, common to the Son 
and to the Holy Ghost, to consist espe- 
cially in the office of intercession, which 
by St. Paul is attributed to both, and is 
thus expressed of the Spirit by Novatia- 
nus : 'Qui interpellat divinas aures pro 
nobis gemitibus ineloquacibus, advoca- 
tionis implens officia et defensionis exhi- 
bens muuera.' De Trin. c. 29. 

"* • Dominus pollicitus est mittere so 
Paracletum qui nos aptaret Deo. Sicut 
enim de tritico massa una fieri non potest 
sine humore, neque unus panis ; ita nec 
nos multi unum fieri in Christo Jesu po- 
teramas sine aquaquaj de coelo e.st.' h en, 
1. iii. c. 19. 



494 



ARTICLE Vin. 



sons of God." (Rom. viii. 14.) And ''because we are sons, 
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father.'^ (Gal. iv. 6.) " Forive have not received 
the spirit of bondage again to fear; but we have received the 
Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit 
itself bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children 
of God." (Rom. viii. 15, 16.) As therefore we are born again 
by the Spirit, and receive from him our regeneration, so w^e are 
also assured by the same Spirit of our adoption; and, because 
being sons we are also "heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs 
with Christ,'' (Rom. viii. 17.) by the same Spirit we have the 
pledge, or rather the earnest of oar inheritance. For *' he 
which stablisheth us in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, 
who hath also sealed us, and hath given the earnest of his 
Spirit in our hearts ;" (2 Cor. i.21, 22.) so that we are "sealed 
with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our 
inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession." 
(Eph. i. 13, 14.) The Spirit of God as given unto us in this 
life, though it have not the proper nature of a pledge ; as in 
the gifts received here being no way equivalent to the promised 
reward, nor given in the stead of any thing already due ; yet 
is to be looked upon as an earnest,^ being part of that reward 



* The word appaiSiv, whicli the apostle 
onlyuseth in this particu!ar,isof a Hebrew 
extraction ; limy from mj; a word of pro- 
mise and engagement in commerce, bar- 
gains, and agreements ; and being but in 
one particular affair used in the Old Tes- 
tament is taken for a pledge, Gen. xxxviii. 
17, 18. 20. and translated appa^MV by the 
LXX. as well as NDi^u'D by tlie Chaldee ; 
yet the Greek word otherwise, conso- 
nantly enough to the origination, signifieth 
rather an earnest than a pledge, as the 
Greeks and Latins generally agree, 
Hesifch. 'Apl>a0MV, vrpoh/na, Etym, 'Appa- 
Bchv, h £7r; TaT? obvaV? tiTa^a, tSiv movfASVoov 
SiSojM.Evri TT^oHcna^oXh vtts^ ao-<^aXgta?. Which 
words are also extant in Suidas, but 
corruptly. To this purpose is cited that 
of Menander : 

MiJtpou 

Mev apj5a/3a)v' Eijflu? y.' snsicrs Kctra^aXsiv 
So Aristotle speaking of Thales : svTrop-n- 
(ravra ^^rj/xaToov ohiyco:' apf/ci^SivcLg ^la^oZvai Ta'V 
Ixaioupyioov. Polit. 1. 1. c. 11. So the Latins. 
* Arrhabo sic dicta, ut reliquum reddatur. 
Hoc verbum a Grsco appa^?<wy. Reliquum 
ex eo quod debitum reliquit.' Vurro de 
L. L. 1. iv. p. 41. 'In terrenis negotiis 
arrhae quantitas, contractus illius pro quo 
intercesserit quaedam portio est ; pignoris 
vero ratio, meritum rei pro qua poni 
videtur excedit.' Paschas. Diac. 1. i. de 
Sp. S. c. 11. ' Pignus Latinus interpres 
pro arrhabone posuit. Non idipsum au- 
tem arrhabo quod pignus sonar. Arrhabo 



enim futurss emptioni quasi quoddam 
testimonium et obligamentum datur. 
Pignus vero, hoc est, Ivsp^L-fov, pro mutua 
pecunia opponitur, ut cum ilia reddita 
fuerit, reddenti debitum pignus a creditore 
reddatur.' S. Hier ad Ephes. i. 14-. There 
is such another observation in A. Gellius, 
upon these words of Q. Claudius : ' Cum 
tantus arrhabo penes Samnites Populi 
Romani esset : Arrhabonem dixit sex- 
centos obsides, et id maluit quam pignus 
dicere, quoniam vis hujus vocabuli in ea 
sententia gravior acriorque est.' Noct. 
Att. 1. xvii. c. 2. The sense and use of 
this word are evident in Plautus : 

' Eas quanti destinat"? 
Tr. Talentis magnis tolidem quot ego 

et tu sumus. 
Sed arrhaboni has dedit quadraginta 

minas.' 

]jIoste!L a. iii. sc. i. 113. 
The sum was 1201. of which he gave 401. 
in part of payment, and this was the 
arrhabo. So tiie Greek fathers interpret 
St. Paul. A<a. /UEVTOi appa^oSvo? fM^aro tcSv 
So&njrOjU£ViX'V TO fASysSog' 0 ya.^ appa^MV fAiK^ov 
Ti |M.Epo? Icrri roZ wavTo?. Theodoret. ad 
2 Cor. i. ^2. Aia roZro ya.§ jcat appa^iv 
TO vvv ^o6iV ovOjCca^srai, oog TcoXKa.nr'kaa-ia.q 
litei' loQno'o^xiVYiq rnq p^apiToj. Id. ad 1 Cor. 
XV. 44. Ov^l nvBv/ji.a. bTttsv a.TT\ooq, aXK 
appa^ZvA wvofjiacev, I'va, kmo tovtov koI tts^i 
rov TravTo? dappnq. S. Chriisost. Horn, ad 
2 Cor. i. 22. In this manner speaks 
Eusebius : Ta '5T§WToXe!« tmv etiTa^'KMV sv - 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



495 



which is promised, and, upon the condition of performance 
of the covenant which God hath made with us, certainly to 
be received. 

Sixthly, For the effecting of all these and the like particulars, 
it is the office of the same Spirit to sanctify and set apart per- 
sons for the duty of the ministry, ordaining them to intercede 
between God and his people, to send up prayers to God for 
them, to bless them in the name of God, to teach the doctrine 
of the Gospel, to administer the sacraments instituted by 
Christ, to perform all things necessary ** for the perfecting of 
the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the 
body of Christ." (Eph. iv. 12.) The same Spirit which illumi- 
nated the apostles, and endued them with power from above to 
perform personally their apostolical functions, fitted them also 
for the ordination of others, and the committing of a standing 
power to a successive ministry unto the end of the world ; who 
are thereby obliged to " tuke heed unto themselves, and to all 
the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them over- 
seers, to feed the Church of God." (Acts xx. 28.) 

By these and the like means doth the Spirit of God sanctify 
the sons of men, and by virtue of this sanctification, proceed- 
ing immediately from his office, he is properly called the 
Holy Spirit. And thus I have sufficiently described the ob- 
ject of our faith contained in this Article, What is the Hol^ 
Ghost in whom we believe, both in relation to his nature,* as 
he is the Spirit of God, and in reference to his office, as he is 
the Holy Spirit. 

The necessity of the belief of this Article appeareth, first, 
from the nature and condition of the Creed, whereof it is an 
essential part, as without which it could not be looked upon 
as a Creed. For being the Creed is a profession of that faith 
into which we are baptized ; being the first rule of faith vvas 



fisvJe 'ur^oap^alSojvl^BTai. De Vita Constant. 
I. i. c. 3. OiIth yct^ ttSv x£KOjaiV|WE&a, ovre 
TravTo? VJ-TS^oufASV aXX' olov appa^MVa, tZv 
etlooyicvv iyaBaiv x.ctl tov 'izraT^ooov TrXovTCv 
Tix^os-ei'Kh'pafXBv. Throdor. in Clem. Alex. 802. 
So Tertullian : ' Hie sequester Dei atque 
liominum appellatus ex utriusque partis 
deposito commisso sibi, carnis quoque 
depositum servat in semetipso, Mrrhabo- 
nem sumraae totius. Queinadinodum 
enim nobis arrhabonem Spiritus reliqait, 
ita eta nobis arrhabonem carnis accepit, 
et vexit in ccelum pignus totius summfie 
illuc quandoque redigendae ' Ds Resur. 
Cam. c. 51. ' Plane accepit et hie Spi- 
ritum caro, sed arrhabonem ; aninife au- 
tem non arrhabonem sed })!enitudinem.' 
Ibid. c. 5.3. So though the translator of 
Iren?eu3 render appa^Sjv pignus, yet it is 
evident that Irena^us did understand by 
appaiSi'v an earnest : ' Quod et pignus, dixit 
Apostoiu?, hoc e^t, partem ejus honoris 



qui a Deo nobis proniissus est, in Epistola 
quae ad Ephesios est.' 1. v. c. 8. 1. 
And a little after : ' Si enim pignus cora- 
plectens hominem in semetipsum jam 
facit dicere, Abba, Pater ; quid faciet 
universa Spiritus gratia, quje hominibus 
dabitur a Deo, cum similes nos ei efficiet, 
et perficie voluntate Patris?' Ihid. 

* In respect of the nature of the Holy 
Ghost, I have endeavoured the same 
which Faustus Rhegiensis did, of whom 
Gennadius relates thus much : ' Faustus 
ex Abbate Lirinensis Monasterii apud 
regnum Galliae Episcopus factus, vir in 
divinis Scripturis satis intentus, ex tradi- 
tione Symboli occasione accepta, compo- 
suit librum de Spiritu S., in quo ostendit 
eum juxta fidem patrum et consubstan- 
tialera et coeeternalem esse Patri et Filio, 
ac plenitudinem Trinitatis obtinentem.' 
Illuf^tv. Vir. Cat. 87. 



496 



ARTICLE VITI. 



derived from the sacred form of baptism; being we are bap- 
tized '* in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the 
Holy Ghost,'* we are obliged to profess faith in them three ; 
that as they are distinguished in the institution, so they may 
be distinguished in our profession. And therefore the briefest 
comprehensions of faith have always included the Holy Ghost, 
and some concluded with it* 



* I have formerly shewn at large how 
the Cubed did first arise from the bap- 
tismal institution, p. 47, 48. And there- 
fore as the name of the Holy Ghost is an 
essential part of that form, so must the 
belief in him be as essential in the Creed, 
which was at first nothing else but an ex- 
plication of that form. The first enlarge- 
ment and explication we find in Justin 
Martyr thus expressed : 'Ett' hofxa.roq roZ 
ITttTfo? rZv oXotiv KOI tiT'ororov ©eou, KcCi Itt' 
ovofxarog rov lasrvpoi hfjiouv 'l«£rou Xftrrov 
TOW o-TaufwSivTOf ETTi YlovTiou ITtXaTOi/, xat 
Itt' ovofxaroq TlvsvfxaToq, o iia, tmv irpo<pr)rS!iv 
TTpcsKfipu^B ra Kara, tov 'imrovv Travra, o (pMTi- 
i^ofxsvog Kovercti. Apol. 2. p. 94, And the 
rule of faith delivered soon after by 
Irenaeus, is very consonant to it : El? ha 
©gov narepa 7r«vTo>tpaTog£t, tov in'rrotriKora 
TOV ovpavov Ktti T^v ynv koI rai; ^AXac-Taq xai 
WttVTtt ra, h avToXq' xaj si? I'va Xjjcttov 
erovv TOV Tlov tou ©sow, tov 3-af>t(w9 sWa uTTsp 
hf^STB^ctg a-MTtipictg, xcu el? Tlvsufxa ayiov to 
S'ja TiiJv 'OT^O'pmrZv XEKrjpyp^o? Tag olKovofXicL^ 
xa,] Ta? £\E!jo-£4?. Adv. Hcer. 1. i. c 2. As 
that delivered soon after him by Tertullian : 
' Unum quidem Deum credimus, sub hac 
tamen dispensatione (quam olxovo^i'av 
dicimus) ut unici Dei sit et Filius Sermo 
ipsius, qui ex ipso processerit, per quem 
omnia facta sunt, et sine quo factum est 
nihil. Hunc missura a Patre in virginem, 
et ex ea natum hominem et Deum, filium 
hominis et Filium Dei, et cognominatum 
Jesum Christum ; Hunc passum, hunc 
mortuum, et sepultum secundum Scrip- 
turas, resuscitatum a Patre, et in coelos 
resumptum, sedere ad dextram Patris, 
Tenturum judicare vivos et mortuos. 
Qui exinde miserit, secundum promis- 
sionem suam, a Patre Spiiitum S., Para- 
cletum, Sanctificatorem fidei eonim qui 
credunt in Patrera et Filium et Spiritum 
Sanctum.' Adv. Pmr. c. 2. Indeed there 
is an objection made against this truth by 
the Socinians, who would have us believe 
that in the first creeds or rules of faith the 
Holy Ghost was not included. Thus 
Schlictingius writing against Meisner : 
' Porro observatum est a quibusdam ter- 
tiam banc Symboli istius partem quae a 
Spiritu S. incipit, ab initio defuisse, seu 
in Symbolo non fuisse additam ; idque 
non immerito, cum non personas ullas, in 
quas credeudum sit (quas solas, ut ap- 



paret, auctoribus Symboli coromemorare 
propositum fuit), sed res tantum creden- 
das complectatur, quae implicite fide in 
Deum et in Jesum Christum omnes con- 
tinentur. Hoc si ita est, sane defuit 
tertia Persona, quae Deum ilium unum 
nobis declararet. Tertullianus (de Virg. 
veland. §. 1.) sane Auctor antiquissimus 
et temporibus Apostolorum proximus, 
banc tertiam Symboli istius partem non 
tantum ita non apposuit, ut omitteret ; 
sed ita ut excluderet.' In 4. Socin. Rat. 
de Tr'in. Quod S^mboLo Apostolico non re- 
sprndeat. art, 1. §. 3. But as he argues 
very warily with his Hoc si ita est, so he 
disputes most fallaciously : for first he 
makes Tertullian the most ancient and 
next to the apostles, and so would bring 
an example of the first creed from him ; 
whereas Justin Martyr and Irenaeus were 
both before him, and they both mention 
expressly the Holy Ghost in their rules of 
faith. Secondly, he makes Tertullian 
exclude the Holy Ghost from the rule of 
faith, which he clearly expresseth in the 
place forecited ; and therefore that place 
by him mentioned, cannot be an exclusion, 
but an omission only ; and the cause of 
that omission in that place is evident, 
that he might bring in his opinion of the 
Paracletus with the better advantage. 
Thus when Eusebius Cassariensis gave in 
a copy of the Creed (by which he was 
catechized, baptized, and consecrated) to 
the Council of Nice, it runs thus : nicrrsi/o- 
fxsv £1? ha. ©£ov IlaTEfa, &c. Ka] eI? ha Kv^tov 
I^iToSv Xpiarov, &c. TErtiTTEtJOjUEV )ial Ei? eV 
Ui/ivfjia ayicv, and there concludes. Socrat. 
Hist. Eccles. 1. i. c. 8. In conformity 
whereunto, the Nicene Council, altering 
some things, and adding others against 
the Arians, concludeth in the same man- 
ner, nal eU TO ayiov Uvsv/ua. Ibid. And the 
Arian bishops in the Synod in Antioch 
not long after : ITjtteuoiUEv na) eI? to ayiov 
UvsufAO,, el Se Se? Trpo^^Efvia!, mc-reuOfA.sv xai 
WEft srapxo? avaa-raciooq, nai ^oo^; alooviov. 
From whence it appeareth that the pro- 
fession of faith in the Father, Son, and 
Holy Ghost, was counted essential to the 
Ceeed ; the rest which followed was 
looked upon as a ir^oa-Qhw. ' Quid nunc 
de Spiritu Sancto dicemus, quem credere 
consequente Symboli parte in Trinitate 
praecipimur 1' Al. A vit. Serm. de Symh. 



I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST. 



497 



Secondly, It is necessary to believe in the Holy Ghost, not 
only for the acknowledgment of the eminency of his person, 
but also for a desire of the excellency of his graces, and the 
abundance of his gifts. What the apostle wished to the Co- 
rinthians, ought to be the earnest petition of every Christian, 
that " the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, 
and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all." (2 Cor. 
xiii. 14.) For *' if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is 
none of his (Rom. viii. 9.) if he have not that which maketh 
the union, he cannot be united to him ; if he acknowledgeth 
him not to be his Lord, he cannot be his servant ; and " no 
man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 
(1 Cor. xii. 3.) " That which is born of the Spirit is spirit 
such is their felicity who have it : " That which is born of the 
flesh is flesh such is their infelicity which want it. (John iii. 6.) 
What then is to be desired in comparison of " the supply of the 
Spirit of Jesus Christ;" (Phil. i. 19.) especially considering 
the encouragement we receive from Christ, w^ho said, If ye 
being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children, 
how much more shall your heavenly Father give his Holy Spi- 
rit to them that ask him?" (Luke xi. 13.) 

Thirdly, It is necessary to profess faith in the Holy Ghost, 
that " the will of God" may be effectual in us, " even our sanc- 
tification." (1 Thess. iv. 3.) For if*' God hath from the be- 
ginning chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the 
Spirit;" (2 Thess. ii. 13.) if we be "elected according to the fore- 
knowledge of the Father through sanctification of the Spirit 
unto obedience ;" (1 Pet. i. 2.) if the office of tlie Spirit doth 
consist in this, and he be therefore called holy, because he is 
to sanctify us, how should we "follow peace with all men, and 
holiness, v*^ithout which no man shall see the Lord?" (Heb. 
xii. 14.) How should we endeavour to cleanse ourselves from 
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the 
fear of God ?" (2 Cor. vii. 1.) The temple of God is holy, 
which temple we are, if the Spirit of God dwelleth in us ;" 
(1 Cor. iii. 16, 17.) for the inhabitation of God is a consecra- 
tion, and that place must be a temple, where his honour dwell- 
eth. Now if we " know that our body is the temple of the 
Holy Ghost which is in us, which we have of God ;" if we know 
that we " are not our own," for that we are *^ bought with a 
price ;" we must also know that we ought " therefore to glorify 
God in our body, and in our spirit, which are God's :" (I Cor. 
vi. 19, 20.) thus it is necessary to believe in the Spirit of sanc- 
tification, that our hearts may be established unblameable in 
holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints." (1 Thess. iii. 13.) 

Fourthly, It is necessary to believe in the Holy Ghost, that 
in all our weaknesses w^e may be strengthened, in all our infir- 
mities we may be supported, in all our discouragements we 



498 



ARTICLE VIII. 



may be comforted, in the midst of miseries we may be filled 
with peace and inward joy. For the kingdom of God is not 
meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the 
Holy Ghost." (Rom. xiv. 17.) We read of the disciples at first, 
that they " were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost ;" 
(Acts xiii. 52.) and those which afterwards " became followers 
of them and of the Lord, received the word in much affliction, 
but with joy of the Holy Ghost." (1 Thess. i. 6.) These are 
the rivers of living water flowing out of his belly that be- 
lieveth (John vii. 38.) this is the "oil of gladness/' where- 
with the Son of God was " anointed above his fellows ;" (Psal. 
xlv. 7. Heb. i. 9.) but yet with the same oil his fellows are 
anointed also : for we " have an unction from the H0I3" One, 
and the anointing which we receive of him, abideth in us." 
(1 John ii. 20. 27.) 

Lastly, The belief of the Holy Ghost is necessary for the 
continuation of a submissive ministry, and a Christian submis- 
sion to the acts of their function, unto the end of the world. 
For as God the Father sent the Son, and the Spirit of the 
Lord was upon him, because he had anointed him to preach 
the gospel (Luke iv. 18.) so the Son sent the apostles, say- 
ing, As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you ; and 
when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said unto them. 
Receive the Holy Giiost:" (John xx. 21, 22.) and as the Son 
sent the apostles, so did they send others by virtue of the same 
Spirit, as St. Paul sent Timothy and Titus, and gave them power 
to send others, saying to Timothy, Lay hands suddenly on 
no man (1 Tim. v. 22.) and to Titus, " For this cause left I 
thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that 
are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed 
thee." (Tit. i. 5.) Thus, by virtue of an apostolical ordination, 
there is for ever to be continued a ministerial succession. 
Those which are thus separated by ordination to the work of 
the Lord, are to feed the flock of God which is among them, 
taking the oversight thereof (1 Pet. v. 2.) and those which 
are committed to their care, are to remember and obey them 
that have the rule over them, and submit themselves, for that 
they watch for their souls, as they that must give account.'' 
(Heb. xiii. 7. 17.) 

Having thus at large asserted the verity contained in this 
Article, and declared the necessity of believing it, we may easily 
give a brief exposition, by which every Christian may know 
what he ought to profess, and how he is to be understood, 
when he saith, / believe in the Holy Ghost. For thereby he is 
conceived to declare thus much : I freely and resolvedly assent 
unto this as unto a certain and infallible truth, that beside all 
other whatsoever, to whom the name of Spirit is or may be 
given, there is one particular and peculiar Spirit, who is truly 
and properly a person, of a true, real, and personal subsistence^ 



TflE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 499 



not a created but uncreated person, and so the true and one 
eternal God ; that though he be that God, yet he is not the 
Father nor the Son, but the Spirit of the Father and the Son, 
the third person in the blessed Trinity, proceeding from the 
Father and the Son : I believe this infinite and eternal Spirit 
to be not only of perfect and indefectible holiness in himself ; 
but also to be the immediate cause of all holiness in us, reveal- 
ing the pure and undefiled will of God, inspiring the blessed 
apostles, and enabling them to lay the foundation, and by a 
perpetual succession to continue the edification of the Church, 
illuminating the understandings of particular persons, rectify- 
ing their wills and affections, renovating their natures, uniting 
their persons unto Christ, assuring them of the adoption of 
sons, leading them in their actions, directing them in their de- 
votions, by all ways and means purifying and sanctifying their 
souls and bodies, to a full and eternal acceptation in the sight 
of God. This is the eternal Spirit of God ; in this manner is 
that Spirit holy; and thus I believe in the Holy Ghost. 



ARTICLE IX. 



The Holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints. 

In this ninth Article we meet with some variety of position, 
and with much addition ; for whereas it is here the ninth, in 
some Creeds we find it the last j'^ and whereas it consisteth 



* Although generally the Article of the 
holy Church did immediately follow the 
Article of the Holif Ghost, as Tertullian 
well observeth : ' Cum sub tribus et tes- 
tatio fidei et sponsio salutis pignorentur, 
necessario adjicitur ecclesicE meutio, quo- 
niam ubi tres, id est, Pater et Filius et 
Spiritus Sanctus, ibi ecclesia quai trium 
corpus est.' De Buptis. c. 6. And St. 
Augustin : ' Spiritus S. si creatura non 
Creator esset, profecto creatura rationalis 
esset. Ipse enim esset summa creatura ; 
et ideo in Regula fidei non poneretur ante 
ecclesiara, quia et ipse ad ecclesiam per- 
dneret.' Enchir c. 56. And the author 
of the first book De Symh. ad Catech. ' Se- 
quitur post S. Trinitatis commendationem, 
sunctani ecclesiam.' §. 13. And St. Jerome 
cited in the next note. Yet notwith- 
standing this order was not always ob- 
served, but sometimes this Article was 
reserved to the end of the Creed. As 
first appeareth in that remarkable place 
of St. Cyprian : * Quod si aliquis illud 
opponit, ut dicat eandem Novatiauum 
legem tenere quam catholica ecclesia te- 

2 



neat, eodem symbolo quo et nos bapti- 
zare, eundem nosse Deum Patrem, eun- 
dem Filium Christum, eundem Spiritum 
S., ac propter hoc usurpare eum potes- 
tatem baptizandi posse, quod videatur in 
interrogatione baptismi a nobis non dis- 
crepare ; sciat quisquis et hoc opponen- 
dum putat, primum non esse unam nobis 
et schismaticis symboli legem, neque ean- 
dem interrogationem. Nam cum dicunt, 
Credis remissionem peccatorum, et vitam 
(Eternam per sanctam ecclesiaynl mentiuntur 
in interrogatione, cum non habent eccle- 
siara. Tunc deinde voce sua ipsi confi- 
tentur remissionem peccatorum non dari, 
nisi per sanctam ecclesiam.' Ep. ad Mag)u 
1. i. ep. 6. <§. 6. al. ep. 76. Thus Arius 
and Euzoius, in the words hereafter cited, 
place the Church in the conclusion of 
their creed. And the author of the second 
book de Symb. ad Catech. placeth the re- 
mission of sins after the Holy Ghost : 'Noli 
injuriam facere ei qui te fecit, ut conse- 
quaris ab illo, quod in isto sancto sym- 
bolo sequitur, Remissioneni omjiinin pecca- 
torum:' §. 21. and after he hath spoken of 
K 2 



600 



ARTICLE IX. 



of two distinct parts, the latter is wholly added, and the for- 
mer partly augmented ; the most ancient professing no more 
than to believe the holy Church:* and the Greeks having added, 
by way of explication or determination, the word catholick, it 
was at last received into the Latin Creed. 

To begin then with the first part of the Article, I shall endea- 
vour so to expound it, as to shew what is the meaning of the 
C^wrcA, which Christ hath propounded to us ; how that Church 
is holy, as the apostle hath assured us ; how that holy Church 
is catholick J as the fathers have taught us. For when I say, I 



the resurrection and life everlasting, pro- 
ceedeth thus to speak of the Church : 

♦ Sancta ecclesia, in qua omnis sacrameuti 
terminatur auctoritas,' &c. §. 24. And 
the author of the third : ' Ideo sacramenti 
hujus conclusio, per ecclesiaia terminatur, 
quia ipsa est mater fcecunda.' §. 13. And 
the author of the fourth : ' Per sanctum 
ecclesiam, Propterea hujus conclusio sa- 
cramenti per sanctam ecclesiam termina- 
tur, quoniam si quis absque ea inventus 
fuerit, alienus erit anumero filiorum ; nec 
habebit Deum Patrem qui ecclesiam no- 
luerit habere matrem.' ^. 13. Thus there- 
fore they disposed the last part of the 
Creed : * Credo in Spiritum Sanctum, 
peccatorum remissionem, carnis resurrec- 
tionem, et vitam aeternam per sanctam ec- 
clesiam.' And the design of this trans- 
position, was to signify, that remission of 
sins and resurrection to eternal life, are to 
be obtained in and by the Church : as 
the Creed in the first homily under the 
name of St. Chrysostom : ' Credo in Spi- 
ritum S. Iste Spiritus perducit ad sanc- 
tam ecclesiam ; ipsa est qufe dimittit pec- 
cata, promittit carnis resurrectionem, pro- 
mittit vitam aeternam.' 

* TertuUian : • Quae est mater nostra, 
in quam repromisimus sanctam ecclesiam.' 
Adv. Marcio7i. 1. v. c 4. So Ruffinus : 
sanctam ecclesiam. §. 35. For catholicam 
is added by Pamelius. So St. Jerome : 

* Praeterea cum solenne sit in lavacro post 
Trinitatis confessionem interrogare, Cre- 
dis sanctam ecclesiam? Credis remissionem 
■peccatorum? Quam ecclesiam credidisse 
eum dices ? Arianorum 1 sed non habent : 
nostram 1 sed extra banc baptizatus non 
potuit eam credere quam nescivit.' cont. 
Lucif. col. 297. And St. Augustin : 
' Credimus et sanctam ecclesiam' with this 
declaration, ' -aiio^ne caiholicam .' DeFid.et 
Symb. c. 10. So Maximus Taurin., Chry- 
sologus, and Venantius Fortunatus. The 
author of the first book De Symb. ad Catech. 
' Sequitur post Sanctae Trinitatis commen- 
dationem, sanctam ecclesiam.' The author 
of the other three who placeth this Ar- 
ticle last of all : * sancta ecclesia, in qua 



omnis hujus sacramenti terminatur aucto- 
ritas :' 1. ii. and iv. expressly per sanctam 
ecclesiam, as the words of the Creed, with 
the explication beforementioned. As also 
the interrogation of the Novatians ending 
with per sanctam ecclesiam, cited before 
out of St. Cyprian. So likewise of those 
two homilies on the Creed, which are 
falsely attributed to St. Chrysostom, the 
first hath sanctam ecclesiam after the belief 
in the Holy Ghost; the second concludeth 
the Creed with per sanctam ecclesiam. 'In 
carnis resurrectionem fides, in vita asterna 
spes, in sancta ecclesia caritas.' Thus the 
ancient Saxon Creed set forth by Freherus, 

' Tha halgan gela'Singe,' i. e. the 

holy Church ; the Greek Creed in Saxon 
letters in Sir Robert Cotton's library, and 
the old Latin Creed in the Oxford library. 
* Deus qui in coelis habitat, et condidit ex 
nihilo ea qufe sunt, et multiplicavit pro- 
pter sanctam ecclesiam suam, irascitur 
tibi.' Herm. 1. i. Visione 1. ' Virtute sua 
potenti condidit sanctam ecclesiam suam.' 
Ibid. ' Rogabam Dominum, ut revela- 
tiones ejus, quas mihi ostendit per san- 
ctam ecclesiam suam, confirmaret.' Idem, 
Vis. 4. But though it were not in the 
Roman or Occidental Creeds, yet it was 
anciently in the Oriental, particularly in 
that of Jerusalem, and that of Alexandria. 
In the Creed at Jerusalem it was cer- 
tainly very ancient ; for it is expounded 
by St. Cyril, archbishop of that place : 
el? |Ui'ay ay'iav KaBoXmnv lim'Krjc-lav. Catech. 
xviii. And in the Alexandrian it was as 
ancient ; for Alexander, archbishop of 
that place, inserts it in his confession, in 
his Epistle ad Alexandrum : [j-iav y.eu y.mry 
xaS-oXiX^v a.TTOs-Ta'hiH.hv iKKXi^criay. Theo- 
doret. Hist. 1. i. c. 3. And Arius and 
Euzoius, in their confession of faith given 
in to Constantine, thus concludes : Kai e'; 
naboXinhv lxxX»c-i'av roZ ©soD, a'sro 'mrifa.- 
rccv 'iax; TtE^a.-iocv. Socrat. Hist. Eccl. 1. i. c. 
26. The same is also expressed in both 
the Creeds, the lesser and the greater, 
delivered by Epiphanius in Ancorato, §. 
120, 121. ; the words are repeated in the 
next observation. 



THE HOI.Y CATHOLICK CHURCH. 501 



believe in the holj/ catholic Church, I mean that there is a 
Church which is holy,* and which is catholick ; and I under- 
stand that Church alone, which is both catholick and holy : 
and being, this holiness and Catholicism are but affections of 
this Church which I believe, I must first declare what is the 
nature and notion of the Church ; how I am assured of the 
existence of that Church ; and then how it is the subject of 
these two affections. 

For the understanding of the true notion of the Church, first 
we must observe, that the nominal definition or derivation of 
the word is not sufficient to describe the nature of it. If we 
look upon the old English word now in use. Church or Kirk^f 
it is derived from the Greek, and first signified, the house of 
the Lord, that is, of Christ, and from thence was taken to sig- 
nify the people of God, meeting in the house of God. The 
Greek word used by the apostles to express the Church, sig- 
nifieth a calling forth,\ if we look upon the origination ; a con- 



* ' Credo sanctam Ecclesiam,' I he- 
Ueve there is a holy Church ; or, ' Credo 
in sanctam Ecclesiam,' is the same : nor 
does the particle in added or subtracted 
make any difference. For although some 
of the Latin and Greek fathers press the 
force of that preposition, as is before ob- 
served, though Ruffinusurge it far in this 
particular : * Ut autem una eademque in 
Trinitate divinitas doceatur, sicut dictum 
est in Deo Patre credi adjecta pra;po- 
sitione, ita et in Christo Filio ejus, ita et 
in Spiritu S. memoratur. Sed ut mani- 
festius fiat quod dicimus, ex cousequenti- 
bus approbabitur. Sequitur namque post 
hunc sermonem, sanctam ecclesiam, remis- 
sionem peccatorum, hujus carnis resurrec- 
tionem. Non dixit, in sanctam ecclesiam, 
nec in remissionem peccatorum, nee in 
carnis resurrectionem ; si enim addidisset 
in praepositionem, una eademque vis fuis- 
set cum superioribus. Ne autem (f. Nunc 
autem) in illis quidem vocabulis, ubi de 
divinitate fides ordinatur, in Deo Patre 
dicitur, et Jesu Christo Filio ejus, et in 
Spiritu S. ; in caeteris vero, ubi non de 
divinitate, sed de creaturis ac mysteriis 
sermo est, in praepositio non additur, ut 
dicatur in sanctam ecclesiam, sed sanc- 
tam ecclesiam credendam esse ; non ut 
in Deum, sed ut ecclesiam Deo congre- 
gatam ; et remissionem peccatorum cre- 
dendam esse, non in remissionem pecca- 
torum J et resurrectionem carnis, non in 
resurrectionem carnis. Hac itaque pra?- 
positionis syllaba creator a creaturis se- 
cernitur, et divina separantur ab huma- 
nist Ruff, in Symb. 34, 35. Though 
I say this expression be thus pressed, 
yet we are sure that the fathers did use 
and in for the rest of the Creed as well 
as for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 



We have already produced the autho- 
rities of St. Cyril, Arius, and Euzoius, p. 
24. and that of Epiphanius in Ancoralo. 
Thus also the Latins, as St. Cyprian : ' In 
aeternam poenam sero credent, qui in 
vitam cBternam credere noluerunt.' Ad 
Demetrianum, §. 21. So Interpres Iremei : 
' Quotquot autem timent Deum, et cre- 
dunt in adventum Filii ejus,' etc. So 
Chrysologus : ' In sanctam ecclesiam. Quia 
ecclesia in Christo, et in ecclesia Christus 
est ; qui ergo ecclesiam fatetur, in eccle- 
siam se confessus est credidisse.' Serm.Gi!. 
And in the ancient edition of St. Jerome, 
in the place before-cited, it was read : 
' Credis in sanctam ecclesiam :' coutr. 
Lucif. col. 297. and the word in was left 
out by Victorius. 

t Kupio?, the Lord, and that properly 
Christ ; from whence Kv^iaxo?, belonging 
to the Lord Christ ; oTno^ Ku^iaxo?, from 
thence Kyriac, Kyrk, and Church. 

J The word used by the apostle is 
IxxXjjcri'a, from inx-aKeiv evocare. From 
eK>i£ii\ria-ai IxxX^iri?, from exkXho-j? sKKXr.a-ia,, 
of the same notation with the Hebrew 
Kipo : ' Ecclesia quippe ex vocatione ap- 
pellata est.' S. August. Exp. ad Rom. 
2. And though they ordinarily take it 
primarily to signify convocaiio, as St. Au- 
gustin : ' Inter congregationem, unde 
synagoga, et convocationem, unde eccle- 
sia nomen habet, distat aliquid :' Enar. 
in Psal.81. ^. 1. yet the origination speaks 
only of evocation without any intimation 
of congregation or meeting together, as 
there is in a-vynXnroi;. From whence 
arose that definition of Methodius, "Otj 
SKUXna-iav vra^a to IxxExXnKEvat Ta? h^ovas 
X£j'£<r&at <pyja-tv. Photius Biblioth. Cod. 
ccxxxv. col. 937. Whereas sxnaXsXv is no 
more here than naXsTv, IxKXtjo-tf no more 



502 



ARTICLE IX. 



gregation of men, or a company assembled, if we consider the 
use of it. But neither of these doth fully express the nature 
of the Church, what it is in itself, and as it is propounded to 
our belief. 

Our second observation is. That the Church hath been taken 
for the whole complex of men and angels worshipping the same 
God; and again, the angels being not considered, it hath been 
taken as comprehending all the sons of men believing in God 
ever since the foundation of the World.* But being Christ 
took not upon him the nature of angels, and consequently did 
not properly purchase them with his blood, or call them by his 
word; being they are not in the Scriptures mentioned as parts 
or members of the Church, nor can be imagined to be built 
upon the prophets or apostles ; being we are at this time to 
speak of the proper notion of the Church; therefore I shall not 
look upon it as comprehending any more than the sons of men. 
Again, being though Christ was the Lamb slain before the foun- 
dation of the World, and whosoever from the beginning pleased 
God were saved by his blood : yet because there was a vast 
difference between the several dispensations of the Law and 
Gospel ; because our Saviour spake expressly of building him- 
self a Church, when the Jewish synagogue was about to fail ; 
because Catholicism, which is here attributed unto the Church, 
must be understood in opposition to the legal singularity of the 
Jewish nation ; because the ancient fathers were generally wont 
to distinguish between the Synagogue and the Church. ;t there- 
fore I think it necessary to restrain this notion to Christianity. 



than nXr.a-iq, as xXnTSuetv and IxxXirsueiv 
with the Attics were the same: from 
whence it came to pass, that the same 
preposition hath been twice added in the 
composition of the same word ; from 
iiiKaXiXv iKiCKrio-ia, from thence lnnX^a-ia^SiV, 
and because the preposition had no sig- 
nification in the use of that word, from 
thence h^SKKXria-ia^siv, to convocate, or call 
together. But yet IxxXntria is not the same 
with eKxX>j<r<?, not the evocation or the ac- 
tion of calling, but the xXjito;, or the com- 
pany called, and that (according to the 
use) gathered together ; from whence in- 
KKn<ria^eiv is to gather together, or to be 
gathered. Hence St. Cyril ; 'ExjtX»)Wa 
S'e xaXsTrai <pspccv6(jixi;, S;a to irkwaq. iKHo,- 
'KsXa-^ai nal ofAOu cTDvayeiv. Catech. xviii. 
11. So Ammonius : 'Ex}tX?i3-tay eXsyov ol 
'A&'iyaT'oj rhv <rvvo^ov tSv nara, rhv 'sroXiv. s. 
voc. To this purpose do the LXX. use 
iKKXtis-idl^etv actively, to convocate or call 
together an assembly ; as l>iiiXtia-ia(£iv Xaov, 
and EH^tXniTJa^siv <rvvayaiyhv, and luKXria-ia,- 
^ss-Bai passively ; as l^snKXna-ida-^^n itaa-a. 
Ti a-vvcLyccyri, Jos. xviii. 1. which the Attic 
writers would have expressed by lnnXn- 
e-ia^s, as Aristophanes, Veap. 31. 



"Eh^i fxoi TTB^l TTpZrov uwov Iv Uvuici 

'EKKXricna^stv m^oQctra (XvynaQhy-VjcL. 
Where, though the scholiast hath ren- 
dered iKuXncr la^siv , Ei? |j4xX>jcrwv cryvaysiy, 
whereby the lexicographers have been 
deceived ; yet the word is even there 
taken as a neuter, in the passive sense, 
as generally the Attics use it. How- 
soever, from the notation of the word we 
cannot conclude that it signifies a num- 
ber of men called together into one as- 
sembly out of the mass or generality of 
mankind : first, because the preposition 
gjt hath no such force in the use of the 
word ; secondly, because the collection or 
coming together is not specified in the 
origination. 

* ' Translatus in Paradisum, jam tunc 
de mundo in ecclesiam.' Tertull. 1. ii. adv. 
Marcion. c. 4. 

t Thus St. Ignatius speaking of Christ : 
Avro? mv Qu^a rou Uar^og, h' hg eWs^^ovrai 
'ABpaafx, Kal 'l^aaK, Koi 'lanaiB, xat ot Upo- 
(prirai, kcu ot Airoo-roXoi, no,) h SK)iXri<ria. Ep. 
ad. Philad. §. 9. Where h suKXtio-ia is 
plainly taken for the multitude of Chris- 
tians, who were converted to the faith 
by the apostles, and those who were after 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 503 



Thirdly, Therefore I observe that the only way to attain 
unto the knowledge of the true notion of the Churchy is to 
search into the New Testament, and from the places there 
which mention it, to conclude what is the nature of it. To 
which purpose it will be necessary to take notice, that our 
Saviour first speaking of it, mentions it as that which then 
was not, but afterwards was to be as when he spake unto 
the great apostle, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 
build my church;" (Matt. xvi. 18.) but when he ascended 
into heaven, and the Holy Ghost came down, when Peter 
had converted three thousand souls," (Acts ii. 41.) which 
were added to the hundred and twenty" disciples, (Acts 
i. 15.) then was there a Church (and that built upon Peter,t 
according to our Saviour's promise) ; for after that we read, 
the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be 
saved." (Acts ii. 47.) A Church then our Saviour promised 
should be built, and by a promise made before his death : after 
his ascension, and upon the preaching of St. Peter, we find a 
Church built or constituted, and that of a nature capable of 
daily increase. We cannot then take a better occasion to 
search into the true notion of the Church of Christ, than by 
looking into the origination and increase thereof; without 
which it is impossible to have a right conception of it.J 

Now what we are infallibly assured of the first actual ex- 
istence of a Church of Christ, is only this : there were twelve 
apostles with the disciples before the descent of the Holy 
Ghost, and the number of the names together were a hun- 
dred and twenty." (Acts i. 15.) When the Holy Ghost came 



wards joined to them in the profession of 
the same faith. ' Sacrificia in populo, 
sacrificia et in ecclesia.' Jren. adv. Hceres. 
1. iv. c. 34. ' Disseminaverunt sermonem 
de Christo Patriarchae et Proi)hetag ; de- 
messa est autem ecclesia, hoc est, fruc- 
tum percepit.' Id. I. iv. c. 25. ' Quid 1 
Judaicus populus circa beneficia divina 
perfidus et iugratus, nonne quod a Deo 
primum recessit, impatienti?e crimen fuit? 
Impatientia etiam in ecclesia hsereticos 
facit.' S. Cyprian, de Bono Patient. §. 11. 
* Quis non agnoscat Christum reliquisse 
niatrem Synagogara Judaiorum, Veteri 
Testamento carnaliter adhaerentem, et 
adhaesisse uxori suae, sanctee ecclesias V 
S. August, contra Faust, l.xii. c. 8. 'Mater 
Sponsi Domini nostri Jesu Christi Syna- 
goga est ; proinde uurus ejus ecclesia.' 
Idem, Enarr. in Psal. 44. §. 12. 

* ' In quern ingruerunt — in ecclesiam ? 
quam nondum Apostoli struxerant.' Ter- 
tull. de Bapt. c. 11. 

f 'Qualis es evertens atque commu- 
tans manifestam Domini intentionem 
personaliter hoc Petro couferentem. Su- 



per te, inquit, adijicabo ecclesiam meam, et 
dabo tibi cla ves, non ecclesife. Sic enim 
et exitus docet : in ipso ecclesia exstruc- 
ta est, id est, per ipsum, ipse clavem im- 
buit; vides quam; Viri Israelitce, auribiis 
mandate quiE dico : Jesum Nazarenum, 
viruin a Deo vohis destinutiun, et reliqua.' 
Teitutl. de Pndicitiu, c. 21. So St. 
Basil : Ev^vQ ya.^ en tHj (poovri^ TayT»? vooZ- 

letvrov Tnv olno^ofxhv rni; lxKX>jin'£t? h^a,fji,£vov. 
Adv. Eunom. 1. ii. 4. St. Peter took 
upon himself the building of the Church, 
that is, to build the Church, which he 
then performed, when he preached the 
Gospel by which the Church was first 
gathered. 

t Tertullian, mentioning the Acts of 
the Apostles, addeth these words : • Quam 
Scripturam qui non recipiunt, nec Spiri- 
tus Sancti esse possunt, qui necdum Spi- 
ritum possint aguoscere discentibus mis- 
sum : sed nec ecclesiam defendere, qui 
quando et quibus incunabulis institutum 
est hoc corpus, probare non habent.' De 
Prccicr. Hccret. c. 22. 



504 



ARTICLE IX. 



after a powerful and miraculous manner upon the blessed 
apostles, and St. Peter preached unto the Jews that they 
should repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for 
the remission of sins ; they that gladly received his word were 
oaptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 
three thousand souls." (Acts ii. 31. 41.) These being thus 
added to the rest, continued steadfastly in the apostles' doc- 
trine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers 
(Ibid. 42.) and all these persons so continuing are called the 
Church.^ What this Church was is easily determined, for it 
was a certain number of men, of which some were apostles, 
some the former disciples, others were persons w^iich repented, 
and believed, and were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, 
and continued hearing the word preached, receiving the sacra- 
ments administered, joining in the public prayers presented 
unto God. This was then the Church, which was daily in- 
creased by the addition of other persons received into it upon 
the same conditions, making up *' the multitude of them that 
believed, who were of one heart and one soul," (Acts iv. 32.) 

believers added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and 
women." (Acts v. 14.) 

But though the Church was thus begun, and represented 
unto us as one in the beginning, though that Church which we 
profess to believe in the Creed, be also propounded unto us 
as one ; and so the notion of the Church in the Acts of the 
Apostles might seem sufficient to express the nature of that 
Church which we believe : yet because that Church which was 
one by way of origination,t was afterwards divided into many, 
the actual members of that one becoming the members of se- 
veral Churches ; and that Church which we believe, is other- 
wise one by way of complexion, receiving the members of all 
Churches into it; it will be necessary to consider, how at the 
first those several Churches were constituted, that we may un- 
derstand how in this one Church they were all united. To 
which purpose it will be farther fit to examine the several ac- 
ceptations of this word, as it is diversely used by the Holy 
Ghost in the New Testament; that, if it be possible, nothing 
may escape our search, but that all things may be weighed, 
before we collect and conclude the full notion of the Church 
from thence. 

First, then, that word which signifies the Church in the ori- 
ginal Greek, is sometimes used in the vulgar sense according 
as the native Greeks did use the same to express their con- 
ventions, without any relation to the worship of God or Christ, 
and therefore is translated by the word assembly, (Acts xix. 
32. 41.) of as great a latitude. Secondly, It is sometimes used 

* ' Cum remisissent summi Sacerdotes Petrum etioannem, et reversi essent ad reli- 
quos co-apostolos et discipulos Domini, id est, in ecclesiam.' Iren. adv. Her. \.n\. 0.12. 
t ' HsQ voces ecclesijB, ex qua habuit omnia ecclesia initium.' Iren. ibid. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 505 



in the same notion in which the Greek translators of the Old 
Testament made use of it, for the assembly of the people of 
God under the Law, (Ibid. 39.) and therefore might be most 
fitly translated the congregation, as it is in the Old Testa- 
ment. Thirdly, It hath been conceived that even in the 
Scriptures it is sometimes taken for the place, (Acts viii. 38. 
Heb. ii. 12.) in which the members of the Church did meet to 
perform their solemn and public services unto God ; and some 
passages there are which seem to speak no less,* but yet are 
not so certainly to be understood of the place, but that they 
may as well be spoken of the people congregated in a certain 
place. Beside these few different acceptations, the Church in 
the language of the New Testament doth always signify a com- 
pany of persons professing the Christian faith, but not always 
in the same latitude. Sometimes it admitteth of distinction and 
plurality; sometimes, it reduceth all into conjunction and unity. 
Sometimes the Churches of God are diversified as many ; some- 
times, as many as they are, they are all comprehended in one. 

For, first, in general there are often mentioned " the 
Churches," (Acts xvi. 5. 1 Cor. xiv. 34. 2 Cor. viii. 19. 23, 24. 
xi. 8. 28. xii. 13. Rev. xxii. 16.) by way of plurality, the 
Churches of God," (2 Thess. i. 4. 1 Cor. xi. 16.) the 
Churches of the Gentiles," (Rom. xvi. 4.) the Churches of 
the Saints." (1 Cor. xiv. 33. )t In particular we find a few 
believers gathered together in the house of one single person. 



* Acts xi. 26. 1 Cor. xi. 18. 22. From 
these places St. Augustin did collect that 
iy-KkntricL was taken in the Scriptures for 
the place of meeting, or the house of God, 
and came so to be frequently used in the 
language of the Christians in his time : 
' Sicut ecclesia dicitur locus, quo ecclesia 
congregatur. Nam ecclesia homines sunt 
de quibus dicitur, Ut exhiberet sibi glorio- 
sam ecclesiam. Hanc tamen vocari etiam 
ipsam domum orationum, idem Apostolus 
testis est, ubi ait, Nunquid domos non ha- 
betis ad manducandnm et bibendum, an ec- 
clesiam Dei contemnitis ? Et hoc quotidianus 
loquendi usus obtinuit, ut, in ecclesiam 
prodire, aut ad ecclesiam confugere, non 
dicatur, nisi quod ad locum ipsum parie- 
tesque prodierit, vel confugerit, quibus 
ecclesiee congregatio continetur.' Quccst. 
super Levit, 1. iii. c 57. By these words 
it is certain, that in St. Augustin's time, 
they used the word ecclesia, as we do now 
the Church, for a place set apart for the 
worship of God ; and it is also certain 
that those of the Greek Church did use 
lymXris-ia in the same sense, as Eusebius 
speaking of the flourishing times of the 
Church, before the persecution under Dio- 
clesian, says, the Christians fxri^ajuZg 'in 

TrXaToc ava, Tficrai rag 'SToXhj; Ik Qefxs\iicv 
avtVrwv snnXtxriaq. Hist, 1. viii. c. 1. And 



St. Chrysostom : El ykp iniiKi^s-ia.v hclto,- 
cr;ttt%{yat ya.'Kimv y.ai avoa-icv, iroWy fxaWov 
vaov nvsvfxarixov xal yaf av&ga;7r5? SKK^ns-iag 
dfAVors^ov. Ho in. 26. ad Epist. in Ro7n. 
But it is notso certain that the apostle used 
EJtxXno-ia in that sense ; nor is it certain 
that there were any houses set apart for 
theworsliip of Godiu the apostles' times, 
which then could be called by that name. 
For Isidorus Pelusiota expressly denies 
it, and distinguishes between lanXna-U and 
lK>i\yja-ia<rTr,^iov , alter this manner : "axxo 
IttIv iiiii'Kr,aia xal aXXo ixHXrjs-iac-Tngiov h 
fj.lv yk^ In TMV IfxifAMV -vl/up^Jv o'vyiinrniii^ to 
V avo \t9oov Kcti ^-jkm olKo^o/j.e'iTai. And thus 
he proveth this distinction : "^L^nrsp ya.» 
ttXXo Is-rt Qva-icts-Tn^iov haI aXXo Bvsria, Kat 
aXXo QufXiarhpiov xai aXXo 2rufxia.fxa, Ka] aXXo 
BovXiurh^iov Ka) aXXo Qovkh' to fxlv ya§ tsv 
roTTiV £v M crvvs^psvovo-i fA,r,v6£i, h S"! Toy? Bov- 
\SV3y.evcu^ av^^ag, oig Ka] o Kiv^vvog Kal h <TOi- 
Tnpia an>isi- otfoo Ka] Im toZ iKKXncnas-Tn- 
fi'ou Ka] rr,g iKK^us-iag. Then he concludes, 
that in the apostles' times there were no 
luK'Kns-iajTripia : 'Etti y-lv t5v 'ATrofTToXwv, 
oTc h IxxXiTia BK6fA.a fxh ya^^ia-y-as-i mivfxa- 

Tutor?, 'iB^UB TTOXiTEia "KafATT^a, SKKXtiTia- 

crrfi^ia ovk kv. Epist. 246. 1- ii. 

t Thus Origen for the most part speaks 
of the Church in the plural' number, as 

iKK'KriSricU. 



506 



ARTICLE IX. 



called a Church, (Rom. xvi. 5.) as the Church in the house of 
Priscilla and Aquila, (1 Cor. xvi. 19.)* the Church in the house 
of Nymphas, (Col. iv. 15.) the Church in the house of Phile- 
mon ; (Phil. 2.) which Churches were nothing else but the 
believing and baptized persons of each family, with such as 
they admitted and received into their house to join in the wor- 
ship of the same God. 

Again, When the Scripture speaketh of any country where 
the Gospel had been preached, it nameth always by way of 
plurality the Churches of that country, as the Churches of 
Judea, of Samaria and Galilee, the Churches of Syria and of 
Cilicia, the Churches of Galatia, the Churches of Asia, the 
Churches of Macedonia.! But notwithstanding there were 
several such Churches or congregations of believers in great 
and populous cities, yet the Scriptures always speak of such 
congregations in the notion of one Church : as when St. Paul 
wrote to the Corinthians, " Let your women keep silence in 
the Churches/' (1 Cor. xiv. 34.) yet the dedication of the 
Epistle is, " Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth." 
(1 Cor. i. 2.) So we read not of the Churches, but the Church 
at Jerusalem, the Church at Antioch, the Church at Ceesarea, 
the Church at Ephesus, the Church of the Thessalonians, the 
Church of Laodicea, the Church of Smyrna, the Church of 
Pergamus, the Church of Thyatira, the Church of Sardis, the 
Church of Philadelphia. J From whence it appeareth that a 
collection of several congregations, every one of which is in 
some sense a Church, and may be called so, is properly one 
Church by virtue of the subordination of them all in one go- 
vernment under one ruler. For thus in those great and popu- 
lous cities where Christians were very numerous, not only those 
of several Churches within the cities, but all those also in the 
adjacent parts, were united under the care and inspection of 
one bishop, and therefore was accounted one Church ; the 
number of the Churches following the number of the angels, 
that is, the rulers of them, as is evident in the Revelation. 

Now as several Churches are reduced to the denomination 
of one Church, in relation to the single governor of those many 
Churches ; so all the Churches of all cities and all nations in 
the world may be reduced to the same single denomination, in 
relation to one supreme governor of them all, and that one 



* St. Chrysostom observeth of Priscilla 
and Aquila : OD'tw yhg na-av sv^oki/xoi, wg 
?ttj TW olniav EKxXncri'av mina-ai, ^la rs rou 
fTttVTa? TToino-ai Trta-rcvg, ncu S'ia rov toiq ^hoig 
alrhv avoi^ai ttSctiv. Homil. 30. in Ejnst. ad 
liomanos. 

t Gal. i. 2"2. Acts ix. 31. 1 Cor. xvi. 
1. 19. Rev. i. 11. 1 Thess. ii. 14. 2 Cor. 
viii. 1. Gal. i. 2. 

t Acts viii. 1. xi. 22. xiii. 1. xv. 3. 
sviii. 22. XX. 17. 2 Thess i. 1. Col. iv. 



16. Rev. ii. 8. 12. 18. iii. 1. 7. 14. And 

thus after they grew yet far more numer- 
ous in the time of Clemens bishop of 
Rome : 'H ImXyjo-ia rou ®eou h nra^oiKova-a 
'pdfAW, rtj |jtxX>jff-i£t rov ®eov ita^oMovern Ko- 
p;vS-£)v. Prooem. Ep. 1. So after bim Igna- 
tius : Tw l>tKX»5critt rri a^tOjctaKagiVTW rtj ova-r) 
Iv 'E<|)E«r« rng 'Acrt'a?. Prooem. Epist. ad 
EpJies. and : SKti'kKcria. ayia. rn o'ucrri Iv TpaX- 
Wiv. Prooem. Epist. ud Trail. And so 
the rest. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



507 



governor is Christ, tlie Bishop of our souls. Wherefore the 
apostle, speaking of that in which all Churches do agree, eom- 
prehendeth them all under the same appellation of one Church ; 
and therefore often by the name of Church^' are understood 
all Christians whatsoever belonging to any of the Churches 
dispersed through the distant and divided parts of he world. 
For the single persons professing faith in Christ are members 
of the particular Churches in v/hich they live, and all those 
particular Churches are members of the general and universal 
Church, which is one by unity of aggregation ; and this is the 
Church in the Creed which we believe, and which is in other 
Creeds, expressly termed one,i I believe in one holy catholick 
Church. 

It will therefore be farther necessary for the understanding 
of the nature of the Church which is thus one, to consider in 
what that unity doth consist. And being it is an aggregation 
not only of many persons, but also of many congregations, the 
unity thereof must consist in some agreement of them all, and 
adhesion to something which is one. If then we reflect upon 
the first Church again, which we found constituted in the Acts, 
and to which all other since have been in a manner added and 
conjoined, we may collect from their union and agreement, 
how all other Churches are united and agree. Now they were 
described to be believing and baptized persons, converted to 
the faith by St. Peter, continuing steadfastly in the apostles* 
doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and prayers. 
These then were all built upon the same rock, all professed 
the same faith, all received the same sacraments, all performed 
the same devotions, and thereby were all reputed members of 
the same Church. To this Church were added daily such as 
should be saved, who became members of the same Church by 
being built upon the same foundation, by adhering to the same 
doctrine, by receiving the same sacraments, by performing the 
same devotions, (Acts ii. 41, 42. 44. 47.) 

From whence it appeareth that the first unity of the Church 
considered in itself, beside that of the Head, which is one 
Christ, and the life communicated from that Head, which is one 
Spirit, relieth upon the original of it, which is one; even as a 
house built upon one foundation, though consisting of many 
rooms, and every room of many stones, is not yet many, but 
one house. Now there is but one foundation upon which the 
Church is built, and that is Christ. For other foundation 



* Matt. xvi. 18. 1 Cor. xii. 28. xv. 9. 
Gal. i. 13. Ephes. i. 22. iii. 10. 21. v. 
23. 25. 27. 29. o2. Phil. iii. 6. Col. i. 
18. 24. Heb. xii. 23. Of this, as of one 
Church, Celsus calls the Christians : tol/? 
am fxiya'h-nq lxxX»jcrtas. Apud.Orig. I. v.§.59. 

t So the Creeds of Epipbanius, in Aii- 
corato: Uio-TevofAev si? (Aiav kylav KuBoKwh 



naX a.iros-roXiy.nv lxxX>)Wav. §. 120, 121. So 
the Jerusalem Creed in St. Cyril. Thus 
the Nicene, with the additions ef the 
Council of Constantinople : fxittv ayUv xa- 
bo'KurtV xal ama-rcXwriV eKK\na-iav. Thus 
also the Alexandrian, as appeareth by 
those already quoted of Alexander, Arius^ 
and Euzoius. 



508 



ARTICLE IX. 



can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 
(1 Cor. iii. 11.) And though the apostles and the prophets be 
also termed the foundation, yet even then the unity is preserved, 
because as they are stones in the foundation, so are they united 
by one corner-stone; whereby it comes to pass that such per- 
sons as are of the Church, being fellow-citizens with the 
saints, and of the household of God, are built upon the foun- 
dation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being 
the chief corner-stone, in whom all the building fitly framed 
together, groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord." (Eph. ii. 
19 — 21.) This stone was " laid in Zion for a foundation, a tried 
stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation :" (Isa. xxviii. 
16.) there was the first Church built; and whosoever have been, 
or ever shall be, converted to the true Christian faith, are and 
shallbe added to that Church,andlaid upon the same foundation, 
which is the unity of origination.* Our Saviour gave the same 
power to all the apostles, which was to found the Church ; buthe 
gave that power to Peter, to shew the unity of the same Church. 

Secondly, The Church is therefore one, though the members 
be many, because they all agree in one faith. There is one 
Lord and one faith," (Eph. iv. 5.) and that " faith once deli- 
vered to the saints," (Jude 3.) which whosoever shall receive, 
embrace, and profess, must necessarily be accounted one in 
reference to that profession. For if a company of believers 



* Tertullian speaking of the apostles : 
' Ecclesias apud unaraquamque civitatera 
condiderunt, a quibus traducem fidei et 
semina doctrinee cseteias exinde ecclesiae 
mutuatae sunt, et quotidie mutuantur, ut 
ecclesiae fiant : ac per hoc et ips<e Apo- 
stolicffi deputantur, ut soboles Apostoli- 
carum ecclesiarum. Omue genus ad ori- 
ginem suam censeatur necesse est. Ita- 
que tot et tantae ecclesize, una est ilia ab 
Apostolis prima, ex qua omnes. Sic om- 
nes primae, et Apostolicae, dum una omnes 
probant unitatem : dum est illis commu- 
nicatio pacis, et appellatio fraternitatis, 
et contesseratio hospitalitatis : quae jura 
non alia ratio regit quam ejusdem sacra- 
menti una traditio.' De Prcescript. Hceret. 
c. 20. This is the Unitas Originis which 
St. Cyprian so much insists upon : ' Ec- 
clesia una est, quae in multitudinem la- 
lius incremento foecunditatis extenditur ; 
quomodo solis multi radii, sed lumen 
unum ; et rami arboris muiti, sed robur 
unum tenaci radice fundatum. Et cum 
de fonte uno rivi plurimi defluunt, nume- 
rositas licet diffusa videatur exundantis 
copiae largitate, unitas tamen servatur in 
origine, &c.' S. Cypriait, de Unitate Eccl. 
§. 4. ' Loquitur Dominus ad Petrum : 
Ego tihi dico, inquit, quia tu es Petrus, et 
super istam Petram adijicabo ecclesiam nie- 
am, &c. Et idem post resurrectionem 



suam dicit, Pasce oves meas. Et quamvis 
Apostolis omnibus post resurrectionem 
suam parem potestatera tribuat, et dicat, 
Sicut misit me Pater, et ego mitto vos, &c. 
tamen ut unitatem manifestaret, unitatis 
ejusdem originem ab uno incipientem 
sua auctoritate disposuit. Hoc erant uti- 
que et caeteri Apostoli, quod fuit Petrus, 
pari consortio praediti, et honoris et po- 
testatis, sed exordium ab unitate profici- 
scitur, ut ecclesia una monstretur.' Ibid, 
§. 3. 'Evo? ovto? tov @eov, xat evogrou K.vpiou, 
^la rovro not to un^ix; ri/xiov xara rhv fxoyoo- 
c-(v STTctivurai, fA,'ifA,y)fA,a ov app(,>i? t?5? fxta^, 
Clem. Alex. Stromal. 1. vii. c. 17. This is 
very much to be observed, because that 
place of St.Cyprian is produced by the Ro- 
manists to prove the necessity of one head 
of the Church upon earth, and to shew that 
the bishop of Rome is that one head by 
virtue of his succession to St. Peter; 
whereas St. Cyprian speaketh nothing ot 
any such one head, nor of any such 
succession, but only of the origiaation 
of the Church, which was so disposed 
by Christ, that the unity might be ex- 
pressed. For whereas all the" re»t of the 
apostles had equal power and honour with 
St. Peter ; yet Christ did particularly 
give that power to St. Peter, to shew the 
unity of the Church which he intended to 
build upon the foundation of the apostles. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 509 



become a Church by believing, they must also become one 
Church by believing one truth. If they be one in respect of 
the foundation, which is ultimately one; if we look upon Christ, 
which is mediately one ; if we look upon the apostles, united 
in one corner-stone ; if those which believe be therefore said 
to be built upon the foundation of the apostles, because they 
believe the doctrine which the apostles preached, and the apo- 
stles be therefore said to be of the same foundation, and united 
to the corner-stone, because they all taught the same doctrine 
which they received from Christ; then they which believe the 
same doctrine delivered by Christ to all the apostles, delivered 
by all the apostles to believers, being all professors of the 
same faith, must be members of the same Church. And this 
is the unity of faith.* 

Thirdly, Many persons and Churches, howsoever distin- 
guished by time or place, are considered as one Church, be- 
cause they acknowledge and receive the same sacraments, the 
signs and badges of the people of God. When the apostles 
were sent to found and build the Church, they received this 
commission, Go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." 
(Matt, xxviii. 19.) Now as there is but one Lord," and one 
faith," so also there is but one baptism;" (Epho iv. 5.) and 
consequently they which are admitted to it, in receiving it are 
one. Again, at the institution of the Lord's supper Christ com- 
manded, saying, Eat ye all of this, drin%}^e all of this ;" and 
all by communicating of one, become as to^at communication 
one. ^' For we being many are one bread, and one body ; for 
we are all partakers of that one bread." (1 Cor. x. 17.) As 
therefore the Israelites ''were all baptized unto Moses in the 
cloud and in the sea, and did all eat the same spiritual meat, 
and did all drink the same spiritual drink," (1 Cor. x. 2 — 4.) 
and thereby appeared to be the one people of God; so all be- 
lieving persons, and all Churches congregated in the name of 
Christ, washed in the same laver of regeneration, eating of the 



* Of tliis doth Irenaius speak, delivering 
the sum or brief abstract of the material 
object of faith : ToZto to Khpuy/xa, ira^n'Kn- 
<^v~a., iuCi nravrnv rhv Trla-nv, h exxXjitw, xaiVap 
Iv oXcc TM xog-fAX ^iia-'n:a^fxivii], eTrifjieXZi (pu- 
>.a.(T<7ii, (w? Eva OiKov olitova-a, xat ofA.oiuii; TTts-nvei 
Tovroii, <w? jUi'av -^u^fiv Kai Thv avrhv 'i^o'Jira 
xap5i'av, Ka] (TU(J.<^ctjyct}q ravra Ku^vcrcrei, Kal 
^i^as-KSi, Kal 7ragaS'.Ja)<r<v tv a-TOfxa kbktij- 
fxivn. Advers. Har. I. i. c. 10. §. 2. Kara 
re ovv vTroa-ras'iv, Kara re eTrUoiav, Kara re 
ap^v, Kara re e^o^r,]/, (xmnv sTvai <pafxiv rtiv 
a^^aiav Kai KaboXiKhv IxxXnc-t'av Ei? hornra 
mtrrecix; fxiaq rnt Kara ra? Miaq ^ta^nKaq, 
fxaXKov Se Kara tw ^laQr.Km rr,v fxiav Sia<|>og<3(j 
TOi'? x^povoti;, hog rov @sou r£ $ovXevfxari, Jj' 
svog rou Kv^iov a-vvayova-av rovg ri^n Karare- 
rayfxsvovg, cvg 7rgo»p<<r£y o Gsog, SiKai'jy; ss-o- 



fxevovg tt^o Kara^o'Krig Koa/xov eyvaiKuig. Clem, 
Alex. Stromat. 1. vii. c. 17. This unity of 
faith followeth the unity of origination, 
because the true faith is the true founda- 
tion. ' Siqua est ecclesia, quae fidem re- 
spuat, nec Apostolicae praedicationis fun- 
damenta possideat, deserenda est. Petra 
tua Christus est.' S. Amhros. in Luc. lib. 
ii. cap. 9. 'H ya^ o-vvi^outra rhv iKKXKo-iav, 
cig (prjiTiv 6 Tlot/xhv, a^erh h ttiVti? Is-ti'v. 
Clem. Alex. Stromat. 1. ii. c. 12. St. Jerome 
on those words of the Psalm xxiv. 11. 
Hacc est generatio qiKErentium Dominiim, 
hath this observation : ' Superius singu- 
lariter dixit, Hie accipiet benedictionem ; 
modo pluraliter ; quia ecclesia ex pluri- 
bus personis congregatur, et tamen una 
dicitur propter unitatem fidei.' 



olO 



ARTICLE IX. 



same bread, and drinking of the same cup, are united in the 
same cognizance, and so known to be the same Church. And 
this in the unity of the sacraments. 

Fourthly, Whosoever belongeth to any Church is some way 
called ; and all which are so, ** are called in one hope of their 
calling:" (Eph, iv. 4.) the same reward of eternal life is pro- 
mised unto every person, and we all '* through the Spirit wait 
for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Gal. v. 5.) They 
therefore which depend upon the same God, and worship him 
all for the same end, the ** hope of eternal life, which God, that 
cannot lie, promised before the world began," (Tit. i. 2.) hav- 
ing all the same expectation, may well be reputed the same 
Church. And this is the unity of hope. 

Fifthly, They which are all of one mind, whatsoever the 
number of their persons be, they are in reference to that mind 
but one ; as all the members, howsoever different, yet being 
animated by one soul, become one body. Charity is of a fas- 
tening and uniting nature ; nor can we call those many, who 
" endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of 
peace." (Eph. iv. 3.) " By this," said our Saviour, shall all 
men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to an- 
other." (John xiii. 35.) And this is the unity of charity.^ 

Lastly, All the Churches of God are united into one by the 
unity of discipline and government, by virtue whereof the same 
Christ ruleth in them all. For they have all the same pastoral 
guides appointed, authorized, sanctified, and set apart, by the 
appointment of God, by the direction of the Spirit, to direct 
and lead the people of God in the same way of eternal salva- 
tion : as therefore there is no Church where there is no order, 
no ministry ;t so where the same order and ministry are, there 
is the same Church. And this is the unity of regiment and 
discipline. J 

By these means, and for these reasons,^ millions of persons 



* ' Unus Deus enim et Christus unus, 
ecclesia ejus una, fides una, et plebs in 
solidam corporis unitatem concordiaj glu- 
tine copulata.' S. Cyprian, de Unitute 
Eccles. §.21. 

t * Ecclesia non est, quae non habet 
Sacerdotes.' S.Hier. adv. Lucifer, col. 302. 

'ina-ouv Xfio'Tov, Kai tov IttIj-hottov Ylcn^po., 
Tovq TTpBcrBuTipov^ oog crvvB^^tov Qeov Kal ooq 
a-vv^Btj-fxov ^ATTOs-To'Kaiv. ^ooli; rovroov IjtKXn- 
crla oh xaXETraj. 5' Iguat. ud Trail. §. 3. 
To ys fxiv T«5 SKKXris-iag ovo/na rhv t&;v e;; 
XgiiTTOv TTitrTBvs-avToov ij<pa,ini TrXn^vv, Ispovp- 
yovq re nai Xaout;, rroifABvat; no,] JiS'ajrxaXoyj, 
Kal rovi; vtto "xfiia. Ka,re!^Bvy/j.Bvovg. S. Ciiril. 
ad Is. c. xlv. 17. * ubi iuterpres v\-a.i\;i, 
male transtulit declarat, quod est u'^o- 
(paini ; cum reddere oportucrit, conneciit, 
aut contexit.' 



J * Epiacopatus unus est, cujus a sin- 
gulis in solidum pars tenetur : ecclesia 
quoque una est, quse in multitudinem 
latius incremento foecunditatis extendi- 
tur.' S, Cyprian, de Unit. Eccles. §. 4. So 
he joins these two together : ' Cum sit a 
Christo una ecclesia per totum mundum 
in multa membra divisa, item episcopa- 
tus unus episcoporum multorum concordi 
numerosicate ditFusus.' Ep. ad Antonia- 
7iuTn, 1. iv. ep. 2. §. 16. a!, ep. 52. 

§ These are all expressed by Tertul- 
Jian : ' Una nobis et illis fides, unus Deus, 
idem Christus, eadem spes, eadem lava- 
cri sacramenta, semel dixerim, una ec- 
clesia sumus.' De Virg. veland. c. 2. 
' Corpus sumus de conscieutia religionis 
et disciplinne unitate et spei foedere.' 
Apolog. c. 39. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



511 



and multitudes of congregations are united into one body, and 
become one Church. And thus under the name of Church, 
expressed in this Article, is understood a body, or collection, 
of human persons professing faith in Christ, gathered together 
in several places of the world for the worship of the same God, 
and united into the same corporation by the means aforesaid. 
And this 1 conceive sufficient to declare the true notion of the 
Church as such, which is here the object ©f our faith. It re- 
maineth therefore that we next consider the existence of the 
Church, which is acknowledged in the act of faith applied to 
this object: for when I profess and say, I believe a Church, it 
is not only an acknowledgment of a Church which hath been, 
or of a Church which shall be, but also of that which is. When 
I say, / believe in Christ dead, I acknowledge that death which 
once was, and now is not : for Christ once died, but now is 
not dead : when I say, / believe the resurrection of the body, I 
acknowledge that which never yet was, and is not now, but 
shall hereafter be. Thus the act of faith is applicated to the 
object according to the nature of it; to what is already past, 
as past; to what is to come, as still to come ; to that which is 
present, as it is still present. Now that which was then past, 
when the Creed was made, must necessarily be always past, 
and so believed for ever ; that which shall never come to pass 
until the end of the World, when this public profession of faith 
shall cease, that must for ever be believed as still to come. 
But that which was when the Creed began, and was to con- 
tinue till that Creed shall end, is proposed to our belief in 
every age as being; and thus ever since the first Church was 
constituted, the Church itself, as being, was the object of the 
faith of the Church believing. 

The existence therefore of the Church of Christ (as that 
Church before is understood by us), is the continuation of it in 
an actual being, from the first collection in the apostles' times 
unto the consummation of all things. And therefore, to make 
good this explication of the Article, it will be necessary to 
prove, that the Church which our Saviour founded and the 
apostles gathered, was to receive a constant and perpetual ac- 
cession, and by a successive augmentation be uninterruptedly 
continued in an actual existence of believing persons and con- 
gregations in all ages unto the end of the World. 

Now this indeed is a proper object of faith, because it is 
grounded only upon the promise of God ; there can be no other 
assurance of the perpetuity of this Church, but what we have 
from him that built it. The Church is not of such a nature 
as would necessarily, once begun, preserve itself for ever. 
Many thousand persons have fallen totally and finally from the 
faith professed, and so apostatized from the Church. Many 
particular Churches have been wholly lost, many candlesticks 
have been removed ; neither is there any particular Church 



512 



ARTICLE IX, 



which hath any power to continue itself more or longer than 
others ; and consequently, if all particulars be defectible, the 
universal Church must also be subject of itself unto the same 
defectibility. 

But though the providence of God doth suffer many parti- 
cular Churches to cease, yet the promise of the same God will 
never permit, that all of them at once shall perish. ^Vhen 
Christ spake first particularly to St. Peter, he sealed his 
speech with a powerful promise of perpetuity, saying, Thou 
art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my Church, and the 
gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. xvi. 18.) 
When he spake generally to all the rest of the apostles to the 
same purpose, " Go teach all nations, baptizing them in the 
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost 
(Matt, xxviii. 19.) he added a promise to the same effect, ^' and 
lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world." (Ibid. 
20.) The first of these promises assureth us of the continuance 
of the Church, because it is built upon a rock ; for our Saviour 
had expressed this before, ^* Whosoever heareth these sayings 
of mine, and doth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, 
which built his house upon a rock : and the rain descended, 
and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that 
house ; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock." (Matt, 
vii. 24, 25.) The Church of Christ is the House of Christ ; for 
he hath " builded the house," and is as a "son over his own 
house, whose house are we;" (Heb. iii. 3. 6.) and as a wise 
man, he hath built his house upon a rock, and what is so built 
shall not fall. The latter of these promises giveth not only an 
assurance of the continuance of the Church,* but also the 
cause of that continuance, which is the presence of Christ. 
"Where two or three are gathered together in the name of 
Christ, there he is in the midst of them," (Matt, xviii. 20.) and 
thereby they become a Church ; for they are as abuilded house, 
and the son within that house. Wherefore being Christ doth 
promise his presence unto the Church, even unto the end of 
the World, he doth thereby assure us of the existence of the 
Church, until that time, of which his presence is the cause. In- 
deed, this is " the city of the Lord of Hosts, the city of our 



* * Non deserit ecclesiam suam divina 
protectio, dicente Domino, Ecce ego vo- 
biscum omnibus diebus, &c.' Leo Epist. 
31. St. Augustin upon those words of 
Psal. ci. Exiguitatem dierum meorum au' 
nuncia mihi, maketh the Church to speak 
these words : ' Quid est, quod nescio qui 
recedentes a me murmurant contra me 1 
Quid est, quod perditi me periisse con- 
tendunt? Certe enim hoc dicunt, Quia 
fui et non sum. Annuncia mihi exiguitatem 
dierum meorum. Non ate qutero illos dies 
aiternos ; illi sine fine sunt, ubi ero ; non 
ipsos quaere J teraporales quvtro, tempo- 



rales dies mihi annuncia. Exiguitatem die- 
rum meorum, non asternitatem dierum 
meorum annuncia mihi. Quamdiu ero in 
isto speculo, annuncia mihi, propter illos 
qui dicunt, Fuit et jam non est : propter 
iJIos qui dicunt, Impletaj sunt Scripturfe, 
crediderant omnes gentes, sed apostata- 
vit, et periit ecclesia de omnibus gentibus. 
Quid est hoc, Exiguiiatem dierum meorum 
annuncia luUii 1 Et animnciavit, nec vacua 
fuit vox ista. Quis anuunciavit mihi, nisi 
ipsa via 1 Quomodo annunciavit 1 Ecce 
ego vchiscum sum usque ad consummationem 
sceculi." Serm. ii. 8. 



THE HOLY CATHOLTCK CHURCH. 513 



God, God will establish it for ever,"=^ (Psal. xlviii. 8.) as the 
great prophet of the Church hath said. 

Upon the certainty of this truth, the existence of the Church 
hath been propounded as an object of our faith in every age 
of Christianity ; and so it shall be still unto the end of the 
World. For those which are believers are the Church ; and 
therefore, if they do believe, they must believe there is a 
Church. And thus having shewn in what the nature of a 
Church consisteth, and proved that a Church of that nature is 
of perpetual and indefectible existence by virtue of the pro- 
mises of Christ, I have done all which can be necessary for the 
explication of this part of the Article, / believe the Church. 

After the consideration of that which is the subject in this 
Article, followeth the explication of the affections thereof; 
which are two, sanctity and universality; the one attributed 
unto it by the apostles, the other by the fathers of the Church : 
by the first the Church is denominated holy, by the second 
catholick. Now the Church which we have described may be 
called holy in several respects, and for several reasons : first. 
In reference to the vocation by which all the members thereof 
are called and separated from the rest of the world to God ; 
which separation in the language of the Scriptures is a sancti- 
fication : and so the calling being holy, (for " God hath called 
us with a holy calling," 2 Tim. i. 9.) the body which is sepa- 
rated and congregated thereby, may well be termed holi/. 
Secondly, In relation to the offices appointed and the powers 
exercised in the Church, which by their institution and opera- 
tion are holy ; that Church, for which they were appointed and 
in which they are exercised, may be called ho/i/. Thirdly, 
Because whosoever is called to profess faith in Christ, is 
thereby engaged to holiness of life, according to the words of 
the apostle, " Let every one that nameth the name of Christ 
depart from iniquity (2 Tim. ii. 19.) for those namers of the 
name, or named by the name, of Christ, are such as called on 
his name ; and that was the description of the Church : as when 
Saul did persecute the Church, it is said he had authority 
from the chief priests to bind all that called upon the name of 
Christ (Acts ix. 14.) and when he preached Christ in the 
synagogues, all that heard him said. Is not this he who de- 
stroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem?" (Ibid. 
20, 21. )f Being then all within the Church are by their pro- 
fession obliged to such holiness of life, in respect of this obli- 
gation, the whole Church may be termed holy. Fourthly, In 

* ' Forte ista Civitas, quae mundum t See 1 Cor. i. 2. "On yk^ ro aQgoia-fxa 

tenuit, aliquando evertetur. Absit. Deus rZv ayixv ro 1^ op9Ji? mineooi nal 'rroXireta.i 

fatidavit earn in (elernum. Si ergo Deus a^itrrrji; ffvyKSii^orrifxevm''EKK'KK<riA ea-ri,^ri\6v 

fundavit earn in aeternum, quid times ne Itrri to~? cro<^ia? y£vffeifA.mi<;. hid. Pelus, 

cadat firmamentumV S, August, in Fsal. Epist. ^46. 1. ii. 
47. $.7. 

2 L 



514 



ARTICLE IX, 



regard the end of constituting a Church in God was for the 
purchasing a holy and a precious people ; and the great design 
thereof was for the begetting and increasing holiness, that as 
God is originally holy in himself, so he might communicate his 
sanctity to the sons of men, whom he intended to bring unto 
the fruition of himself, unto which, without a previous sancti- 
fication, they can never approach, because without holiness no 
man shall ever see God. (Heb. xii. 14.) 

For these four reasons, the whole Church of God, as it con- 
taineth in it all the persons which were called to the profession 
of the faith of Christ, or were baptized in his name, may well 
be termed and believed holij. But the apostle hath delivered 
another kind of holiness, which cannot belong unto the Churcli 
taken in so great a latitude. For (saith he) Christ loved tlie 
Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and 
cleanse it by the washing of water by the Word, that he might 
present it to himself a glorious Church, not having spot or 
wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and 
without blemish." (Eph. v. 25 — 27.) Now though it may be 
conceived that Christ did love the whole Church, as it did any 
way contain all such as ever called upon his name, and did 
give himself for all of them: yet we cannot imagine that the 
whole body of all men could ever be so holy, as to be without 
spot, wrinkle, blemish, or any such thing. It will be therefore 
necessary, within the great complex body of the universal 
Church, to find that Church to which this absolute holiness 
doth belong : and to this purpose it will be fit to consider both 
the difference of the persons contained in the Church, as it 
hath been hitherto described, while they continue in this life, 
and their different conditions after death ; whereby we shall at 
last discover in what persons this holiness is inherent really, 
in what condition it is inherent perfectly, and consequently in 
what other sense it may be truly and properly affirmed that the 
Church is holy. 

Where first we must observe that the Church, as it em- 
braceth all the professors of the true faith of Christ, containeth 
in it not only such as do truly believe and are obedient to the 
Word, but those also which are hypocrites, and profane. Many 
profess the faith, which have no true belief: many have some 
kind of faith, which live with no correspondence to the Gospel 
preached. VVithin therefore the notion of the Church are com- 
prehended good and bad, being both externally called, and 
both professing the same faith. For the kingdom of heaven is 
like unto a field in which wheat and tares grow together unto 
the harvest ; like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and 
gathered of every kind ; like unto a floor in which is laid up 
wheat and chaff ; like unto a marriage-feast, in which some 
have on the wedding-garment, and some not. (Matt. xiii. 24. 
30. 47. iii. 1 2. xxii. 10.) This is that ark of Noah in which were 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



515 



preserved beasts clean and unclean. This is that great house 
in which there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but 
also of wood, and of earth, and some to honour, and some to 
dishonour. (2 Tim. ii. 20.)* There are '* many called'' of all 
which the Church consisteth, but there are few chosen" (Matt. 
XX. 16.) of those which are called, and thereby within the 
Church. I conclude therefore, as the ancient Catholicks did 
against the Donatists,+ That within the Church, in the public 
profession and external communion thereof, are contained 
persons truly good and sanctified, and hereafter to be saved, 
and together with them other persons void of all saving grace, 
and hereafter to be damned : and that Church containing these 
of both kinds may well be called Ao/j/; as St. Matthew (iv. 5.) 
called Jerusalem the holy city, even at that time when our Sa- 
viour did but begin to preach, when we know there was in that 
city a general corruption in manners and worship. 

Of these promiscuously contained in the Church, such as 
are void of all saving grace while they live, and communicate 
with the rest of the Church, and when they pass out of this 
life, die in their sins, and remain under the eternal wMuth of 
God ; as they were not in their persons holy while they lived, 
so are they no way of the Church after their death, neither as 
members of it, nor as contained in it. Through their own de- 
merit they fall short of the glory unto which they were called ; 
and being by death separated from the external communion of 
the Church, and having no true internal communion with the 
members and the head thereof, are totally and finally cut off 
from the Church of Christ. On the contrary, such as are effi- 
caciously called, justified, and sanctified, while they live are 
truly holy, and when they die are perfectly holy ; nor are they 

* ' B'irraissime tene et nullatenus du- with the good such as were occultly bad ; 

bites, aream Dei esse ecclesiam catholi- ' Ecce etiam ipsi veritate evangelica non 

cam, et intra earn usque in finem seculi aliud coacti sunt confiteri quain males 

frumento mixtas paleas contineri, hoc est, occultos nunc ei permixtos esse,' as the 

bonis males sacramentorum communione good and bad fish are taken in the same 

misceri.' Fulgent, ad Petrum, c. 43. St. net, because it could not discern the bad 

.lerome joins these two together : 'Area from the good. And from thence he en- 

Noaj ecclesiae typus : ut in ilia omnium forceth from their acknowledgment, that 

animalium genera, ita et in hac univer- those which are apparently evil, are con- 

sarum et gentium et morum homines tained in the same Church : ' Si enim 

sunt ; ut ubipardus ethosdi, lupus et agni, propterea retibus bonos et malos congre- 

ita et hie justi et peccatores, id est, vasa gantibus ecclesiam comparavit; quia ma- 

aurea et argentea cum lagenis et fictilibus los in ecclesia non manifestos sed latentes 

commorantur.' Dial, contra Luciferianos, inielligi voluit, quos ita nesciunt sacerdo- 

col. 302. tes, quemadmodum sub fluctibus quid 

acceperint retia nesciunt piscatores. Pro- 

t The opinion of the Donatists con- pterea ergo et areae comparata est, ut 

futed by the Catholics is to be seen in etiam manifeste mali cum bonis in ea 

St. Augustin's book, intituled, Breuicu/ii/rt prsenunciarentur futuri. Neque enim 

Collationum. Upon which reflection in palea quae in area est perraixta frumentis, 

his book, Post Collationem, he observes etiam ipsa sub fluctibus latet, quae sic 

how they were forced by the testimony of omnium oculis est conspicua, ut potius 

those Scriptures which we have produced, occulta sin t in ea frumenta, cam sit ipsa 

to acknowledge that there were mingled manifesta.' Lib. Post C dlat, c. 9, 10, 

2 L 2 



516 



ARTICLE IX. 



by their death separated frora the Church, but remain united 
still by virtue of that internal union, by which they were before 
conjoined both to the members and the Head. As therefore 
the Church is truly holy, not only by a holiness of institution, 
but also by a personal sanctity in reference to these saints 
while they live, so is it also perfectly holy, in relation to the 
same saints glorified in heaven. And at the end of the world, 
when all the wicked shall be turned into hell, and consequently 
all cut off from the communion of the Church ; when the 
members of the Church remaining being perfectly sanctified, 
shall be eternally glorified, then shall the whole Church be 
truly and perfectly holy. 

Then shall that be completely fulfilled, that Christ shall 
''present unto himself a glorious Church, which shall be holy 
and without blemish." (Eph. v. 27.) Not that there are two 
Churches of Christ : one, in which good and bad are mingled 
together; another, in which they are good alone: one, in which 
the saints are imperfectly holy ; another, in which they are 
perfectly such : but one and the same Church, in relation to 
different times,* admitteth or not admitteth the permixtion of 
the wicked, or the imperfection of the godly. To conclude, 
the Church of God is universally holy in respect of all, by in- 
stitutions and administrations of sanctity ; the same Church is 
really holy in this world, in relation to all godly persons con- 
tained in it, by a real infused sanctity ; the same is farther yet 
at the same time perfectly holy, in reference to the saints de- 
parted and admitted to the presence of God ; and the same 
Church shall hereafter be most completely holy in the world 
to come, when all the members actually belonging to it, shall 
be at once perfected in holiness and completed in happiness. 
And thus 1 conceive the affection of the sanctity sufficiently 
explicated. 

The next affection of the Church is that of universality, / 
believe the holy oath click Church. Now the word catholick, 
as it is not read in the Scriptures, so was it not anciently in 
the Creed (as we have already shewn), but being inserted by 
the Church, must necessarily be interpreted by the sense which 
the most ancient fathers had of it, and that sense must be con- 
firmed, so far as it is consentient with the Scriptures. To grant 
then that the word was not used by the apostles,t we must 



* This was it wHch the Catholicks an- 
swered to the Docatists, objecting that 
they made two distinct Churches : ' De 
duabus etiam ecclesiis calumniam eorum 
catholici refutarunt, identidem expressius 
ostendentes quid dixerint, id est, non earn 
ecclesiam, quae nunc habet permixtos 
malos, alienam se dixisse a regno Dei, 
ubi non erunt mali commixti ; sed eandem 
ipsara unam et sanctam ecclesiam nunc 
esse aliter, tunc autem aliter futuram ; 



nunc habere malos mixtos, tunc non ha- 
bituram ; sicut nunc mortalem, quod ex 
mortalibus constaret hominibus, tunc au- 
tem immortalem, quod in ea nullus esset 
vel corporemoriturus : sicut non ideo duo 
Christi, quia prior mortuus postea non 
moriturus.' S. August. Brevicul, CoUut. 
tertii diei, c. 10. 

t It was the ordinary objection of the 
schismatical Novatians, that the very 
name of Catholics was never used by the 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 517 



also acknowledge that it was most anciently in use among the 
primitive fathers, and that as to several intents. For, first, 
they called the Epistles of St. James, St. Peter, St. John, St. 
Jude, the cathoUck Epistles,* because when the Epistles writ- 
ten by St. Paul were directed to particular Churches congre- 
gated in particular cities, these were either sent to the Churches 
dispersed through a great part of the world, or directed to the 
whole church of God upon the face of the whole earth. Again, 
we observe the fathers to use the word catholick for nothing 
else but general or universal, in the originary or vulgar sense : 
as the catholick resurrection, is, the resurrection of all men ; 
the catholick opinion, the opinion of all men.f Sometimes it 
was used as a word of state, signifying an officer which col- 
lected the emperor's revenue in several provinces, united into 
one diocess ; who, because there were particular officers be- 
longing to the particular provinces, and all under him, was 
therefore called the Catholicus,'^ as general Procurator of them 



apostles, and the answer to it by the Ca- 
tholics was by way of concession •■ * Sed 
sub Apostolis, inquies.nemo Catholicus vo- 
cabatur; Esto, sicfuerit.vel illud indulge, 
&c.' Pacian. ad Sympronianum, Epist. 1. 

* So St. Jerome of St. James : ' Unam 
tantum scripsit epistolam, quae de septem 
catholicis est:' of St. Peter: 'Scripsit 
duas epistolas, qute catholicas nominan- 
tur :' of St. Jude : ' Judas frater Jacobi 
parvam quidem, quai de seplem catholi- 
cis est, epistolam reliquit,' This there- 
fore was the common title of these epis- 
tles in St. Jerome's time among the La- 
tins, and before among the Greeks, as 
appeareth by Eusebius : TetaDra nal ra 
Kara, rov 'lixai^ov, ov h ir^MTn tZv IvofxaJ^ofxk- 
vci}\i xoflsXixaJv iTTitTToXiv itvan "Keyercir \a-riov 

lij VoQivsrai [xiv ov ttoWo) yovv tsJv iraXat 

'loJStt, /Xio.^ K^l avTng ovs'rig tcSv ETTTa KoQo- 
XikZv. Hist. 1. ii. c. 23. The same was 
in use before the time of Eusebius, as ap- 
peareth by Dionysius bisliop of Alexan- 
dria : 'O slefy-yBXia-Thi; oii^s tk? KuBoXixng 
l7rta-ToX«f TT^oiy^cL^ey alroZ to ovofxa. Euseb. 
Hist. 1. vii. c. 25. and before him, as ap- 
peareth by Origen : Asuregov U Kara. Magxov, 
«uf TlBT^o? v<pKyr,3-a.r') etvrx TTOinssLna., ov xai 
vilv h xa6oX;}t« I'TTiinok^ lia. rovrcov a)y.6\o- 
yrta-t. Eitseh. Hist. J.vi. c. 2b Thus emciently 
epistola catholica was used for a general 
epistle : KaQ-Aotaj S'g By.\yiQr)<rav, ETrEiSav ov 
TT^oq I'v e9vo? Iy^i<pri7av, oo; al rov ITauXou, 
aXXa naSoXov Trgoj iravTa. Leontins de Sectis, 
Act. 2. and so continued, not only in re- 
lation to the Scriptures, but to the epis- 
tles of others, as Eusebius of Dionysius 
bishop of Corinth : X^tia-iixdraTOV aTraa-iv 
BauTov KaQurraq h aXg iTTirvrtovro KaQoXixafj 
TTpo; Tfij IxxXnWa; £7ns-ToXar;. Hist. Eccl, 
I. iv. c. 23. 



t So Justin INIartyr : Msto. ravra rry 
KaQoXiy.KV Kdl (o-uveXovrt <pi'jai) aloo'Aa,v o/xoQu- 
jwaSov afxa wavTAtfy ayacrac-jv yBvhsstrQeti x.al 
npia-iv. Dial. adv. Tryph. p. 308. and Theo- 
philus Antiochenus : "Ori Swutci; ka-riv o 
©gjf 'STQiria-ai rhv KaQo'Kixhv Mas-raaiv kirkv- 
Toov a\B^'J)Ttuiv. Ad Aulol. 1. i. p. 78. So 
Tertullian uses catholice for ex toto : ' Ab 
eo permittatur vel imperetur necesse est, 
catholice fieri heec, a quo et ex parte.' De 
Eiiga in Pers. c. 3. And for generaliter : 
' Etsi qusedam inter domesticos dissere- 
bant, non tamen ea fuisse credendum est, 
quae aliam regulam fidei superducerent, 
diversam et contrariam illi quam catho- 
lice in medium proferebant.' De Preiser, 
adv. Hdcr. c. 26. ' Ha;c itaque dispecta 
totum ordinem Dei Judicis operarium et 
(ut dignius dixerim) protectorem catho- 
licae et summae illius bonitatis ostendunt,' 
I. ii. adv. Marcioii. c. 17. So he calls 
Christ, ' catholicum parris sacerdotem.' 
1. iv. c. 9. Origen against Celsus : Ka&o- 

<7rov<; )iarB\ri\vQBvai, t> Qsov Trauma., 1. v. 2. 
which he expounds immediately by Jtafla- 
XoD xeXe^/uIvov. So he speaks of xaSoXijtov 
KsXtrou •\,Bv^og, and Iv toS xafioXjxa) ttEjJ 9rav- 
Ta;v Ti£v T« TTarpfa thjouvtoiv BTCctivcc. 1, v. 
26. So Justin Blartyr : 'Afxyns-T-iav toTj 
y.Er avTovg tJ;? KaQoXmrg So^nj aVEXa^ov. 
De Monarch, Dei, p. 103. 

t We read in the old Glossary, xaSoXi- 
aog rationulis, that is, the receiver of the 
imperial revenue ; not that it signities so 
much of itself, but because he was the 
general receiver, and so not for receiving 
or accounting, but for the generality of 
his accounts in respect of others who were 
inferior, and whose receipts and accounts 
were more particular ; therefore he was 
called Catholicus, who by the Latins was 



518 



ARTICLE IX. 



all, from whence that title was by some transferred upon the 
Christian patriarchs. 

When this title is attributed to the Church, it hath not al- 
ways the same notion or signification : for when by the Church, 
is understood the house of God, or place in which the worship 
of God is performed, then by the catholick Church is meant no 
more than the common Church, into which all such persons 
as belonged to that parish in which it was built were wont to 
congregate. For where monasteries were in use, as there were 
separate habitations for men, and distinct for women, so were 
there also Churches for each distinct; and in the parishes, 
where there was no distinction of sexes, as to the iiabitation, 
there was a common Church which received them both, and 
therefore called catholick.^ 

Again, When the Church is taken for the persons making 
profession of the Christian faith, the catholick is often added 
in opposition to heretics and schismatics, expressing a parti- 
cular Church continuing in the true faith with the rest of the 
Church of God,t as the catholick Church in Smyrna, the ca- 
tholick Church in Alexandria. 



properly styled Procurator summ(E rei, or 
Rutionalis summarum. Thus Coiistantine 
signified to Ca^cilianus bishop of Car- 
thage, that he had written to his Procura- 
tor-general to deliver him monies : "E^xko, 
■ypa-jUfAarct, TTgo? Ov^crov tov ^tan^-K/xoTatov xa- 
6o\iKov Trig 'A<p^iiing, ncti l^h'Kcua'a avrZ, oTrooq 
T^KT-^iXiovg (poXsig tyi en impfOTnri airapiBfAK- 
a-ai 9fovTtV>5. Euseb. Hist. 1. x. c. 6. And in 
the same manner to Eusebius : 'ATTicrraX- 
Tcti S"! •y^a.fxy.ata iroL^a rng hfxSTB^ag hfxspo- 
Tiirog TT^og tov t^? ^lomha-ioig nadoXtnov, moog 
aira.vra, to. ir^og tw iTtiO'y.svriV avToov STriTh^Eia 
Tra^aa-^Biv <f)govTi'ir£iHV. Idem, de Vita Con- 
stant. 1. iv. c. 36. and Socr. Hist. EccL 1. i. 
c. 9. So Suidas : 'Ettkt-toX? 'icvXiavoZ roy 
ira.faQa.tov nrepg Tlo^<^v^iov xaQoXtxov which 
is the thirty-sixth of his epistles extant. 
This Rationalis summarum was by the 
Greeks expressed thus either by one word, 
Ka.9oXinog, or by more to the same purpose. 
So Uio Cocceianus speaking of Aurelius 
Eubulus : Toiig ya^ S>j KaSo'Xou Xoyovg STfire- 
rga{Xfjt,ivog, ouSev o, Ti ovu i^nfxsvtv. in Excerp. 
1. Ixxix. So Porphyrius : "nerB na-l Qa-w 
fxaa-iov Tivo; rovvofxa. IttskteXQovto? Twg xaSo- 
Xoy 'Koyovg TT^aTrovrog. in Vita Plotin. So 
Dionysius of Alexandria speaketh of Ma- 
crianus, who was Procurator snmtncc rei 
to the emperor Valerianus : "O; TrpoTg^ov 
[xh lirl roov naQoXov Xoycmv Xsyofxsvog sTvcti /3a- 
<ri\£aj;, ovUv SiiXoyov (alluding to Xoyoov) ovU 
xaQoXiKov (alluding to naQoXov) e4)pov)3c-ev, 
eXX' vTfOTriTTrotiKiV a^a, 7r^o<t>HTt}£_>) rf, Xsyover)' 
oval roig TtfOd^nnvov^iv aTTo Kapliag avru)V Kai 
TO xaSoXoy [xh ^'KiiroveiV ov ya^ a-vvnui rhv 
y.a.&oKov TTpovoiav, ov^l rhv K^iiriv Lttbi^bto rov 
•Trpo Tcavrm kai ha vavrcuv nal Ijil Trajf 5io 



y.a] KaBoXiKvq avrov luKXrielag yiyoVB TTQXsfAiOf. 
Euseb. Hist. I. vii. c. 10. 

* Thus lxKX»3o-i'a KaQoXmh is often to 
be understood, especially in the latter 
Greeks, for the common or parochial 
Church. As we read in Cudinus de Offi- 
ciis Constant, c. 1. 'O 2a>csXXiot; t>5V Ivo^hv 
B^wv rZv KaQoXiKoov luKXtiinZv. And again : 
'O " A^-)(aov raiiv IkxXjio-jSjv e%mv t>;v ho^hv raiv 
xaSoXtxctV lxxX»io-iS)v ^£Ta Tf^or^OTrrg rou 2a- 
HHXXt'ou. Ibid. So likewise Balsamon : 
AsyBrai SaxaXXapto? o rm fxovaa-rn^iouV S<oJ~ 
y-nrhg, oog 6 laniXXiov vnono^ia-riKuig o roov 
KaQoXiKMV BiiKKna-MV <f>f ovtio-t^j . lib. vii. Juris 
Grcpcoriim. Where appeareth a manifest 
distinction of the monastic and the catho- 
lic Churches. Hence Alexius, patriarch 
of Constantinople, complaineth of such 
as frequented the private Chapels, and 
avoided the common Churches, describ- 
ing those persons in this manner : Uarpi- 
ap^iKotg a-ravpomyioig ri Kai BTria-xoTritioTt 
SappoSvTE?, rag KaBoXmag Trapairovfxtvoi, nal 
rSiv im ravratg ervva^eoov xara<f^ovovMrsg. 1. 
iv. Juris Grcecorum. 

t As the Smyrneans spake in Eusebius 
of Polycarpus : revofxtvog IttiVkottoj rvg Iv 
Ifxvpvn xaQoXmng ly.xXn<riag. I. iv. c. 15. So 
KaQoXinh iy.KXturia h Iv 'AXe^avSpEta, in Epi- 
phanius, Hotr. Ixix. §. 1. Thus Gregory 
Nazianzen begins his own last wilk f'pn- 
yo^iog BTfienoTrog t«? HaQoXiKrjg huxXriciag rng 
Iv YiKVcrravrlvov rnXsi, in which he bequeaths 
his estate, rn ayia xaSoXtx? lxxX>)o-i'a rn Iv 
Hal^iav^M, and subscribes it after the same 
manner of words in which he began it, 
and so the rest of the bishops which sub- 
scribed as witnesses, 'Afx<^iX6^iQt Imcrxo- 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



519 



Now being these particular Churches could not be named 
cathoUck as they were particular, in reference to this or that 
city in which they were congregated, it followeth that they 
were called catholick by their coherence and conjunction with 
that Church, which was properly and originally called so 
which is the Church taken in that acceptation, which we have 
already delivered. That Church which was built upon the 
apostles as upon the foundation, congregated by their preach- 
ing and by their baptizing, received continued accession, and 
disseminated in several parts of the earth, containing within 
it numerous congregations, all which were truly called Churches, 
as members of the same Church ; that Church, I say, was after 
some time called the catholick Church, that is to say, the name 
catholick was used by the Greeks to signify the whole. For 
being every particular congregation professing the name of 
Christ, was from the beginning called a Church ; being like- 
wise all such congregations considered together were origi- 
nally comprehended under the name of the Church ; being 
these two notions of the word were different, it came to pass 
that for distinction-sake at first they called the Church, taken 
in the large and comprehensive sense, by as large and com- 
prehensive a name, the catholick Church.f 



'Oirrifxo^ iTTia-Ko'noq t>); kolto. ' A\rio-)^Ua.v xa- 

iTtla-noTtoq rnt; a.yia.q xafloXixJ)? l>t>cX»)(ri'ttC T^f 
xara 'ATrifxstctv, ©s/ociVriof liria-noTTog 
KaQoXiKnq EKKXna-iaq rnq Kara, 'ASpiavoi^TToXjv. 
In the same manner speak the Latins : 
' Eodem itaque tempore in ecclesia Hip- 
ponensi catholica Valerius Sanctus epi- 
scopatum gerebat.' Possidius de Vita Au- 
gust, c. 4. Thus any particular true 
Church is called the catholic Church of 
the place in which it is ; and all Churches 
which retain the catholic faith, are called 
cacholic Churches. As when the Synod 
of Antioch concluded their sentence 
against the Samosatenians thus : Ka.1 tra- 
o-ai al xa9oXix«; IxjtXno-i'at <TVfA,'poi)Vcivs-iv hf^Xv. 
According to which notion we read in Leo 
the Great : * Ad venerationem Pentecos- 
tes unanimiter incitemur exsultantes in 
honorem S. Spiritus, per quern omnis ec- 
clesia catholica sanctificatur, omnis anima 
rationalis imbuitur.' Scrm. 1. de Pentec. 
c. 3. Whence we read in the Synod of 
Arminum : Et? to airo 7ravre<; s'rr'nrx.omi 
a-vynKBofxBV , I'va xai h ttiVti? t!jj xaSoXjKJ?? Ix- 
xXflcriaff yvoo^ia-Qri, xa; ol ravavria, (b^ovoZvTSg 
IxSnXoj yeviovTai' although in Athanasius, 
lib. de Synod. Theodoret, Hist. Eccl. 1 ii. 
c. 15. and Socrates, Hist. Eccl. 1. ii c.37. 
it be constantly written, t^? xaSoXiicrj Ix- 
xXna-i'a?, yet St. Hilary did certainly read 
it, TBUi; Xtt9oXjxar? lxxX>icrta{?, for it is thus 
translated in his Fragments : ' Ut fides 



claresceret omnibus ecclesiis catholicis, 
et haeretici noscerentur.' Frag. viii. From 
whence it came to pass, that in the same 
city heretics and catholics having their 
several congregations, each of which was 
called the Church, the congregation of the 
catholics was by way of distinction called 
the Catholic Ch urch. Of which this was the 
old advice of St. Cyril of Jerusalem : "av 

<a7oZ T3 Ky^iaxov iari' xat ya.^ al XoiTrai tSiV 
acrg^iv al^sa-en; Kv^iaKO, to, sauTMV ff'jth'Kaict 
KaXih iTTtp^eifoyoT fxn^k 'srov Io-tIv aTrXcSf 
lxxX>iff-tct, aXXa TToZ la-rh h xaQoXixjj IxxXno-i'a. 
Catech. xviii. §. 12. ' Ego forte ingressus 
populosam urbem hodie , cum Marcionitas, 
cum ApoUinaricos, Cataphrygas, Nova- 
tianos, et csteros ejusmodi comperissem, 
qui se Christianos vocarent, quo cogno- 
mine congregationem meaB plebis agno- 
scerem, nisi catholica diceretur V Pacian. 
ad Symp. Ep. 1. ' Tenet postremo ipsum 
catholicae nomen, quod non sine causa 
ista ecclesia sola obtinuit, ut cum omnes 
haeretici se catholicos dici velint, quae- 
renti tamen peregrino alicui, ubi ad ca- 
tholicam conveniatur, nullus haereticorum 
vel Basilicam suam vel domum audeat 
ostendere.' S. August, coat. Epist. Funda- 
menti, c. 4. 

* ' Nonne appellatione propria decuit 
caput principale signaril' Faciunus, ad 
Symp. Ep. 1. 

t I conceive at first there was no other 
meaning in the word xaQoXixn than what 
the Greek language did signify thereby. 



520 



ARTICLE IX. 



Athough this seem the- first intention of those which gave 
the name catholkk to the Church, to signify thereby nothing 
else but the whole or universal Churchy yet those which fol- 
lowed, did signify by the same that affection of the Church, 
which floweth from the nature of it, and may be expressed by 
that word. At first they called the whole Church cathoUck, 
meaning no more than the universal Church ; but having used 
that term some space of time, they considered how the nature 
of the Church was to be universal, and in what that universality 
did consist. 

As far then as the ancient fathers have expressed themselves, 
and as far as their expressions are agreeable with the descrip- 
tions of the Church delivered in the Scriptures, so far, I con- 
ceive, we may safely conclude that the Church of Christ is 
truly catholick, and that the truly catholkk Church is the true 
Church of Christ, which must necessarily be sufficient for the 
explication of this affection, which we acknowledge when we 
say, we believe the catholkk Church. 

The most obvious and most general notion of this catholic- 
ism consisteth in the diffusiveness of the Church, grounded 
upon the commission given to the builders of it, " Go teach all 
nations," whereby they and their successors were authorized 
and empowered to gather congregations of believers, and so to 
extend the borders of the Church unto the utmost parts of the 
earth. The synagogue of the Jews especially consisted of one 
nation, and the public worship of God was confined to one 
country, In Judah was God known, and his name was great 
in Israel ; in Salem was his tabernacle, and his dwelling-place 
in Sion.'" (Psal. Ixxvi. 1,2.) He shewed his word unto Jacob, 
his statutes and his judgments unto Israel ; he hath not dealt 
so with any nation." (Psal. cxlvii. 19.) The temple was the 
only place in which the sacrifices could be offered, in which 
the priests could perform their offices of ministration ; and so 
under the Law there was an enclosure divided from all the world 
besides. But God said unto his Son, Will give thee the 
heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth 



that is, tota or un'u ena ; as St. Augustin : 
* Cam dixisset desuper contexta, addidit 
per totum. Qaod si referamus ad id qaod 
significat, memo ejus est expers qui per- 
tinere invenitur ad totum : a quo toto, 
sicut Grjpca iudicat lingua, catliolica vo- 
catur ecclesia.' Tract, in Joan. 118. 4. 
The most ancient author that I find it in 
(except Ignatius : "Ottou av ^a.\ri o liris-no- 

Xpirro; 'ins-ohg, i'/M h KaQoKi.-A.h luKXTja-ia. Ep. 
ad Smyrnceos, §. 8.) is Clemens Alexan- 
drinus : Movnv eTvai (pa/xiv rhv a^p^aiav kaI 
naQoXiKhv hn'hns-iav. Strom. 1. vii. c. 17. 
But the passion of Polycarpus, written in 
the name of the Church of Smyrna, may 
be much ancienter, iu which the original 



notion seemeth most clear : 'H ImfKris-ia 
rov Qsov h Tra^omoZs-a If^v^vav rn TTafotnoucrfi 
sv <J>tXO|<xiXtc<;, nal Tras-ai; raff xara wavxa 
ToVov Tr,g ayiag xaSoXix.?? £XKX>)<ria? Trapojzt- 
ttif, !. e, o)anibus totius eccleiice paroeciis. 
Euseb. Hist. Eccl. 1. iv. c. 13. It was 
otherwise called in the same notion h aa- 
QoXov. As ApoUinarius bishop of Hiera- 
polis : Thv KctBiXou y.al Tras-av zhv utto tov 
ougavov IxKXnaiav 0'KaT^ri,us'iV St5is"XcVT0? tqS 
aTrnv^a^ia-fxivou TrvzVfxaTo;. Apud Easeb, 
Hist. Eccl. 1. V. c. 16. And F^usebius : 
n^orsi Ji El? au^r,s-iv xtti (UEj-eSoj, agl xara to, 

fxowi; aXnBoZq iKKkD^icii; Xaij,7r^6rriQ. Hist. 1. 
iv. c. 7. K-aQoXmh then and h naQoXov is 
the same, the tcholc, general, or imiversaL. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



521 



for thy possession." (Psal. ii. 8.) And Christ commanded the 
apostles, saying, ** Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature:" (Mark xvi. 15.) that repentance 
and remission of sins should be preached in his name amons; 
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luke xxiv. 47.) Thus 
the Church of Christ, in its primary institution, was made to 
be of a diffusive nature, to spread and extend itself from the 
city of Jerusalem, where it first began, to all the parts and 
corners of the earth. From whence we find them in the Re- 
velation crying to the Lamb, ^* Thou wast slain, and hast re- 
deemed us to God by thy blood, oat of every kindred, and 
tongue, and people, and nation." (Rev. v. 9.) This reason did 
the ancient fathers render why the Church was called catholick ;* 
and the nature of the Church is so described in the Scriptures. 

Secondly, They call the Church of Christ the catholick 
Church, because it teacheth all things which are necessary for 
a Christian to know, whether they be things in heaven or things 
in earth, whether they concern the condition of man in this 
life or in the life to come. As the Holy Ghost did lead the 
apostles "into all truth," (John xvi. 13.) so did the apostles 
leave all truth unto the Church, which teaching all the same, 
maybe well called catholick, horn the universality of necessary 
and saving truths retained in it.+ 

Thirdly, The Church hath been thought fit to be called 
catholick in reference to the universal obedience which it pre- 
scribeth ; both in respect of the persons, obliging men of all 
conditions ;J and in relation to the precepts, requiring the per- 
formance of all the evangelical commands. §. 



* We have before observed of Arius 
and Euzoius, that naming the catholic 
Church in their Creed, they gave withal 
the interpretation of it : El? [xiav KaBoXiKhv 
kuKXturictv Tov ©so?, rhv alio ttb^oltodv 'iooQ tts- 
^aroov. St. Cyril of Jerusalem gives this 
as the first importance of the word : Ka- 
SoXiJtii fxh ovv na'hsXTai iia to yictra, iraa-ng 
elvai TJ?j olnovfxivrji; aTTo Trs^ctrajv yriq 'ixq TTS^a- 
rm. Catech. xviii. §.11. ' Ubi ergo erit 
proprietas catholici nominis, cum inde 
dicta sit catholica, quod sit rationabilis at 
ubique diffusa 1' Optatus, 1. ii. c. 1. ' Ipsa 
est enim ecclesia catholica : unde Jta&oXjKii 
Gnece appellatur, quod per totum orbem 
diffunditur.' S. August. Epist. 170. al. 
§. 1. ' Ecclesia ilia est, quam modo dixi 
unicam suam : hfEC est unica catholica, 
quae toto orbe copiose diffunditur, quae us- 
que ad ultimas gentes crescendo porri- 
gitur.' Idem, Epist. 120. al. 140. §. 43. 
* Si autem dubitas quod ecclesiam, quae 
per omnes gentes numerositate copiosa 
dilatatur, S. Scriptura commendat, multis 
et manifestissimis testimoniis ex eadem 
auctoritate prolatis onerabo.' Idem, contra 
Cresroii. 1. i. c. 33. ' Sancta ecclesia ideo 



dicitur catholica, pro eo quod universali- 
ter per oranem mundum sit diffusa.' Isi- 
dorns FlispaL. de Eccles. et Metres. 1. i. Sen- 
tent, c. 19. 

t This is the second interpretation de- 
livered by St. Cyril : Kal Sia to ^i^aa-nnv 
Ka&oXotij Hai avsWenrux; aitavra ra bU yvM- 
triv avBpcii'O/MV IxBsTv ocfSiXovTct ^oyfxa ra TTEf / t£ 
opaTMV Hal acfaTOiv Tr^ay/xarajv lirroupavL-juV tS 
Ka\ B'TTiysioov. Catech. xviii. §. 11. ' Ecclesia 
Gr<^c\\m nomen est, quod in Latinum 
vertitur coniocutio, propterea quod ad se 
omnes vocet. Catholica (id est, univer- 
salis) ideo dicitur, quia per universum 
mundum est constituta, vel quoniam 
catholica, hoc est, generalis in eadem doc- 
triua est ad instructionem.' In Decret. 
Ivo. par. iii. de Ecclns. c. 3. 

I 'I'his is the third interpretation of St. 
Cyril : Kal Sii to ttSv yivog av^^anroov elf 
eviTiSsiav v'noTa.(X<rBiv, aoy^ovrcDV tE nal a^^o- 
(XBvoov, Xoy'iMV TB nal ISioitZv. Catech. xviii. 

§ ' Si reddenda catholici vocabuli ratio 
est, et exprimenda de Grfeco interpreta- 
tione Latina, catholicus ubique unum, vel 
(^ut doctiores putant) obediectia omnium 



522 



ARTICLE IX. 



Fourthly, The Church hath been yet farther called or reputed 
cathoUck* by reason all graces are given in it, whereby all dis- 
eases of the soul are healed, and spiritual virtues are dissemi- 
nated, all the works and words and thoughts of men are re- 
gulated, till we become perfect men in Christ Jesus. 

In all these four acceptations did some of the ancient fathers 
understand the Church of Christ to be catholick, and every one 
of them doth certainly belong unto it. Wherefore I conclude 
that this Catholicism, or second affection, of the Church, con- 
sisteth generally in universality, as embracing all sorts of 
persons, as to be disseminated through all nations, as compre- 
hending all ages, as containing all necessary and saving truths, 
as obliging all conditions of men to all kinds of obedience, as 
curing all diseases, and planting all graces in the souls of men. 

The necessity of believing the holj/ catholick Church, appear- 
eth first in this, that Christ hath appointed it as the only way 
unto eternal life. We read at the first, that "the Lord added 
daily to the Church such as should be saved (Acts ii. 47.) 
and what was then daily done, hath been done since continual- 
ly. Christ never appointed two ways to heaven ; nor did he 
build a Church to save some, and make another institution for 
other men's salvation. There is none other name under 
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, hut the 
name of' Jesus/' (Acts iv. 12.)+ and that name is no otherwise 
given under heaven than in the Church. As none were saved 



nuncupatur, mandatorum scilicet Dei. 
Unde Apostolus, Si in omnibus obedientes 
estis ; et iterum, Sicut enim per inobedien- 
tiam unius peccatores constiUtti sunt multi, 
sic per dicto-audientiam unius justi consti- 
tuentur multi. Ergo qui catbolicus, idem 
justi obediens.' Paciunns Epist. 1. ad 
Sympron. ' Acutum aliquid videris dicere, 
cum catholicae nomen non ex totius orbis 
communione interpretaris, sed ex obser- 
vatione pra;ceptorum omnium divinorum 
atque omnium sacramentorum : quasi nos 
etiam, si forte hinc sit appellata catbolica, 
quod totum veraciterteneat.cujus veritatis 
nonnuUa; particulae etiam in diversis in- 
veniuntur haeresibus, hujus nominis testi- 
monio nitamur ad demonstrandam eccle- 
siara in omnibus gentibus, et non pro- 
missis Dei et tam multis tamque mani- 
festis oraculis ipsius veritatis. Sed nempe 
hoc est totum, quod nobis persuadere 
conaris, solos remansisse llogatistas, qui 
catholici recte appellandi sunt ex observa- 
tione prasceptorum omnium divinorum 
atque omnium sacramentorum.' S. August. 
Vincentio, Epist. 48. al. 93. $. 23. Indeed 
this notion of the Catholic Church was 
urged by the Donatists as the only notion 
of it in opposition to the universality of 
place and communion. For when the 
Catholics answered far themselves : ' Quia 



ecclesiae toto orbe difFusas, cui testimo- 
nium perhibet Scriptura divina, ipsi, non 
Donatistae, communicant, unde Catholici 
merito et sunt et vocantur: Donatistas 
autem respdnderunt, Non Catholicum 
nomen ex universitate gentium, sed ex 
plenitudine sacramentorum institutum.' 
Idem, Brevicul. coLlat. tertii diei, c. 3. 

* This is the fourth and last explication 
given by St. Cyril : Aja to xaQoXixS? ta- 
T^svBiv iA,lv xa4 S'SfccTrEuEtv airav to tSv afxap- 
Tiaov il^oq, t5)V S'la ^fX^? v-cCi a-oofxaroq mirs- 
'Kovfx'ivoov, XEXT>5o-9cti Ss £v auTjj iTaaav l^kav 
ovofAai^ofxmg a^srTii;, ev spyoii; t£ nai Xoyoig Kai 
msvfAariKoii; TTavroioig ^agtV^ao-t. Catech. 
xviii. §.11. 

t KctSftTTSf Iv SaXatrffn Vfltrot eIctjv al fAiv 

ofjuou? xat Xifxivag TT^og to rohg 'Xiifxa.l^ofjLi- 
\ovg E%Etv EV EayTo~? xaTflcfuyas* outw SeJ^xev 
0 ©£o? T« noa-fxci) «,vfjtctivofA.iva} xai p^etjM-at''* 
fASVO) im tS>v afxa^TnfA,aroov rag avvayooyag 
'ksyofxivag Imi'Kna-iag, Iv aTg, naBaTre^ Xtfxtaiv 
Bvo^fxoig Iv vy)(roig, al ^i^atrKuXiai Trig aXufletaj 
slcrl, Wfoj ag Kara<pevyoV(Tiv ol SIXovtej a-iJ^t' 
cQat. S, Theophil. Antioch. Autol. 1. 2. p. 93. 
Mta SI TT^ocrWEiy h}i>i\ria-ia rhv a-airnplav ravrnv 
£7ria-rafA,s^a,Ka'i fxn^sva rng )ta^o\ixr,g B^oebiv 
SKuXnaiag Kai Tria-rsoog fA,ere)(eiv Xcitrrov Suva- 
/txEvov fA,*]^£a-olol^Bs-6ai, S. Chrysost. in Pascha, 
Horn. 1. 



THE HOLY CATHOLICK CHURCH. 



523 



from the deluge but such as were within the ark of Noah, framed 
for their reception by the command of God ; as none of the 
first-born of Kgypt lived, but such as were within those habi- 
tations, whose door-posts were sprinkled with blood by the ap- 
pointment of God for their preservation; as none of the inha- 
bitants of Jericho could escape the fire or sword, but such as 
were within the house of Rahab, for whose protection a cove- 
nant was made : so none shall ever escape the eternal wrath of 
God, which belong not to the Church of God. This is the 
congregation of those persons here on earth, which shall here- 
after meet in heaven. These are the vessels of the tabernacle 
carried up and down, at last to be translated into, and fixed in, 
the temple. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe the Church of Christ, 
which is but onCj that being in it we may take care never to 
cast ourselves, or be ejected, out of it. There is a power 
within the Church to cast those out which do belong to it; 
for if any neglect to hear the Church (saith our Saviour), 
let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican." (Matt, 
xviii. 17.) By great and scandalous offences, by incorrigible 
misdemeanours, we may incur the censure of the Church of 
God ; and while we are shut out by them, we stand excluded 
out of heaven. For our Saviour said to his apostles, upon 
whom he built his Church, Whosesoever sins ye remit they are 
remitted unto them, and whosesoever sins ye retain they are re- 
tained." (John XX. 23.) Again,' a man may not only passively 
and involuntarily be rejected, but also may by an act of his 
own cast out or reject himself, not only by plain and complete 
apostacy, but by a defection from the unity of truth, falling 
into some damnable heresy ; or by an active separation, desert- 
ing all which are in communion with the catholick Church, 
and falling into an irrecoverable schism. 

Thirdly, It is necessary to believe the Church of Christ to 
be holj/j lest we should presume to obtain any happiness by 
being of it, without that holiness which is required in it. It is 
not enough that the end, institution, and administration of the 
Church are holy : but, that there may be some real and per- 
manent advantage received by it, it is necessary that the per- 
sons, abiding in the communion of it, should be really and ef- 
fectually sanctified. Without which holiness the privileges of 
the Church prove the greatest disadvantages ; and the means 
of salvation neglected, tend to a punishment with aggravation. 
It is not only vain, but pernicious to attend at the marriage- 
feast without a wedding-garment ; and it is our Saviour's de 
scription of folly to cry, Lord, Lord, open to us," (Matt. 
XXV. 11.) while we are without oil in our lamps. We must ac- 
knowledge a necessity of holiness, when we confess that Church 
alone which is holy can make us happy. 

Fourthly, There is a necessity of believing the catholick 



524 



ARTICLE IX- 



Church, because except a man be of that, he can be of none. 
For being the Church which is truly cathohck, containeth with- 
in it all which are truly Churches, whosoever is not of the ca- 
tholick Church, cannot be of the true Church.=* That Church 
alone which first began at Jerusalem on earth, will bring us to 
the Jerusalem in heaven ; and that alone began there, which 
always embraceth the faith once delivered unto the saints." 
(Jude 3.) Whatsoever Church pretendeth to a new beginning, 
pretendeth at the same time to a new Churchdom, and what- 
soever is so new is none. So necessary it is to believe in the 
holy catholick Church. 

Having thus far explicated the first part of this Article, I 
conceive every person suflSciently furnished with means of in- 
struction what they ought to intend, when they profess to be- 
lieve the holy catholick Church. For thereby every one is un- 
derstood to declare thus much : I am fully persuaded, and make 
a free confession of this, as of a necessary and infallible truth, 
that Christ, by the preaching of the apostles, did gather unto 
himself a Church, consisting of thousands of believing persons 
and numerous congregations, to which he daily added such as 
should be saved, and will successively and daily add to the 
same unto the end of the World : so that by the virtue of his 
all-sufficient promise, I am assiired that there was, hath been 
hitherto, and now is, and hereafter shall be, so long as the sun 
and moon endure, a Church of Christ one and the same. This 
Church I believe in general holy in respect of the author, end, 
institution, and administration of it ; particularly in the mem- 
bers, here I acknowledge it really, and in the same hereafter 
perfectly holy. I look upon this Church not like that of the 
Jews, limited to one people, confined to one nation, but by the 
appointment and command of Christ, and by the efficacy of his 
assisting power, to be disseminated through all nations, to be 
extended to all places, to be propagated to all ages, to contain 
in it all truths necessary to be known, to exact absolute obe- 
dience from all men to the commands of Christ, and to furnish 
us with all graces necessary to make our persons acceptable, 
and our actions well pleasing in the sight of God. And thus 
I believe the holy catholick Church. 

The Communion of Saints. 

This part of the Article beareth something a later date than 
any of the rest,t but yet is no way inferior to the other in re- 



* * Sola catholica ecclesia est, quse 
verum cultuni retinet. Hie est fons veri- 
tatis, hoc est domicilium fidei, hoc tern- 
plum Dei : quo si quis non intraverit, vel 
a quo si quis exierit, a spe vitae ac salutis 
aeternae alienus est,' LacLant. de ver. Sap. 
1. iv. c. 30. 



+ These words, communionem sanctorum^ 
were not in the Aquileian Creed ex- 
pounded by Ruffinus : they were not men- 
tioned by him, as being either in the 
Oriental or the Roman Creed. They 
were not in the African Creed expounded 
by St. Augustin De Fide et Symbolo ; not 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 525 



lation to the certaintv of the truth thereof. And the late ad- 
mission of it into the Creed will be thus far advantageous, 
that thereby we may be the better assured of the true intent of 
it, as it is placed in the Creed. For it will be no way fit to 
give any other explication of these words as the sense of the 
Creed, than what was then understood by the Church of 
God. when they were first inserted. 

If we look upon the first institution of the Church, and the 
original condition of those persons v^^hich received the Gospel, 
how they "were all together, and had all things common how 
" they sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all 
men as every man had need;" (Acts ii. 44, 45.) how St. Paul 
urged "an equality, that the abundance of some might supply 
the want of others, as it is written, He that had gathered 
much had nothing over, and he that had gathered little had no 
lack (2 Cor. viii. 14, 15.) we might well conceive that the 
communion (which word might be taken for communication ) of 
the Saints, may signify the great charity,* bounty, and com- 
munity among the people of God. 

But being that community, precisely taken, was not of eter- 
nal obligation, nor actually long continued in the Church ; 
being I conceive this Article doth not wholly look upon that 
which is already past ; and especially, being I think neither 
that custom, nor that notion was then generally received in the 
Church, when this comwMnion of Saints was first inserted : I 
shall therefore endeavour to shew that communion which is 
attributed to the Saints both according to the fathers who have 
delivered it, and according to the Scriptures from whence they 
derived it. 

Now all communion being between such as are some way 
different and distinct, the communion of the Saints may either 
be conceived between them and others, or between themselves; 
between them and others, as differing from them either in their 
nature or their sanctity ; between themselves, as distinct in 
person only, or condition also. Wherefore if we can first un- 



in the Creed delivered by Maximus Tau- 
rinensis ; not in any of the Sermons of 
Chrysologus ; not in any of the four books 
De Symbolo ad Catechumenos attributed to 
St. Augustin ; not in the 119th sermon 
under his name De Tempore : ' Cum dixe- 
rimus sanctam ecclesiam, adjungamus re- 
missionem peccatorum.' They are not in 
the Greek Creed in Sir Robert Cotton's 
library ; not in the old Latin Creed in 
the Oxford library ; not in that produced 
by Elipandus. We find them not in the 
old Greek Creeds, not in that of Eusebius 
given in the Council of Nice, not in that 
of Marcellus delivered to the Bishop of 
Rome, not in that of Arius and Euzoius 
presented to Constantine, not in either of 



the Creeds preserved in the Ancoratus of 
fjpiphanius, not in the Jerusalem Creed 
expounded by St. Cyril, not in that of the 
Council of Constantinople, not in that of 
Charisius given into the Ephesine Council, 
not in either of the expositions under the 
name of St. Chrysostom. It was there- 
fore of a later date, and is found in the 
Latin and Greek copy in Bene't-College 
Library, and is expressed and expounded 
in the ll5th and 181st Sermon De Tem- 
pore, attributed to St. Augustin. See 
Paschasii Symbolum. 

■* Grotius, upon that place of the Co- 
rinthians, observes : ' Spectat et hue ea 
quam in Symbolo profitemur Sanctorum 
communion e m 



526 



ARTICLE IX. 



derstand who, or what kind of persons these are which are 
called SaintSf with whom beside themselves, and how among 
themselves, in this relation as they are the Saints, they have 
communion ; and lastly, in what the nature of that communion 
in each respect consisteth ; I know not what can be thought 
wanting to the perfect explication of the communion of Saints. 

That we may understand what communion the Saints have 
with others, it would be necessary first to consider what it is 
to be a Saint, in what the true nature of Saintship doth con- 
sist, by what the Saints are distinguished from others. Again, 
that we may understand what communion the Saints have with 
or among themselves, it will be farther necessary to consider 
who are those persons to which that title doth belong, what are 
the various conditions of them, that we may be able to com- 
prehend all such as are true Saints, and thence conclude the 
communion between them all. 

I take it first for granted, that though the Greek word, which 
we translate Saints, be in itself as applicable to things* as 
persons, yet in this Article it signifieth not holy things, but 
holy ones, that is persons holy. Secondly, I take it also for 
granted, that the singular Holy One, the Holy One of Israel, 
the fountain of all sanctity, the sanctifier of all Saints, is not 
comprehended in the Article, though the communion of the 
holy ones with that singular, eminent, and transcendent Holy 
One,f be contained in it. Thirdly, I take it farther for granted, 
that the word in this Article, which we translate Saints, is not 
taken in the original of the Creed, as it is often taken in the 
translation of the Old Testament, for the sanctuary ,% as if the 
communion were nothing else but a right of communicating or 
participating of the holy things of God. Lastly, I take it also 
for granted, that although the blessed and holy angels are 
sometimes called in the Scriptures by the name of Saints 



* Koivuivia ayioov may be as well under- 
stood in the neuter as the masculine, as 
Exod. xxviii, 38. 'E^apsT 'Aapiv ra afxap- 
Trifxara rZv ayiaiv, " that Aaron may bear 
the iniquity of the holy things." So Lev. 
V. 15. Ka{ afjta^Tri anova-iai^ aTTO toov kyioiv 
Kvpiow xxii. 2. Kai Trposp^ETwiTttv utto rZv 
ayixv tm yJiv 'icrjatix. 1 Chron. xxiv. 5. 
"A^X^ovTi? rS)v ayituv, "the governors of the 
sanctuary," of which notion afterwards. 

t This is one of the common names of 
God in the Old Testament, bNlW'" iimp 
ayioq 'is-^ahX, which is also sometimes 
translated plurally by the LXX. as Isaiah 
xli. 16. vmp^ iv ToT? ayioig hirpariX, 

Jer. li. 5. bi<"')\i^ WMpti attq rZv ayiaiv'la-partX' 
and if it were so taken, then Koimvia rZv 
ayioov would be the communion of God, as 
Tov ayiov Uvsif^etroi. 

I Ta ayia. frequently used in the Scrip- 
tures for the sanctuary ; and then Koivxvia 



tZv aylxv might be taken for the commu- 
nion in alt those things which beionged to 
the loorship of God, as anoivoovnroi; was a 
man excluded from all such communion. 

§ The angels are not only called holy 
in the Scriptures by way of addition or 
epithet, as Travre? cl ayioi ayyeXot, Matt. 
XXV. 31. fxsra rZv ayyiXcov rSiv ayiaiv, IMark 
viii. 38. Luke ix. 26. l;)(f»)^aTiV6>) Ivo ky- 
y'iKov ayiov, Acts x. 2'^. IvcoTriov rSiv ayioov 
iyyiKoov, Rev. xiv. 10. ; but also the ayioi, 
holy ones, or Saints, taken substantively 
or singly, signify sometimes the angels, 
as Deut xxxiii. 2. li'Tp ninio nnxi " he 
came with ten thousands of Saints 
which the Jerusalem Targum renders 
l-U^lp lOxba im""") n-Dyi and with him came 
ten thousands of holy angels ; and Jona- 
than, V^rnp "inm n''api and with him 
myriads of myriads of holy angels. And 
although the LXX. keep the Hebrew )inp, 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 527 



yet they were not those who are here said to have the commu- 
nion, though the Saints have communion with them. 

For this part of the Article hath a manifest relation to the 
former, in which we profess to believe the holy Church; which 
Church is therefore holy, because those persons are such, or 
ought to be, which are within it, the Church itself being no- 
thing but a collection of such persons. To that confession is 
added this communion; but because though the Church be 
holy, yet every person contained in it is not truly so, therefore is 
added this part of the Article which concerneth those who are 
truly such. There is therefore no doubt but the Saints men- 
tioned here are members of the Church of Christ, as we have 
described it, built upon the apostles, laid upon the foundation 
of their doctrine, who do not only profess the Gospel, but are 
sanctified thereby. 

The only question then remaining is, in what their sanctity 
or Saintship doth consist, and (because though they, which 
are believers since our Saviour's death, be truly and more 
highly sanctified, yet such as lived before and under the Law, 
the patriarchs, the prophets, and the servants of God, were so 
called, and were truly named the Saints of God) who are the 
persons which are capable of that denomination ? 

Now being God himself hath given a rule unto his people, 
which is both in the nature of a precept and of a pattern: ("Be 
ye holy as I the Lord your God am holy (Lev. xi. 44. xix. 2. 
XX. 7.) Be ye holy, there's the command ; as the Lord your 
God is holy, there's the rule :) being it is impossible that we 
should have the same sanctity which is in God, it will be ne- 
cessary to declare what is this holiness, which maketh men to 
be accounted holy ones, and to be called Saints. 

The true notion of Saints is expressed by Moses, both as to 
the subject, and the affection and qualification of it ; for they 
are called by him men of holiness; (Exod. xxii. 31.)* such are 
the persons understood in this Article, which is the commu- 
nion of men of holiness. Now holiness in the first acceptation 
of it signifieth separation, and that with the relation of a dou- 
ble term, of one from which the separation is made, and of the 
other to which that which is separated is applied. Those things 
which were counted holy under the Law were separated from 
common use, and applied to the service of God ; and their 



yet they understood the angels in that 
place a-vv fxv^iatn Ka^Yig, [Hesych. KaS'»)?, 
ayjao-/uto?] Ix h^iMV avroZ ayys'Koi fxtr avrov. 
So Job V. 1. "To whicli of the Saints 
wilt thou tuml" tiriva ayyi^ajv ayioovo^'V, 
LXX. Thus in the vision of Daniel, he 
"heard one Saint speaking, and another 
Saint said unto that certain Saint which 
spake." Dan. viii. 13. So Zech. xiv. 5. 
" And the Lord my God shall come, and 
all the Saints with thee." And thus it 



may very well be understood in the New 
Testament, 1 Thess. iii. 13. Iv tk na^ovo^ia, 
rov Kv^iou fxsrk Trhrcav rZv ayim avrov, in 
correspondence to that, 2 Thess. i. 7. h 
Ti? cLTTOKaXv^st Tov K.Vfiov 'itia-ov a'sr' ovpavov 
fxir' ayyiXaiv ^uva/xsax; avTov. These are 
the f^v^ta^Bi ayicti in St. Jude, ver. 14. 
vnp nnm the mvriads of angels; and thus 
Koivcovia. ayioov should be the communion of 
the avgeh. 



528 



ARTICLE IX. 



sanctity was nothing else but that separation from and to those 
terms ; from a use and exercise profane and common, to a use 
and exercise peculiar and divine. Thus all such persons as 
are called from the vulgar and common condition of the world 
unto any peculiar service or relation unto God, are thereby 
denominated Ao/y, and in some sense receive the name of 
Saints. The penmen of the Old Testament do often speak of 
the people of Israel as of a holy nation, and God doth speak 
unto them as to a people holy unto himself ; because he had 
chosen them out of all the nations of the w^orld, and appropri- 
ated them to himself. Although therefore most of that nation 
were rebellious to him v^^hich called them, and void of all true 
inherent and actual sanctity ; yet because they were all in that 
manner separated, they were all, as to the separation, called 
holy. In the like manner those of the New Testament writing 
to such as were called, and had received and were baptized in 
the faith, give unto them all the name of Saints, as being in 
some manner such, by being called and baptized. For being 
baptism is a washing away of sin, and the purification from sin 
is a proper sanctihcation ; being every one who is so called 
and baptized is thereby separated from the rest of the world 
which are not so, and all such separation is some kind of sanc- 
tihcation ; being, though the work of grace be not perfectly 
wrought, yet when the means are used, without something ap- 
pearing to the contrary, we ought to presume of the good 
effect : therefore all such as have been received into the Church, 
may be in some sense called holy. 

But because there is more than an outward vocation, and a 
charitable presumption, necessary to make a man holy; there- 
fore we must find some other qualification which must make 
him really and truly such, not only by an extrinsical denomi- 
nation, but by a real and internal affection. What this sanc- 
tity is, and who are capable of this title properly, we must 
learn out of the Gospel of Christ ; by which alone, ever since 
the Church of Christ was founded, any man can become a Saint. 
Now by the tenor of the Gospel we shall find that those are 
truly and properly Saints which are sanctified in Christ 
Jesus (1 Cor. i. 2.) first. In respect of their holy faith, by 
which they are regenerated ; for ^* whosoever belie veth that 
Jesus is the Christ, is born of God ;" (1 John v. 1.) by which 
they are purged, God himself ^' purifying their hearts by faith," 
(Acts XV. 9.) whereby they " are washed, sanctified, and justi- 
fied, in the name of the Lord Jesus," ( 1 Cor. vi. 11 .) in whom 
also after that they believe, they are sealed with the Holy Spi- 
rit of promise."" (Eph. i. 13.) Secondly, In respect of their 
conversation : for " as he which hath called them is holy," so 
are they holy in all manner of conversation :" (1 Pet. i. 15.) 
" adding to their faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to 
knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 529 



patience brotherly-kindness, and to brotherly-kindness charity, 
that they may be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge 
of our Lord Jesus Christ." (2 Pet. i. 5 — 8.) Such persons then 
as are called by a holy calling, and not disobedient unto it ; 
such as are endued with a holy faith, and purified thereby ; 
such as are sanctified by the Holy Spirit of God, and by virtue 
thereof do lead a holy life, '* perfecting holiness in the fear of 
God (2 Cor. vii. 1.) such persons, I say, are really and truly 
Saints ; and being of the Church of Christ (as all such now 
must of necessity be) are the proper subject of this part of the 
Article the communion of Saints, as it is added to the former, 
the hoy catholick Church. 

Now as these are the Saints of the Church of Christ, from 
whence they were called the Churches of the Saints (1 Cor. 
xiv.33.) so there was never any Church of God but there were 
such persons in it as were Saints : we read in the Psalms of 
*' the congregation of the Saints'" (Psal. Ixxxix. 5. cxlix. I.) 
and the assembly of the Saints;'' (Psal. Ixxxix. 7.)* and 
Moses assured the people of Israel, that "all the Saints of God 
were in his hand (Deut. xxxiii. 3.) we read in the prophets 
of " the Saints of the Most High (Dan. vii. 18. 22. 25.) and 
at our Saviour's death the bodies of such Saints which slept 
arose." (Matt, xxvii. 52.) Where again we may observe that 
they were Saints while their bodies were in the grave ; as Aaron 
in the time of David kept the name of '* the Saint of the Lord." 
(Psal. cvi. 16.) Such as are holy in their lives do not lose 
their sanctity, but improve it at their deaths ; nor can they lose 
the honour of that appellation, while that which gives it dotli 
acquire perfection. 

Hence grows that necessary distinction of the Saints on 
earth, and the Saints in heaven ; the first belonging to the mi- 
litant, the second to the triumphant Church. Of the first the 
prophet David speaketh expressly, '* Thou art my Lord ; my 
goodness extendeth not to thee, but to the Saints that are in 
the earth :" (Psal. xvi. 2, 3.) of these do we read in the Acts 
of the Apostles ; to these did St. Paul direct his Epistles. Of 
the second doth the apostle make that question, " Do ye not 
know that the Saints shall judge the world?" (1 Cor. vi. 2.) 
And all those which were spoken of as Saints then in the earth, 
if truly such, and departed so, are now, and shall ever con- 
tinue, Saints in heaven. 

Having thus declared what is the sanctity required to make 
a Saint, that is, a man of holiness ; having also distinguished 
the Saints before and under the Gospel (which difference is 
only observable as to this exposition of the Creed), and again 

* D''Unp "^npa LXX. iv lxH.Xn<r'ia, ayioov, D''tr*Tp llDl ev /SoyXfl ayieuv, Vulg. Latin. i7i ec- 
clesia et in concilio siinclorum. ' Quis ignorat sub altera dispensatione Dei omnes 
retro Sanctos ejusdem fuisse meriti cujus nunc Christian! sunt V S. Hier, adv. Jovi- 
niun. 1. ii. col. 197. 

2 M 



530 



ARTICLE IX. 



distinguishing the same Saints while they live here with men 
on earth, and when after death they live with God in heaven ; 
having also shewn, that of all these those Saints are here par- 
ticularly understood who in all ages lived in the Church of 
Christ : we may now properly descend to the next considera- 
tion, which is, who are those persons with whom those Saints 
have this communion, and in what the communion which they 
have consists ? 

First then. The Saints of God living in the Church of Christ, 
have communion with God the Father ; for the apostles did 
therefore write that they to whom they wrote might have com- 
munion wdth them, that which we have seen and heard de- 
clare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us," 
(saith St. John in his First Epistle, i. 3.) and did at the same 
time declare that their communion was " with the Father."^ 
Wherefore being all the Saints of God under the Gospel re- 
ceiving the doctrine of the apostles have communion with them; 
being the communion of the apostles was the communion with 
the Father : it followeth that all the Saints of God under the 
Gospel have a communion with God the Father. As we are 
the branches of the vine, so the Father is the husbandman ; 
and thus the Saints partake of his care and inspection. As 
" Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righ- 
teousness, and he was called the friend of God ;" (Jam. ii. 23.) 
so all which are heirs of the faith of Abraham are made par- 
takers of the same relation. Nor are we only friends, but also 
sons ; " for behold what manner of love the Father hath be- 
stowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 
(1 John iii. 1.) Thus must we acknowledge that the Saints of 
God have communion with the Father, because by the great 
and precious promises given unto them, they become "par- 
takers of the divine nature." (2 Pet. i. 4.)t 

Secondly, The Saints of God living in the Church of God 
have communion with the Son of God : for, as the apostle said, 
"our communion is with the Father and the Son;" (1 John 
i. 3.)and this connexion is infallible, because "he that abideth 
in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son ;" 
(2 John 9.) and our Saviour prayed for all such as should 

believe on him through the word of the apostles, that they 
might be one, as the Father is one in him, and he in the Father, 
that they also may be one in both : I in them (saith Christ) 
and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one." (John 
xvii. 20 — 23.) This communion of the Saints with the Son of 
God, is, as most evident, so most remarkable. He hath taken 
unto him our nature and infirmities ; he hath taken upon him 
our sins, and the curse due unto them ; while we all ^' have re- 
ceived of his fulness grace for grace ;" (John i. 16.) and are 
called to " the fellowship of his sufferings," that we may " be 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 



531 



conformable unto his death." (Phil. iii. 10.) What is the fel- 
lowship of brethren and co-heirs of the bridegToom and the 
spouse; what is the communion of members with the head, of 
branches with the vine ; that is the communion of Saints with 
Christ. For God '* hath called us into the fellowship of his 
Son Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Cor. i. 9.)* 

Thirdly, The Saints of God in the Church of Christ have 
communion with the Holy Ghost : and the apostle hath two 
ways assured us of the truth thereof, one rhetorically, by a 
seeming doubt, "if there be any fellowship with the Spirit;" 
(Phil. ii. l.)f the other devoutly, praying for it, *' The grace of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship 
of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) The 
Saints are therefore such, because they partake of the Holy 
Ghost; for they are therefore holy because they are sanctified, 
and it is the Spirit alone which sanctifieth. Beside, the com- 
munion with the Father and the Son is wrought by the com- 
munication of the Spirit ; for hereby do we become the sons of 
God, in that we have received the " Spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry, Abba, Father;" (Rom. viii. 15.) and thereby do we 
become co-heirs with Christ, in that ** because we are sons God 
hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 
Abba, Father;" so that we are no more servants, but sons; 
and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ." (Gal. iv. 6, 7.) 
This is the communion which the Saints enjoy with the three 
persons of the blessed Trinity; this is the heavenly fellowship 
represented unto entertaining Abraham, when ** the Lord ap- 
peared unto hxm, and three men stood by him :" (Gen. xviii.1,2.) 
for our Saviour hath made us this most precious promise, " If 
any man love me he will keep my words, and my Father will 
love him, and we will come unto him and make our abode with 
him." (John xiv. 23.) Here is the soul of man made the habi- 
tation of God the Father, and of God the Son ; and the pre- 
sence of the Spirit cannot be wanting where those two are in- 
habiting ; for *' if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is 
none of his." (Rom. viii. 9.) The Spirit therefore with the 
Father and the Son inhabiteth in the Saints ; " for know ye 
not (saith the apostle) that ye are the temple of God, and that 
the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. iii. 16.) 

Fourthly, The Saints of God in the Church of Christ have 
communion with the holy angels. They who did foretell the 
birth of John the forerunner of Christ, they who did annun- 
ciate unto the blessed Virgin the conception of the Saviour of 
the world, they who sung a glorious hymn at the nativity of 
the Son of God, they who carried the soul of Lazarus into 
Abraham's bosom, they who appeared unto Christ from heaven 
in his agony to strengthen him, they who opened the prison 
doors and brought the apostles forth, they who at the end of 

• Kojvaavta tol! Tlov. t Koivuvia TlnvfAArcq. 

2 M 2 



532 



ARTICLE IX. 



the world shall sever the wicked from among the just, and 
gather together the elect of God, certainly they have a constant 
and perpetual relation to the children of God. Nay, **are 
they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for them 
who shall be heirs of salvation ?" (Heb. i. 14.) They have a 
particular sense of our condition, for Christ hath assured us 
that " there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over 
one sinner that repenteth." (Luke xv. 10.) And upon this re- 
lation the angels, who are all the angels, that is, the messen- 
gers, of God, are yet called the angels of men, according to 
the admonition of Christ, " Take heed that ye despise not one 
of these little ones ; for I say unto you, that in heaven their 
angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in 
heaven." (Matt, xviii. 10.) 

Thus far have we considered the communion of Saints with 
such as are distinguished from them by nature as they are men ; 
the fellowship which they have in heaven with God, and his 
holy angels, while they are on earth. Our next consideration 
will be, what is the communion which they have with those 
who are of the same nature, but not partakers of the same ho- 
liness with them. 

Fifthly, therefore, The Saints of God, while they are of the 
Church of Christ on earth, have some kind of communion with 
those men which are not truly Saints. There were not hypo- 
crites among the Jews alone, but in the Church of Christ many 
cry, " Lord, Lord," whom he knoweth not. The tares have 
tho privilege of the field, as well as the wheat; and the bad fish 
of the net, as well as the good. The Saints have communion 
with hypocrites in all things with which the distinction of a 
Saint and hypocrite can consist. They communicate in the 
same water, both externally baptized alike ; they communicate 
in the same Creed, both make the same open profession of 
faith, both agree in the acknowledgment of the same principles 
of religion ; they communicate in the same word, both hear the 
same doctrine preached ; they communicate at the same table, 
both eat the same bread, and drink the wine, which Christ hath 
appointed to be received : but the hypocrite doth not commu- 
nicate with the Saint in the same saving grace, in the same 
true faith working by love, and in the same renovation of mind 
and spirit ; for then he were not a hypocrite but a Saint : a 
Saint doth not communicate with the hypocrite in the same 
sins, in the same lurking infidelity, in the same unfruitfulness 
under the means of grace, in the same false pretence and 
empty form of godliness ; for then he were not a Saint but a 
hypocrite. Thus the Saints may communicate with the wicked, 
so they communicate not with their wickedness ; and may 
have fellowship with sinners, so they have no fellowship with 
that which makes them such, that is, their sins. The apostle's 
command runneth thus, Have no fellowship with the un- 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 533 



fruitful works of darkness;" (Eph. v, 11.)* and again, "Be 
not partakers of other men's sins (I Tim. v. 22. )t and a voice 
from heaven spake concerning Babylon/* Come out of her, my 
people, that ye be not partakers of her sins." (Rev. xviii. 4.)f 
To communicate with sin is sin, but to communicate with a sin- 
ner in that which is not sin, can be no sin ; because the one de- 
fileth, and the other cannot, and that which defileth not is no sin. 

Having thus considered those who differ from the Saints of 
God ; first, in respect of their humanity, as they are men; se- 
condly. In reference to their sanctity, as they are men of holi- 
ness : we are now to consider such as differ either only in per- 
son, as the Saints alive ; or in present condition also, as the 
Saints departed. 

Sixthly, therefore, The Saints of God living in the Church of 
Christ, have communion with all the Saints living in the same 
Church. ** If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one 
with another;" (1 John i. 7.)^ we all have benefit of the same 
ordinances, all partake of the same promises, we are all endued 
with the graces of the same mutual love and affection, keep- 
ing the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,'' (Eph. iv. 3.) 
all engrafted into the same stock, and so receiving life from the 
same root, all " holding the same head, from which all the body 
by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit 
together, increaseth with the increase of God." (Col. ii. 19.) 
For in the philosophy of the apostle, the nerves are not only 
the instruments of motion and sensation, but of nutrition also; 
so that every member receiveth nourishment by their interven- 
tion from the head ; and being the head of the body is Christ, 
and all the Saints are members of that body, they all partake 
of the same nourishment, and so have all communion among 
themselves. 

Lastly, The Saints of God living in the Church of Christ, 
are in communion with all the Saints departed out of this life 
and admitted to the presence of God.jl Jerusalem is some- 
times taken for the Church on earth, sometimes for that part 
of the Church which is in heaven, to shew that as both are re- 
presented by one, so both are but one city of God. Where- 
fore thus doth the apostle speak to such as are called to the 



• cvysioivoiinXTS to"? 'i^yotq, 

t Mfi KOivcitivsi TiU^ afxa^rLaiq. 

t "ivct, fxn o-vyxoivoovha-ctTe raig afxct^riaig. 
* Duobus modis non te maculat malus, si 
ei non consentias, et si redarguas. Com- 
municatur enim, quando facto ejus con- 
sortium voluntatis vel approbationis ad- 
jungitur. Hoc ergo admonens Apostolus 
ait, Nolite communicare operibus infmctuo- 
sis tenebrarum, magis autem et redarguite.' 
S. Augiist. de Verbis Dom. Serm. 18. al. 
88. §. 19. 



II This is that part of the communion 
of saints which those of the ancients es- 
pecially insisted upon, who first took no- 
tice of it in the Creed. ' Sanctorum com- 
mimionem, i. e. cum illis Sanctis, qui in 
hac quam suscepimus fide defuucti sunt, 
societate et spei communione teneamur.' 
Serm. 181. de Tempore, c. 13. * Et qui 
nunc cognoscitis per auditum, communio- 
nem habeatis cum Sanctis martyribus, et 
per illos cum Domino Jesu Christo.' 
Praf. Pass. S. Perpetucc. 



534 



ARTICLE IX. 



Christian faith: "Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the 
city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and an innu- 
merable company of angels, to the general assembly and Church 
of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the 
Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and 
to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant." (Heb. xii. 22, 23.) 
Indeed the commumon of Saints in the Church of Christ with 
those which are departed is demonstrated by their communion 
with the Saints alive. For if I have communion with a Saint 
of God, as such, while he liveth here, I must still have commu- 
nion with him when he is departed hence ; because the foun- 
dation of that communion cannot be removed by death. The 
mystical union between Christ and his Church, the spiritual 
conjunction of the members to the Head, is the true foundation 
of that communion which one member had with another, all 
the members living and increasing by the same influence which 
they receive from him. But death, which is nothing else but 
the separation of the soul from the body, maketh no sepa- 
ration in the mystical union, no breach of the spiritual con- 
junction; and consequently there must continue the same 
communion, because there remaineth the same foundation. 
Indeed, the Saint departed before his death had some commu- 
nion with the hypocrite, as hearing the word, professing the 
faith, receiving the sacraments together ; which being in things 
only external, as they were common to them both, and all such 
external actions ceasing in the person dead, the hypocrite re- 
maining loseth all communion with the Saint departing, and 
the Saints surviving cease to have their farther fellowship with 
the hypocrite dying. But being the true and unfeigned holi- 
ness of man, wrought by the powerful influence of the Spirit 
of God, not only remaineth, but also is improved, after death ; 
being the correspondence of the internal holiness was the com- 
munion between their persons in their life, they cannot be said 
to be divided by death, which had no power over that sanctity 
by which they were first conjoined. 

This communion of the Saints in heaven and earth, upon the 
mystical union of Christ their Head, being fundamental and 
internal, what acts or external operations it produceth, is not 
so certain. That we communicate with them in hope of that 
happiness which they actually enjoy, is evident; that we have 
the Spirit of God given us as an earnest, and so a part of their 
felicity, is certain. But what they do in heaven in relation to 
us on earth particularly considered, or what we ought to per- 
form in reference to them in heaven, beside a reverential re- 
spect and study of imitation, is not revealed unto us in the 
Scriptures, nor can be concluded by necessary deduction from 
any principles of Christianity. They which first found this 
part of the Article in the Ckeed, and delivered their exposition 
unto us, have made no greater enlargement of this communion. 



THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. 



535 



as to the Saints of heaven, than the society of hope, esteem, 
and imitation on our side, of desires and supplications on their 
side : and what is now taught by the Church of Rome, is, as 
unwarrantable, so a novitious interpretation.* 

The necessity of the belief of this communion of Saints ap- 
peareth, first, In that it is proper to incite and encourage us 
to holiness of life. ^' If we walk in the light, as God is in the 
light, we have fellowship one with another. But if we say 
that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we 
lie, and do not the truth." (1 John i. 6, 7.) For what fel- 
lowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what 
communion hath light with darkness 1 and what concord hath 
Christ with Belial ?" (2 Cor. vi. 14, 15.) When Christ sent 
St. Paul to the Gentiles, it was to open their eyes, and to 
turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan 
unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins, and in* 
heritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in 
Christ." (Acts xxvi. 18.) Except we be turned from darkness, 
except we be taken out of the power of Satan, which is the 
dominion of sin, we cannot receive the inheritance among them 
who are sanctified, we cannot be thought ** meet to be par- 
takers of the inheritance of the Saints in light." (Col. i. 12.) 
Indeed there can be no communion where there is no simili- 
tude, no fellowship with God without some sanctity ; because 
his nature is infinitely holy, and his actions are not subject to 
the least iniquity. 

Secondly, The belief of the communion of Saints is necessary 
to stir us up to a proportionate gratitude unto God, and an 
humble and cheerful acknowledgment of so great a benefit. 
We cannot but acknowledge that they are " exceeding great 
and precious promises," by which we become partakers of 



* We have already produced tlie words 
of the 181st Sermon De Tempore concern- 
ing hope. In the same we find also that 
of imitation : * Si igitur cum Sanctis in 
aeterna vita communionem habere volu- 
mus, de imitatione eorum cogitemus. De- 
bent enim in nobis aliquid recognoscere 
de suis virtutibus, ut pro nobis dignentur 
Domino supplicare.' Ibid. c. 13. ' Haec 
sunt vestigia, qua^ nobis sancti quoque 
revertentes in patriam nobis reliquerant, 
ut illorum semitis inhajrentes sequeremur 
ad gaudia.' Ibid. Beside this imitation, 
he addeth their desires and care for us 
below : ' Cur non properamus et curri- 
mus, ut patriam nostramvidere possimus? 
Magnus illic carorum numerusexspectat, 
parentum, fratrum, filiorum, frequensnos 
et copiosa turba desiderat, jam de sua in- 
columitate secura, adhuc de nostra salute 
solicita.' Ibid. Of the venerable esteem 
We ought to have for them, speaks Euse- 
bius Gallicanus : ' Credamus et sanctorum 
communionem, sed sanctos non tam pro 



Dei parte, quam pro Dei honore venere- 
mur/ Be Symb. Horn. ii. p. 555. And 
again : ' Digne nobis venerandi sunt, dum. 
Dei cultum et futurae vitas desideriura 
contemptu mortis insinuant.' Ibid. Thus 
far anciently they which expounded this 
Article : but the late exposition of the 
Church of Rome runneth thus : ' Non so- 
lum ecclesia, qua; est in terris, communi- 
cat bona sua cum omnibus membris sibi 
conjunctis, sed etiam communicat suffra- 
gia ecclesiag, quae est in purgatorio, et ec- 
clesia, quae est in coelis, communicat ora- 
tiones, et merita sua cum ecclesia, quae 
est in terris.' Bellarm. in Symb. Where 
the communication of the suflfrages of the 
Saints alive to the Church in purgatory, 
and the communication of the merits of 
the Saints in heaven to the Saints on 
earth, are novel expositions of this Article, 
not so much as acknowledged by Thomas 
Aquinas in bis explication of the Creed, 
much less to be found in any of the an- 
cienter expositors of it. 



536 



ARTICLE IX. 



the divine nature." (2 Pet. i. 4.) " Who am I ? (said David) 
and what is my life, that I should be son-in-law to the king?" 
(1 Sam. xviii. 18.) Who are the sons of men, w^hat are they 
which are called to be Saints, that they should have fellowship 
with God the Father? St. Philip the apostle said unto our 
Saviour, " Lord, shew us the Father and it sufficeth (John 
xiv. 8.) whereas he hath not only shewn us, but come unto us 
with the Father, and dwelt within us by his Holy Spirit ; he 
hath called us to the fellowship of the angels and archangels, 
of the cherubins and seraphins, to the glorious company of the 
apostles, to the goodly fellowship of the prophets, to the noble 
army of martyrs, to the holy Church militant on earth, and tri- 
umphant in heaven. 

Thirdly, The belief of the communion of Saints is necessary 
to inflame our hearts with an ardent affection towards those 
which live, and a reverent respect towards those which are 
departed, and are now with God. Nearness of relation re- 
quireth affection ; and that man is unnatural who loveth not 
those persons which nature hath more immediately conjoined 
to him. Now no conjunction natural can be compared with 
that which is spiritual; no temporal relation with that which 
is eternal. If similitude of shape and feature will create a 
kindness, if congruity of manners and disposition will con- 
join the affections ; what should be the mutual love of those 
who have the image of the same God renewed within them, of 
those who are endued with the gracious influences of the same 
Spirit? And if all the Saints of God living in the communion 
of the Church deserve the best of our affections here on earth, 
certainly when they are dissolved and with Christ, when they 
have been blessed with a sight of God, and rewarded with a 
crown of glory, they may challenge respect from us, who are 
here to wait upon the will of God, expecting when some such 
happy change shall come. 

Fourthly, This tendeth to the directing and enlarging our 
acts of charity. We are obliged to be charitable unto all men, 
because the love of our brother is the foundation of our duty 
towards men, and in the language of the Scriptures whosoever 
is another is our brother ; but we are particularly directed to 
them that are of the household of faith. And as there is a 
general reason calling for our mercy and kindness unto all 
men ; so there is a more special reason urging those who are 
truly sanctified by the Spirit of God to do good unto such as 
appear to be led by the same Spirit ; for if they communicate 
with them in the everlasting mercies of God, it is fit they should 
partake of the bov,^els of man's compassion ; if they communi- 
cate with them in things spiritual and eternal, can it be much 
that they should partake with them of such things as are tem- 
poral and carnal 

s^TS, TTsVw fAraXKov Iv TsT? (pQaproti; Barnubce Epist. c. 19. 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 537 

To conclude. Every one may learn from hence what he is 
to understand by this part of the Article, in which he profess- 
eth to believe the communion of Saints ; for thereby he is con- 
ceived to express thus much : I am fully persuaded of this as 
of a necessary and infallible truth, that such persons as are 
truly sanctified in the Church of Christ, while they live among 
the crooked generations of men, and struggle with all the mi- 
series of this world, have fellowship with God the Father, God 
the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, as dwelling with them, and 
taking up their habitations in them : that they partake of the 
care and kindness of the blessed angels, who take delight in 
the ministration for their benefit : that beside the external fel- 
lowship which they have in the word and sacraments with all 
the members of the Church, they have an intimate union and 
conjunction with all the Saints on earth as the living members 
of Christ : nor is this union separated by the death of any, 
but as Christ in whom they live is the Lamb slain from the 
foundation of the world, so have they fellowship with all the 
Saints which from the death of Abel have ever departed in the 
true faith and fear of God, and now enjoy the presence of the 
Father, and follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. And thus 
I believe the communion of Saints. 



ARTICLE X. 

The Forgiveness of Sins. 

This Article hath always been expressly contained and ac- 
knowledged in the Creed,* as being a most necessary part 
of our Christian profession ; and for some ages it immediately 
followed the belief of the holy Church,f and was therefore 



* Therefore Carolus Magnus in his 
Capitular, 1. iii. c. 6. inveighs against Ba- 
silius the bishop of Ancyra, because in 
his Confession of Faith which he delivered 
in the second Council of Nice, (Act. i.) 
he omitted the remission of sins, which the 
apostles in so short a compendium as the 
Creed would not omit : ' Hanc Apostoli 
in collatione fidei, quam ab invicem dis- 
cessuri quasi quandam credulitatis et pras- 
dicationis normam statuerunt, post con- 
fessionem Patris et Filii et Spiritus San- 
cti posuisse perhibentur ; et in tanti verbi 
brevitate, de quo per prophetam dictum 
est, Verbim abbreviatum faciei Dominus 
super terram, hanc ponere minime distule- 
runt, quia sine hac lidei sinceritatem inte- 
gram esse minime perspexerunt. Nec 
cohibuit eos ab ejus professione illius 
Symboli brevitas, quam exposcebat sacrse 



fidei integritas, tantique doni veneranda 
sublimitas.' 

t ' Concordant autem angeli nobiscum 
etiam tunc, cum remittuntur nostra pec- 
cata. Ideo post commemorationem san- 
ctae ecclesiae in ordiue confessionis ponitur 
remissio peccatorum : per hanc enim stat 
ecclesia quae in terris est, per hanc non 
perit, quod perierat et inventum est.' S. 
August, Enchir. c. 64. And for this pur- 
pose it is in his book De Agone Chrisliano, 
passing from one article to another with 
this general transition : after that of the 
Church, he proceedeth with these words : 
* Nec eos audiamus, qui negant ecclesiam 
Dei omnia peccata posse dimittere.' c. ol. 
So it followeth also in Venantius Fortu- 
natus, and iu such other Creeds as want 
that part of the former Article of the Com- 
7nuuion of Saints. 



538 



ARTICLE X. 



added immediately after it, to shew that the remission of sins 
was to be obtained in the Church of Christ.* For being the 
Creed was at first made to be used as a confession of such 
as were to be baptized, declaring their faith in the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Ghost, in whose name baptism was ad- 
ministered ; they propounded unto them the Holy Church, into 
which by baptism they were to be admitted, and the forgiveness 
of sinSf which by the same baptism was to be obtained ; and 
therefore in some Creeds it was particularly expressed, I be- 
lieve one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. \ 

Looking thus upon this Article, with this relation, we find 
the sense of it must be this, that we hoW^^Q forgiveness of sins 
is to be obtained in the Church of Christ. For the explication 
whereof it will be necessary, first, to declare what is the nature 
of remission of sins, in what that action doth consist; secondly, 
to shew how so great a privilege is propounded in the Church, 
and how it may be procured by the members of the Church. 
That we may understand the notion of forgiveness of sins, three 
considerations are required ; first. What is the nature of sin, 
which is to be forgiven ; secondly, What is the guilt or obli- 
gation of sin, which wanteth forgiveness ; thirdly. What is the 
remission itself, or the loosing of that obligation. 

As the power of sin is revealed only in the Scriptures, so 
the nature of it is best understood from thence. And though 
the writings of the apostles give us few definitions, yet we may 
find even in them a proper definition of sin. Whosoever 
committeth sin, transgresseth also the law," saith St. John, and 
then rendereth this reason of that universal assertion, for sin 
is the transgression of the law." (1 John iii.4.) Which is an 
argument drawn from the definition of sin ; for he saith not, 
' every sin is the transgression of the law,' which had been ne- 
cessary, if he had spoken by way of proposition only, to have 
proved the universality of his assertion, but produceth it inde- 
finitely, " sin is the transgression of the law," which is suffi- 



* Orig. Horn. ii. in Genesin. ' Sanctam 

ecclesiam teneat in qua et remissio 

peccatorum et carnis resurrectio prsedi- 
cabatur.' Ruffin. in Symb. §. 38. * Sed 
neque de ipsis criminibus quamlibet ma- 
gnis remittendis in sancta ecclesia despe- 
randa est misericordia.' S. Augtist. En- 
chir. c. 65. 'In remissionem peccatorum. 
Haec in ecclesia si non esset, nulla spes 
esset. Remissio peccatorum si in eccle- 
sia non esset, nulla futurae vitas et libera- 
tionis aetemas spes esset. Gratias agi- 
mus Deo, qui ecclesiae suae dedit hoc 
donura.' Auctor Homil. 119. de Tempore, 
§. 8. * Quia singuli quique coetus haereti- 
corum se potissimum Christianos, et suam 
esse catholicam ecclesiam putant ; sci- 
endum est, illam esse veram, in qua est 
religio, confessio, et poenitentia, qnss pec- 



cata et vulnera, quibus est subjecta imbe- 
cillitas carnis, salubriter curat,' Lactant 
de ver. Sap. 1. iv. c. 30. 

t These are the words of the Cionstan- 
tinopolitan Creed ; 'O/xoXoyZ h ^aVTia-fAa 
tig a<f>£ir(v ay.a§Ticiiv. Before which Epi- 
phanius in his lesser Creed : ^O/Jt.o'KoyovfjLev 
iV SaTTTia-fxa elg a<pE!riv a/xa^riSiv' 120. in 
the larger : ni<!-TivofA.ev elg fxlciv xaQoXjx^v 
Ksu atHToa-roKium SKyiMcriav, xai si? ^aTrria-fxa 
fAeravoictg. in Ancorato, §. 121. St. Cyril 
puts both these together: El? ev Bantrta-fJi.a 
fASravoiai; sU a<peinv afActfriZv. Catech. xviii. 
* Credo unum baptismum in remissionem 
omnium peccatorum.' Pelegrinus Laureac. 
Episc. ' Credimus unum baptisma in re- 
missionem omnium peccatorum in secula 
seculorum.' Symholmn JEihiopicum. 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 



539 



cient, speaking it by way of definition.* And it is elsewhere 
most evident that every sin is something prohibited by some 
law, and deviating from the same. For the apostle affirming, 
that the law worketh wrath," that is, a punishment from God, 
giveth this as a reason or proof of his affirmation ; for where 
no law is, there is no transgression." (Rom. iv. 15.) The Law 
of God is the rule of the actions of men, and any aberration 
from that rule is sin :f the Law of God is pure, and whatsoever 
is contrary to that Law is impure. Whatsoever therefore is 
done by man, or is in man, having any contrariety or opposi- 
tion to the Law of God, is sin. Every action, every word, every 
thought, against the Law, is a sin of commission, as it is ter- 
minated to an object dissonant from, and contrary to, the pro- 
hibition of the Law, as a negative precept. Every omission of 
a duty required of us is a sin, as being contrary to the com- 
manding part of the Law, or an affirmative precept. Every evil 
habit contracted in the soul of man by the actions committed 
against the Law of God, is a sin constituting a man truly a 
sinner, even then when he actually sinneth not. Any corrup- 
tion and inclination in the soul, to do that which God forbid- 
deth, and to omit that which God commandeth, howsoever 
such corruption and evil inclination came into the soul, whe- 
ther by an act of his own will, or by an act of the will of an- 
other, is a sin, as being something dissonant and repugnant to 
the Law of God. And this I conceive sufficient to declare the 
nature of sin. 

The second particular to be considered is the obligation of 
sin, which must be presupposed to the solution or remission of 
it. Now every sin doth cause a guilt, and every sinner, by 
being so, becomes a guilty person; which guilt consisteth in a 
debt or obligation to suffer a punishment proportionable to the 
iniquity of the sin. It is the nature of laws in general to be 
attended with these two, punishments and rewards; the one 
propounded for the observation of them, the other threatened 
upon the deviation from them. And although there were no 
threats or penal denunciations accompanying the laws of God, 
yet the transgression of them would nevertheless make the 
person transgressing worthy of, and liable unto, whatsoever 



* The manner of the apostle's speech 
is also to be observed, having an article 
prefixed both to the subject and the pre- 
dicate ; as if thereby he would make 
the proposition convertible, as all defi- 
nitions ought to be. 'H afjta^rict IcrxiV h 

t ' Quid e'jt peccatum nisi praevari- 
catio legis divinaj, et coelestium inobedi- 
entia praeceptorum 1' S. Ambros. de Para- 
diso, c. 8. * Peccatum est factum vel 
dictum vel concupitum aliquid contra 



aeternam legem.' 5. August, contra Faii- 
sttim, 1. xxii. c. 27. ' Quid verum est, nisi 
et Dominum dare praecepta, et animas 
liberae esse voluntatis, et malum naturam 
non esse, sed esse aversionema Deipras- 
ceptis V Idem, de Fide contra Manich. c. 
10. ' Neque negandum est hoc Deum 
jubere, ita nos in facienda justitia esse 
debere perfectos, ut nullum habeamus 
omnino peccatum ; nam neque peccatum 
crit, si quid erit, si non divinitus jubeatur 
ut non sit.' Idem, de Pec. Meritis, et Rem. 
lib. ii. c. 16. 



540 



ARTICLE X. 



punishment can in justice be inflicted for that sin committed. 
Sins of commission pass away in the acting or performing of 
them ; so that he which acteth against a negative precept, 
after the act is passed, cannot properly be said to sin. Sins of 
omission, when the time is passed in which the affirmative 
precept did oblige unto performance, pass away, so that he 
which did then omit his duty when it was required, and in 
omitting sinned, after that time cannot be truly said to sin. 
But though the sin itself do pass away together with the time 
in which it was committed, yet the guilt thereof doth never 
pass which by committing was contracted. He which but 
once committed adultery, at that one time sinneth, and at no 
time after can be said to commit that sin ; but the guilt of that 
sin remaineth on him still, and he may be for ever said to be 
guilty of adultery, because he is for ever subject to the wrath of 
God, and obliged to suffer the punishment due unto adultery.* 
This debt or obligation to punishment is not only necessarily 
resulting from the nature of sin, as it is a breach of the Law, 
nor only generally delivered in the Scriptures revealing the 
wrath of God unto all unrighteousness, but it is yet more par- 
ticularly represented in the word, which teacheth us, if we do 
ill, how " sin lieth at the door.'' (Gen. iv. 7.) Our blessed 
Saviour thus taught his disciples, *' Whosoever is angry with 
his brother without a cause shall be liable (obnoxious or bound 
over) to the judgment ; and whosoever shall say to his brother, 
Raca, shall be liable (obnoxious, or bound over) to the council; 
but whosoever shall say. Thou fool, shall be liable (obnoxious, 
or bound over) to hell-fire." (Matt. v. 22.)t So saith our 



* This obligation unto punishment, 
remaining after the act of sin, is that 
-peccati reatus of which the schools, and 
before them the fathers spake. The nature 
of this reatus is excellently declared by 
St. Augustin, delivering the distinction 
between actual and original sin : • In eis 
qui regenerantur in Christo, cum remis- 
sionem accipiunt prorsus omnium pecca- 
torum, utique necesse est, ut reatus etiam 
hujus licet adhuc manentis concupiscen- 
ti^B remittatur, ut in peccatum non impu- 
tetur. Nam sicut peccatorum, quae manere 
non possunt, quoniam cum fiunt praete- 
reunt, reatus tamen manet, et nisi remit- 
tatur, in zeternum manebit ; sic illius con- 
cupiscentiee, quando remittitur, reatus 
aufertur. Hoc est enim non habere pec- 
catum, reum non esse peccati. Nam si 
quisquam, verbi gratia, fecerit adulteri- 
um, etiamsi nunquam deinceps faciat, 
reus est adulterii, donee reatus ipsius in- 
dulgentia remittatur. Habet ergo pecca- 
tum, quamvis illud quod admisit jam non 
sit, quia cum tempore quo factum est pras- 
teriit. Nam si a peccando desistere, hoc 
esset non habere peccatum, suflSceret ut 



hoc nos moneret Scriptura; Fili, peccasti? 
non adjicias itertim : Non autem sufficit, 
sed addidit, et de pristiriis deprecare, ut 
tibi remiltantur. Manent ergo, nisi re- 
mittantur. Sed quomodo manent, si prae- 
terita sirnt, nisi quia prsterierunt actu, 
manent reatul' S. August, de Nupt. et 
Coiicup. 1. i. c. 26. ' Ego de concupi- 
scentia dixi, quae est in membris repug- 
nans legi mentis, quamvis leatus ejus in 
omnium peccatorum remissione transierit ; 
sicat e contrario sacrificium idolis factum, 
si deinceps non fiat, praeteriit actu, sed 
manet reatu.nisi per indulgentiam remit- 
tatur. Quiddamenim tale est sacrificare 
idolis, ut opus ipsum cum fit praetereat, 
eodemque praeterito reatus ejus maneat 
venia resolvendus.' Idem, cotit. Julian, 
1. vi. C.19. §. 60. 

t "Evo^oi sa-rai is the word used here, 
which is translated, shall he in danger, 
but is of a fuller and more pressing sense, 
as one which is a debtor, subject, and 
obliged to endure it. Hesych. "Evox'^f, 
X^S!i)<rTi)<; , vVBuQwoi;, vmoKilfxivoq. Suicl. 
"Evop^or, vTra'nioq. Where, by the way, is 
to be observed^ a great mistake in the 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 541 



Saviour again, "All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, 
and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme. But 
he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never 
forgiveness, but is. in danger of (liable, obnoxious, or bound 
over to) eternal damnation." (Mark iii. 28, 29.) Whence ap- 
peareth clearly the guilt of sin and obligation to eternal pu- 
nishment, if there be no remission or forgiveness of it; and the 
taking off that liableness, obnoxiousness, or obligation unto 
death, if there be any such remission or forgiveness : all which is 
evident by the opposition, much to be observed in our Saviour's 
expression, " he hath never forgiveness, but is liable to eternal 
death." 

God, who hath the sovereign power and absolute dominion 
over all men, hath made a Law to be a perpetual and univer- 
sal rule of human actions ; which Law whosoever doth violate, 
or transgress, and thereby sin (for by sin we understand no- 
thing else but the transgression of the Law), is thereby obliged 
in all equity to suffer the punishment due to that obliquity. 
And after the act of sin is committed and passed over, this 
guilt resulting from that act remaineth ; that is, the person who 
committed it continueth still a debtor to the vindictive justice 
of God, and is obliged to endure the punishment due unto it ; 
which was the second particular to be considered. 

The third consideration now followeth. What is the forgive- 
ness of sin, or in what remission doth consist; which at first ap- 
peareth to be an act of God towards a sinner, because the sin 
was committed against the Law of God ; and therefore the 
punishment must be due from him, because the injury was done 



Lexicon of Phavorinus, whose words are 
these; "Eto'/oq, vTiiv^moq, jf^^iaitnYtQ' "Evo- 
<}>o?, vmalriog, Tifxctioi;. The first taken out 
of Hesychius, the last out of Suidas, cor- 
ruptly and absurdly ; corruptly £vo<}>o? for 
ivoxoi; • absurdly Tifxaiog is added either as 
an interpretation of hoxpg, or as an author 
which used it ; whereas Tifxaiog in Suidas 
is only the first word of the sentence, pro- 
vided by Suidas for the use of ho^og in the 
signification of vTrahiog. Agreeable unto 
Hesychius is that in theLexicon of St. Cyril, 
Ivop^oj, obnoxius, reus, obiigatus. And so in the 
place of St. Matthew, the old translation, 
reus eritjudicio. As in Virgil, ^n. v. 237. 

* ConstiUiam ante aras voti reus ;' Servius : 

* voti reus, debitor. Unde vota solventes 
dicimus absolutos. Inde est, (Eel. v. QO.) 
Damnabis tuquoquevotis, quasi reos facies.' 
So the Syriac, NDnb in n-no from l-n 
obligatum , debitor em, reum esse. For indeed 
the word hoxog among the Greeks, as to 
this matter, hath a double signification ; 
one in respect of the sin, another in respect 
of the punishment due unto sin. In re- 
spect of a sin, as that in Antiphon, tt. tow 



'Hfoo^. <pov. p. 139, 36. ed. Steph. fxh ovra 
<poviit, fxn^B Evo)(ov Tx Egyoj : and that in 
Aristotle, CEcon. ii. de Dionys. Syrac. ho- 
p^ov 'i<pr]a-£v U^oa-v'KUg 'icrteQai : and that in 
Suidas taken out of Polybius : Tifxaiog 
Kara tou ^E<p6^ov 'mirdnrai nara^fofxhv avroi; 
ciiv Im Iva-lv afjta^rhfxairiv ho)(pt;' [xev, oti 
iriK^a}/; KarnyofU raiv frihaq em ravTOiq, oXq 
avToq ho^pq i^riv. In respect of the punish- 
ment of a sin, he is hox,o? who is ob- 
noxious to the curse, and avop^of iirnifxioK;, 
obnoxious to the punishment. 'EfXTroivifxoi;, 
ifxTtoivioq, rovTBs-Tiv, 'ivo^og wofvn, oTov £<p' oTg 
rifxa^TB Sovg n/xxfiav, saith Suidas. Thus 
ho)(^og Qavarov B<rTi, Matt. xxvi. 66. in ITI 
xma is not in the intention of the Jews, he 
is in danger of death, but hedeserveth death, 
and he ought to die ; he is KaraiiKog, by 
their sentence, as far as in them lay, con- 
demned to die. St. Chrysostom : tI ovv 
lxEr»oj ; BV0)(^6g l(rri Qavarov. IV aig >taTaSix&v 
"kaQovrtg, ovtoi tcv UiKarov XoiTTov a7ro<f>»)va- 
a-^ai ira^aa-KBvac-uis-iv' o S>i naKitnoi o-yveiSoTEf 
<f>aiTiV, "Evop^oj ^avarov BanrXv, avToi Karnyo- 
foSvTE?, avroi JiKa^oVTE?, avroi ■\>r,<^il^o[A,B\oi, 
TTavra avroi yivofxtvoi tote. Horn. 84. 



542 



ARTICLE X. 



unto him. But what is the true notion or nature of this act, or 
how God doth forgive a sinner, is not easy to determine ; nor 
can it be concluded out of the words themselves which do 
express it, the niceties of whose origination will never be able 
to yield a just interpretation.* 

For although the word signifying remission, have one sense 
among many other which may seem proper for this particular 
concernment; yet because the same word has been often used 
to signify the same action of God in forgiving sins, where it 
could have no such particular notion, but several times hath 
another signification tending to the same effect,t and as pro- 



* The word used in the Creed is a<psa-i^ 
a,y.a^Tioov, and that generally likewise in 
use in the New Testament. But from 
thence we cannot be assured of the nature 
of this act of God, because a<pi£vat and 
a<})£trt? are capable of several interpreta- 
tions. For sometimes a<pisvat is emittere, 
and a.'ptTii; emissio. As Gen. xxxv. 18. 
'Eyinro Iv tw a<^iivai alrhv rhv 4u%>]V, 
not cum demitteret earn anima, as it is 
translated, but cam emitteret ea animam, i. e. 
effiaret ; as a<^nx.i to 7tnv[jt.a,, emisit spiritum, 
Matt, xxvii. 50. So Gen. xlv. 2. Kai 
aipwi <pMvhv fxera )CkavQfA.ov, not dimisit, but 
emisit vocem cum fletu ; as, a<peli; <^Mvriv /xs- 
yiXnv, emissa voce magna, Mark xv. 37. 
In the like manner a<pB<reig &aXa(7ir>5? are 
emissiimes maris, 2 Sam. xxii. 16. as, a<pia-eig 
v^aTMv, Joel i. 20. to which sense may be 
referred that of Hesychius : "A<pea-iv, va-- 
TrXnyya. And this interpretation of a<pea-ii; 
can have no relation to the remission of 
sins. Secondly, a.'pievai is often taken for 
permittere, as Gen. xx. 6. ovh. a.<p^iia, as 
a.'l'a.a-Qcii avr^t;. Matt. iii. 15. a<psg apri 
and To'xe acfjiniriv aiirov, which the Vulgar 
translated well, sine modo, and then ill, 
tunc dimisit earn. Matt. vii. 4. tt4>sc Ix- 
$aXM,sine ejiciam ; So Hesychius: a<peiri(;, 
(Tvyx^^^'^ig. And this hath as little rela- 
tion to the present subject. Thirdly, 
a'piBvai is someLinies reliiiquere and deserere, 
as Gen. xlii. 33. aS"eX<|iov sW a<f>ST£ wJe ^uet* 
Bfxou. Matt. V. 24. a,<psg busX to ^m^ov erov. 
viii. 15. Kcil a<py^Kev avrhv 0 <7fv^er6g, xix. 27. 
j'SoL/, hfASig a<\>r)iiafA,£v Travra. xxvi. 56. tots 
cl fxa^r,Tal TTavTEf a<pivTBi; avrlv l^pvyov. And 
in this acceptation it cannot explicate unto 
us what is the true notion of a.<pievai afxa^- 
Tictg. Fourthly, It is taken for omitlere, as 
Matt, xxiii. 23. nai a<^nytctrz to, BctpuTspa 
Tov vofAov, and Luke xi. 4'i. rauru 'i^zi Ttoin- 
crcti, x^Ks'iva fA,ri a<piivcii, and yet we have 
nothing to our present purpose. But, 
fifthly, it is often taken for remittere, and 
that particularly in relation to a debt, as 
Matt, xviii. 27. TO Javstov a<f>«)tev avrS- and 
Ter. 32. TTttirav rhv o<p£i'Khv Ixsi'vflV a^jwa coi. 
Which acceptation is most remarkable in 



the. year of release^ Deut. xv. 1, 2. A;' 
BTrra ItZv ^oiho'Bii; a<^BTiv, Kat oZro} to 
ir^oa-rayy.a t«j a<J);o-Siwf a<f>V£t? ttSv pi^piof 
'i^iov, 0 Q<^i'iKBi (701 0 TrXna-iov, na] tov a^eX>f6v 
crov oM a,7rairfi(T£iq' BTTiKiKKnTai ya^ a<pEa-iQ 
Kv^'iM rS ®BM a-ov. Now this remission or 
release of debts hath a great aflSnity with 
remission of sins ; for Christ himself hath 
conjoined these two together ; and called 
our sins by the name of debts, and pro- 
mised remission of sins to us by God, 
upon our remission of debts to man. And 
therefore he hath taught us thus to praj'^ • 
A<pB<; hfxiv Ta OipsiXfifAaTa hfAoov, oog nai h{j(.BXg 
atpUfxSv ro7g o<pBiXira,ig riy,Si)v. Matt. vi. 12. 
Besides, he hath not only made use of the 
notion of debt, but any injury done unto 
a man, he calls a sin against man, and 
exhorteth to forgive those sins committed 
against us, that God may forgive the sins 
committed by us, which are injuries done 
to him, Luke xvii. 3. 'Eav a^aa^Tj) sig a-e 
0 a.^£'K<pog <roxj, Bitiriy.maov alrS, nai lav fxBTO.' 
voheryi, a<f)S? avrS. 

t We must not only look upon the pro- 
priety of the words used in the New Tes- 
tament, but we must also reflect upon 
their use in the Old, especially in such 
subjects as did belong unto the Old Tes- 
tament as well as the New. Now a<ptevai 
a/xapriag is there used for the verb *i«3D, as 

Isa. xxii. 14. "iin^ri'v 03'? HTH p.n ^^^'•-Dx 

Ovu a'pB^rtjo'BTai vfxTv aurt) h a/xa^Tia, sug 
av airo'ba.nnri' sometimes for the verb HWi, 
as Gen. 1. 17. DDXtam T^x yu-S X3 hm; a.<^ig 
avTo^g Tnv ttJtXittV ncd rhv i/xa^rlav avrZv* 
Psal. XXV. 1 8. "•mxion b'Db NWI aal a.<p£g 'natrag 
rag afxa^riag fxov. And in that remarkable 
place which St. Paul made use of to de- 
clare the nature of remission of sins, Psal. 
xxxii. 1. yU'S-WD ""lU'X fxa^na^m m a<^i'^na-ay 
ai avofA-iau Sometimes it is taken for nbo 
as Numb. xiv. 1 9. mn Dyn M nbD a<j)S? 
Tnv a,aa^Ti'ttV rS XaS toutcu. Lev. iv. 20. 
Dnb nbDJI y-a) a,<pB^na-erai aureig h afxa^rta. 
Now being a<piBvai in relation to sins, is 
used for nSD signifying expiation and re- 
conciliation ; for NU'J signifying elevation, 
portation, or ablation ; for n^D signifying 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 543 



per to the remission of sins ; therefore I conceive the nature of 
forgiveness of sins is rather to be understood by the considera- 
tion of all such ways and means which were used by God in 
the working and performing of it, than in this, or any other 
which is made use of in expressing it. 

Now that we may understand what was done toward the re- 
mission of sins, that from thence we may conclude what was 
done in it; it is first to be observed, that ''almost all things 
by the Law were purged with blood, and without shedding of 
blood there is no remission." (Heb. ix. 22.)* And what was 
then legally done, was but a type of that which was to be per- 
formed by Christ, and therefore the blood of Christ must ne- 
cessarily be involved in the remission of sins ; for he " once in 
the end of the world hath appeared to put away sin by the sa- 
crifice of himself." (Heb. ix. 26.)t It must then be acknow- 
ledged, and can be denied by none, that Christ did suffer a 
painful and shameful death, as we have formerly described it; 
that the death which he endured, he did then suffer for sin ; 
for **this man (saith the apostle) offered one sacrifice for sins;" 
(Heb. X. 12.) that the sins for which he suffered were not his 
own, for " Christ hath once suffered for sins, the just for the 
unjust;" (1 Pet. iii. 18.) he was *'holy, harmless, undefiled, 
and separate from sinners," (Heb, vii. 26.) and therefore had 
no sins to suflfer for ; that the sins which he suffered for, 
were ours, for *' he was wounded for our transgressions, he 
was bruised for our iniquities ;" (Isa. liii. 5.) he "was delivered 
for our offences," (Rom. iv. 25.) he "gave himself for our sins," 
(Gal. i. 4.) he " died for our sins according to the Scriptures;" 
(1 Cor. XV. 3.) that the dying for our sins was suflTering death 
as a punishment taken upon himself, to free us from the punish- 
ment due unto our sins ; for God laid on him the iniquity of 
us all," (Isa. liii. 6.) and " made him to be sin for us, who 
knew no sin :" (2 Cor. v. 21.) he hath borne our griefs and 
carried our sorrows, the chastisement of our peace was upon 
him, and with his stripes are we healed ;" (Isa. liii. 4, 5.) that 
by the suffering of this punishment to free us from the punish- 
ment due unto our sins, it cometh to pass that our sins are 
forgiven, for, " This is my blood (saith our Saviour) of the New 

vacro regenerationis corpus abluere.' 
Idem, de bon. Patient. §. 3. Of an infant : 
' Qui ad remissam peccatorum recipi- 
endam hoc ipso facilius accedit, quod illi 
remittuntur non propria sed aliena pec- 
cata.' Idem, 1. iii. ep. 8. 4. al. ep. 59. 
Add the interpreter of Irenaeus concerning 
Christ : ' Remissam peccatorum exsisten- 
tem his qui credunt in eum.' Adv. HcEres. 
1. iv. c. 27. §. 2. 

* Xoj^j? alfxaTSK^va-iai; ov yivsrm a<^e(n<r. 

t It is not only a<^s<ni, but aQimvis 



pardon and indulgence ; we cannot argue 
from the word alone, that God in forgiv- 
ing sins doth only and barely release the 
debt. There is therefore no force to be 
laid upon the words a'^za-iq afA,a.priZv, re- 
missio peccatorum, or, as the ancientfathers, 
remissa peccatorum. So Tertullian : ' Dixi- 
mus de remissa peccatorum.' adv. Marc. 
1. iv. c. 18. St. Cyprian : ' Qui blasphe- 
maverit in Spiritum Sanctum non habet 
remissam, sed reus est aeterni peccati.' J. 
iii. ep. 14. 1. al. ep. 10. ' Dominus 
baptizatur a servo, et remissam pecca- 
torum daturus, ipse non dedignatur la- 



544 



ARTICLE X. 



Testament ( or Covenant), which is shed for many for the 
remission of sins." (Matt. xxvi. 28.) In Christ we have re- 
demption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according 
to the riches of his grace.'' (Eph. i. 7.) 

In which deduction or series of truths, we may easily per- 
ceive that the forgiveness of sins which is promised unto us, 
which we upon that promise do believe, containeth in it a re- 
conciliation of an offended God, and a satisfaction unto a just 
God : it containeth a reconciliation, as without which God can- 
not be conceived to remit ; it comprehendeth a satisfaction, as 
without which God was resolved not to be reconciled. 

For the first of these, we may be assured of forgiveness of sins, 
because Christ by his death hath reconciled God unto us, who 
was offended by our sins ; and that he hath done so, we are 
assured, because he which before was angry with us, upon the 
consideration of Christ's death, becomes propitious unto us, 
and did ordain Christ's death to be a propitiation for us. For 
we are '^justified freely by his grace through the redemption 
that is in Jesus Christ ; whom God hath set forth to be a pro- 
pitiation, through faith in his blood." (Rom. iii. 24, 25.) *'We 
have an advocate with the Father, and he is the propitiation 
for our sins." (1 John ii. 1.) For God "loved us, and sent 
his Son to be a propitiation for our sins." (Ibid. iv. 10.) It is 
evident therefore that Christ did render God propitious unto 
us by his blood (that is, his sufferings unto death), who before 
was offended with us for our sins. And this propitiation 
amounted to a reconciliation, that is, a kindness after wrath. 
We must conceive that God was angry with mankind before 
he determined to give our Saviour ; we cannot imagine that 
God who is essentially just, should not abominate iniquity. 
The first affection we can conceive in him upon the lapse of 
man, is wrath and indignation. God therefore was most cer- 
tainly offended before he gave a Redeemer ; and though it be 
most true, that he '^so loved the world that he gave his only- 
begotten Son :" (John iii. 16.) yet there is no incongruity in 
this, that a father should be offended with that son which he 
loveth, and at that time offended with him when he loveth him. 
Notwithstanding therefore that God loved men whom he 
created, yet he was offended with them when they sinned, and 
gave his Son to suffer for them, that through that Son's obe- 
dience he might be reconciled to them. 

This reconciliation is clearly delivered in the Scriptures as 
wrought by Christ ; for "all things are of God, who hath recon- 
ciled us to himself by Jesus Christ;" (2 Cor. v. 18.) and that 
by virtue of his death, for " when we were enemies, we were 
reconciled unto God by the death of his Son," (Rom. v. 10.) 
" making peace through the blood of his cross, and by him 
reconciling all things unto himself." (Col. i. 20.) In vain it is 
objected that the Scripture saith our Saviour reconciled men 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 



546 



to God, but no where teacheth that he reconciled God to man; 
for in the language of Scripture, to reconcile a man to God, is 
in our vulgar language to reconcile God to man, that is, to cause 
him who before was angry and offended with him to be gra- 
cious and propitious to him. As the princes of the Philistines 
spake of David, "Wherewith should he reconcile himself unto 
his master? should it not be with the heads of these men?" 
(I Sam. xxix. 4.)* Wherewith shall he reconcile Saul who is 
so highly offended with him, wherewith shall he render him 
gracious and favourable, but by betraying these men unto him? 
As our Saviour adviseth, " If thou bring thy gift before the 
altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against 
thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first 
be reconciled to thy brother/' (Matt. v. 23, 24.)+ that is, recon- 
cile thy brother to thyself, whom thou hast injured, render him 
by thy submission favourable unto thee, who hath something 
against thee, and is offended at thee. As the apostle adviseth 
the wife that *' departeth from her husband, to remain unmar- 
ried, or to be reconciled to her husband," (1 Cor. vii. 11.) that 
is, to appease and get the favour of her husband. In the like 
manner we are said to be reconciled unto God, when God is 
reconciled, appeased, and become gracious and favourable unto 
us; and Christ is said to reconcile us unto God, when he hath 
moved, and obtained of God to be reconciled unto us, when 
he hath appeased him and restored us unto his favour. Thus 
*' when we were enemies we were reconciled to God," that is, 
notwithstanding he was offended with us for our sins, we were 
restored unto his favour** by the death of his Son." (Rom. v. 10.) 

Whence appeareth the weakness of the Socinian exception, 
that in the Scriptures we are said to be reconciled unto God; J 
but God is never said to be reconciled unto us. For by that 
very expression, it is to be understood, that he which is recon- 
ciled in the language of the Scriptures, is restored unto the 
favour of him who was formerly offended with that person 
which is now said to be reconciled. As when David was to be 
reconciled unto Saul, it was not that David should lay down 
his enmity against Saul, but that Saul should become propi- 
tious and favourable unto David ; and therefore where the 



* 'Ev Ti'vt ^ia.Wd.yr\(Ttrai oZrot; rSi kv^lm 
avTov ; ov)(l Iv raT? X6<()aXaI'? roHv avSfiiv Ikei- 
vaov ; nifin'' acceptum se reddet, ita se geret, 
ut Saut earn in grutium recipere velit. 

X ' Ad heec vero quod nos Deo recon- 
ciliarit, quid afters 1 Primum, nusquain 
Scripturam asserere, Deura nobis a 
Christo reconciliatum, verum id tan turn 
quod nos per Christum aut mortem ejus 
simus reconciliati, vel Deo reconciliati ; 
ut ex. omnibus locis, quai de reccncilia- 

2 



tione agunt, videre est.' Catrch. Rac. c 8. 
To this may be added the observation of 
Socinus : ' Ita communem ferre loquendi 
consuetudinem, ut scilicet is reconciliatus 
fuisse dicatur, per quern stabat, ne ami- 
citia aut denuo exsisteret, aut conserva- 
retur.' De Christo Servatore, p. 1. c. 8. 
Which observation is most false, as ap- 
peareth in the case of Saul and David, 
and in the person mentioned in the Gos- 
pel, who is commanded to be reconciled 
unto him whom he had offended, and who 
had something against him. 
N 



546 



ARTICLE X. 



language is, that David should be reconciled unto Saul, the 
sense is, that Saul, who was exasperated and angry, should be 
appeased and so reconciled unto David. 

Nor is it any wonder God should be thus reconciled to sin- 
ners by the death of Christ, who " while we were yet sinners 
died for us," (Rom. V. 8.) because the punishment which Christ, 
who was our surety, endured, was a full satisfaction to the will 
and justice of God. ''The Son of man came not to be minis- 
tered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for 
many/' (Matt. xx. 28.)*' Now a ransom is a price given to 
redeem such as are in any way in captivity ; any thing laid 
down by way of compensation to take off a bond or obligation, 
whereby he which before was bound becometh free. All sin- 
ners were obliged to undergo such punishments as are propor- 
tionate to their sins, and were by that obligation captivated 
and in bonds, and Christ did give his life a ransom for them, 
and that a proper ransom, if that his life were of any price, and 
given as such. For a ransom is properly nothing else but 
something of price given by way of redemption,t to buy or 
purchase that which is detained, or given for the releasing of 
that which is enthralled. But it is most evident that the life 
of Christ was laid down as a price ; neither is it more certain 
that he died, than that he bought us : Ye are bought with a 
price," saith the apostle, (I Cor. vi. 20. vii. 23.) and it is the 
'* Lord who bought us," (2 Pet. ii. 1.) and the price which 
he paid was his blood ; for ** we are not redeemed with cor- 
ruptible things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood 
of Christ." (1 Pet. i. 18, \9.)t Now as it was the blood of 



* Aoiivtti Tr,v -^vxriv auTov XvT^ov avr) 
TtoXhZv. What is the true notion of Xt;T;ov 
will easily appear, because both the ori- 
gination and use of the word are suffi- 
ciently known. The origination is from 
XuEiV solvere, to loose, Xvt^ov quasi Xurhsiov. 
Etymol. ©psOTT^a ra. S-pgTTTiifja, aia-Tre^ Xurpa 
TO. Xvrh^ict. Eustath. Asysi ©gsTrrj-a 
(iia leg.) ra Tpo<f)a~a In roZ ^pSTrrhpia Kara, 
ervyKOTrhv aig Xvrh^ia. "Kvr^a, iroorh^ia crSarr^a. 
Iliad. A. 478. Avr^ov igitur quicquid da- 
tur ^lt quis solvatur. 'Etti al^fytaXxrccv l^oo- 
via-iMQ oiJtErov TO \via-Qai' o'flsv nal Xurpa ra, 
^M^a "Ksyovrai ra el? rouro Si^ofj-Bva' Eusta« 
thius upon that of Homer, IL A. 13. Av- 
(To'iUEvoj re ^vyar^a. It is properly spoken 
of such things as are given to redeem a cap- 
tive, or recover a man into a free condi- 
tion. Hesych. Tlavra ra ^i^ofABva £i? ava- 
KTus-jv av^r^MTTccv (so I read it, not avaKXr^a-iv). 
So that whatsoever is given for such a 
purpose, is Xurgov, and whatsoever is not 
given for such an end, deserveth not the 
name in Greek. As the city Antandrus 
was so called, because it was given in 
exchange for a man who was a captive. 
"Oti 'A<rnaviog ai^fAoKiuroq lyinro v'tto U£- 



"Kas-yZv Kol avr' avrov rnv 'BtoXiv ^s^ooks "Kvr^a, 
nai aTciXv^rt. Etym. So that there can be 
nothing more proper in the Greek lan- 
guage than the words of our Saviour, 
AoUvtti rhv -^^X^v alrov Xurpov avri ttoXXuiV 
Aovvai XuTfov, for Xut^ov is to ^i^ofxBvov, and 
avrl TToKXwv, for it is given a\r\ avd^anrooVy 
as that city was called, "AvravJpof vyow 
avTi avSgo; hhyAv^, And therefore, 1 Tim. 
ii. 6. it is said, 'O hvg savrov avTiXuTpov 
vTTsp TTavroov. 

t Hesychius : Al't^ov, rifxrifxa. 

X This is sufficiently expressed by two 
words, each of them fully significative of 
a price : the first simple, which is ayo^a- 
^iiv, the second in composition, l^ayo^a- 
^£iv. That the word ayo^a^eiv in the New 
Testament signifieth properly to buy, ap- 
peareth generally in the evangelists, and 
particularly in that place of the Revela- 
tions xiii. 17. Im y,h ng Wvjjtai ayo^aa-ai n 
TrctiXr.a-ai. In the same signification it is 
attributed undoubtedly unto Christ in 
respect of us, whom he is often said to 
have bought, as 2Pet. ii. 1. rh ayo^aa-avra 
alirovq ^la-Tiorw a^vovfxsvoi' and this buying 
is expressed to be by a price, 1 Cor. vi. 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 



547 



Chi-ist, so it was a price given by way of compensation : and 
as that blood was precious, so was it a full and perfect satis- 
faction. For as the gravity of the offence and iniquity of the 
sin is augmented, and increaseth, according to the dignity of 
the person offended and injured by it; so the value, price, and 
dignity of that which is given by way of compensation, is 
raised according to the dignity of the person making the satis- 
faction. God is of infinite majesty, against whom we have 
sinned ; and Christ is of the same Divinity, who gave his life 
a ransom for sinners : for God hath purchased his Church 
with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) Although therefore God 
be said to remit our sins by which we were captivated, yet he 
is never said to remit the price without which we had never 
been redeemed :^ neither can he be said to have remitted it, 
because he did require it and receive it. 

If then we consider together, on our side the nature and 
obligation of sin, in Christ the satisfaction made and recon- 
ciliation wrought, we shall easily perceive how God forgiveth 
sins, and in what remission of them consisteth. Man being in 
all conditions under some law of God, who hath sovereign 
power and dominion over him, and therefore owing absolute 
obedience to that law, whensoever any way he transgresseth 
that law, or deviateth from that rule, he becomes thereby a 
sinner, and contracteth a guilt which is an obligation to endure 
a punishment proportionable to his offence ; and God who is 
the Lawgiver and Sovereign, becoming now the party wronged 
and offended, hath a most just right to punish man as an 
offender. But Christ taking upon him the nature of man, and 
offering himself a sacrifice for sin, giveth that unto God for 
and instead of the eternal death of man, which is more valuable 
and acceptable to God than that death could be, and so maketh 
a sufficient compensation and full satisfaction for the sins of 
man : which God accepting, becometh reconciled unto us, and, 
for the punishment which Christ endured, taketh off our obli- 
gation to eternal punishment. 

19, 20. oiiK. IfTTE BnvrSiv, r)j/oja<rS-»iT£ ya^ ri- both : Ov cp^a^roTi; , a^yv^lai n Xf'^^'V' 
fj.r,c, Vulg'. 7ion estis vestri, empti enim estis r^uiQnrs la t??; fxaraiaq LfA.iv a,va<rT^o<^^g Tta.- 
pretio inagno : and 1 Cor. vii. 23. Ti/xrit ir^oita^alorov, aXXa nrifxiui aifjf,ari aii; ay-vov 
ifyo^as'QnTS, fjth yive^Qe SouXot av^fanrouv. afji,a)fxovKcti acr'n:'iXou,Xfts'rou. 1 Vet, i.iS,l9, 
What this price was is also evident, for * As Xut^:v is a certain price given or 
the Tifxh was the Tiy.iov aJf^ci the precious promised for liberty, so a<piivcii Xur^ov is to 
blood of Christ, or the blood given by way remit the price set upon the head of a 
of price, Rev. v. 9. on l<7<piyri(;, xat hyopa- man, or promised for him ; as we read in 
e-a; tS ©em fi^Sj Iv rS aifxari crov. Which the Testament of Lycon the philosopher : 
will appear more fully by the compound i^^nf^nr^'iM fxh i'kiv^i^o) TTaXaj ovtj a(^iny.i ra, 
word l^etyo^a^M, Gal. iii. 13. Xp«rTof J;|u5f Xur^a. Demetrius had been his servant, 
l^nyo^aaiv Ik Tng iieirci.^a(; rov vofj(.ou, ysvofj(.svog and he had set him free upon a certain 
vTTs^ hfxoi'v xara^a' and Ual. iv. 4, 5. ysvo- price which he had engaged himself to 
f/,£vov vTTo vofxov, I'm rov^lira vo^ov l^ayo^dcrri. pay for that liberty ; the sum which De- 
Now this l^ctyo^ctTfMq is proper redemp- luetrius was thus bound to pay, Lycon at 
tion, or "Kvr^Ma-iq, upon a proper price, his death remits, as also to Criton : Kpi- 
though not silver or gold, yet as proper Tojvt S's KappfuSsvi'a), naX rovrcc rk Xvr^a. a<j>/- 
as silver and gold, and far beyond them n^wj. I)iog. Laert. in Vit. ad Jin. 

2 N 2 



548 



ARTICLE X. 



Thus man who violated, by sinning, the law of God, and by 
that violation offended God, and was thereby obliged to under- 
go the punishment due unto the sin, and to be inflicted by the 
wrath of God, is, by the price of the most precious blood of 
Christ, given and accepted in full compensation and satisfaction 
for the punishment which was due, restored unto the favour of 
God, who being thus satisfied, and upon such satisfaction re- 
conciled, is faithful and just to take off all obligation unto 
punishment from the sinner ; and in this act of God consisteth 
the forgiveness of sins, which is sufficient for the first part of 
the explication of this Article, as being designed for nothing 
else but to declare what is the true notion of remission of sins, 
in what that action doth consist. 

The second part of the explication, taking notice not only 
of the substance, but also of the order of the Article, observing 
the immediate connexion of it with the holi/ Church, and the 
relation which in the opinion of the ancients it hath unto it, 
will endeavour to instruct us how this great privilege of for- 
giveness of sins is propounded in the Church, how it may be 
procured and obtained by the members of the Church. 

At the same time when our Saviour sent the apostles to 
gather a Church unto him, he foretold that repentance and 
remission of sins should be preached in his name among all 
nations, beginning at Jerusalem;" (Luke xxiv. 47.) and when 
the Church was first constituted, they thus exhorted those 
whom they desired to come into it, " Repent and be converted, 
that your sins may be blotted out;" (Acts iii. 19.) and, "Be 
it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you 
forgiveness of sins." (Acts xiii. 38.) From whence it appeareth, 
that the Jews and Gentiles were invited to the Church of 
Christ, that they might therein receive remission of sins ; that 
the doctrine of remission of all sins propounded and preached 
to all men, was proper and peculiar to the Gospel, which 
teacheth us that by Christ all that believe are justified from 
all things, from which they could not be justified by the law 
of Moses." (Ibid. 39.) Therefore John the Baptist, who went 
*^ before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, gave know- 
ledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their 
sins." (Luke i. 76, 77.) 

This, as it was preached by the apostles at the first gather- 
ing of the Church of Christ, I call proper and peculiar to the 
Gospel, because the same doctrine was not so propounded by 
the Law. For if we consider the Law itself strictly and under 
the bare notion of a law, it promised life only upon perfect, 
absolute, and uninterrupted obedience ; the voice thereof was 
only this, ' Do this and live.' Some of the greater sins nomi- 
nated and specified in the Law, had annexed unto them the 
sentence of death, and that sentence irreversible ; nor was there 
any other way or means left in the Law of Moses, by which 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 549 



that punishment might be taken off. As for other less and 
more ordinary sins, there were sacrifices appointed for them ; 
and when those sacrifices were offered and accepted, God was 
appeased, and the offences were released. Whatsoever else 
we read of sins forgiven under the Law, was of some special 
divine indulgence, more than was promised by Moses, though 
not more than was promulgated unto the people, in the name 
and of the nature of God, so far as something of the Gospel 
was mingled with the Law. 

Now as to the atonement made by the sacrifices, it clearly 
had relation to the death of the Messias ; and whatsoever 
virtue was in them did operate through his death alone. As 
he was the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," 
(Rev. xiii. 8.) so all atonements which were ever made, were 
only effectual by his blood. But though no sin was ever for- 
given, but by virtue of that satisfaction ; though God was never 
reconciled unto any sinner but by intuition of that propitia- 
tion ; yet the general doctrine of remission of sins was never 
clearly revealed,* and publicly preached to all nations, till the 
coming of the Saviour of the world, whose name was therefore 
called Jesus, because he was to ** save his people from their 
sins.'' (Matt. i.21.) 

Being therefore we are assured that the preaching remission 
of sins belongeth not only certainly, but in some sense pecu- 
liarly, to the Church of Christ, it will be next considerable how 
this remission is conferred upon any person in the Church. 

For a full satisfaction in this particular, two things are very 
observable ; one relating to the initiation, the other concerning 
the continuation, of a Christian. For the first of these, it is 
the most general and irrefragable assertion of all, to whom we 
have reason to give credit, that all sins whatsoever any person 
is guilty of, are remitted in the baptism of the same person. For 
the second, it is as certain that all sins committed by any per- 
son af ter baptism are remissible ; and the person committing 
those sins shall receive forgiveness upon true repentance, at 
any time, according to the Gospel. 

First, It is certain, that forgiveness of sins was promised to 
all who were baptized in the name of Christ ; and it cannot be 
doubted but all persons who did perform all things necessary 
to the receiving the ordinance of baptism, did also receive the 
benefit of that ordinance, which is remission of sins. John did 
baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance 
for the remission of sins." (Mark i. 4.) And St. Peter made 
this the exhortation of his first sermon, *' Repent and be bap- 
tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re- 
mission of sins." (Acts ii. 38.) In vain doth doubting and 

* ' Lex peccatorum nescit remissionem ; lex mysterium non habet quo occulta pur- 
gantur : et ideo quod in lege minus est, consummatur in Evangelio.' S. Ambros. in 
Lucam, 1. vi. c. 7. 



550 



ARTICLE X. 



fluctuating Socinus endeavour to evacuate the evidence of this 
Scripture :^ attributing the remission either to repentance 
without consideration of baptism, or else to the public pro- 
fession of faith made in baptism ; or if any thing must be at- 
tributed to baptism itself, it must be nothing but a declaration 
of such remission. For how will these shifts agree with that 
which Ananias said unto Saul, without any mention either of 
repentance or confession, ^' Arise and be baptized, and wash 
away thy sins ?" (Acts xxii. 16.) and that which St. Paul, who 
was so baptized, hath taught us concerning the Church, that 
Christ doth ** sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of 
water ?" (Eph. v. 26.) It is therefore sufficiently certain that 
baptism as it was instituted by Christ after the preadministra- 
tion of St. John, wheresoever it was received with all qualifi- 
cations necessary in the person accepting, and conferred with 
all things necessary to be performed by the person administer- 
ing, was most infallibly efficacious, as to this particular, that 
is, to the remission of all sins committed before the adminis- 
tration of this sacrament. 

As those which are received into the Church by the sacra- 
ment of baptism, receive the remission of their sins of which 
they were guilty before they were baptized ; so after they are 
thus made members of the Church, they receive remission of 
their future sins by their repentance.f Christ who hath left 
us a pattern of prayer, hath thereby taught us for ever to im- 
plore and beg the forgiveness of our sins ; that as we through 
the frailty of our nature are always subject unto sin, so we 
should always exercise the acts of repentance, and for ever 



* ' Vel Baptismo illi^ hoc est, sole- 
tnniter peractse ablutioni, peccatorum We- 
missionemnequaquam tribuit Petrus, sed 
totam pcEuitentias ; vel si Baptismi quo- 
que ratiouem ea in re habuit, aut quatenus 
publicam nominis Jesu Christi professi- 
ouem continet, earn tantum consideravit ; 
aut si ipsius etiam externse ablutionis 
omnino rationem habere voluit, quod ad 
ipsam attinet, remissionis peccatoruna 
nomiue, non ipsam remissionem vere, 
sed remissionis declarationem, et obsi- 
gnationem quandam intellexit.' 5i)c//i. de 
Baptism, c. 7. 

t St. Cbrysostora speaking of the power 
of the priests : Ov ya^ oVav hfxa^ avayv^vSiTi 
fxovov, aXXa nal fjLZira, Taura a-vy^x^tiv 'i)(^ou- 
aiv e^oucriav aixctprhfAara. De Sacerd, 1. iii. 
t. vi. p. 17. ' Excepto baptismatis munere, 
quod contra originale peccatum donatum 
est, (ut quod generatione attractum est, 
regeneratione detrahatur ; ettamen activa 
quoque peccata, quaecunque corde, ore, 
opere commissa invenerit, tollit :) hac 
ergo excepta magna indulgentia (unde 
incipit hominis renovatio) in qua solvitur 
omnia reatus et ingeneratus et additus ; 



ipsa etiam vita ceetera jam rations utentis 
ajtatis, quantalibet praepolleatfoecunditate 
justitiee, sine remissions peccatorum non 
agitur : quoniam filii Dei, quamdiu mor- 
taliter vivunt, cum morte confiigunt : et 
quamvis de illis sit veraciter dictum, Qtiot- 
quot Spiritu Dei agiintur, hijilii sunt Dei : 
sic tamen Spiritu Dei excitantur et tan- 
quam filii Dei proficiunt ad Deum, ut 
etiam Spiritu suo (maxime aggravante 
corruptibili corpore) tanquam filii homi- 
iium quibusdam moribus humanis defici- 
ant ad seipsos et peccent.' S. August. 
EncJiir. c. 6-J-. Ovrx koI fxera to BaTma-fA a 
luKa^alpirai afActfrfifxaTct fxsra ttovov ttoWou 
Kal naixaTou. TJaTav toIwv iTfi^Si^otifXiSFa 
(TTTOu^riV, MTTl avTa, E^a'Ke'i-^^i hnvcsv, Kal 
a\c-)(vvri<; Keu T^q KoXia-iu)? aTtaWayrivai Tnq 
kxsT- aav ya,§ /jLvpia- cifxev hf^a-^Tmore? , av 
eQsXooixsv, ^vvtiir6fA.£^a aTravTO, tavTo. avo- 
bsff^ai Ta;V ttjM.apT«jM.aT(WV to. (po^riet, S. 
Chrysust. Horn, in Pentecost. 1. ' Quod au- 
tem scriptum est, Et sanguis Jesu filii 
ejus mundat nos ab omni peccato, tam in 
confessione Baptismatis, quam in de- 
mentia poenitudinis accipiendum est ' S 
Hieron. adv. Pelag. 1. ii. col. 515. 



THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. 



551 



seek the favour of God. This then is the comfort of the Gos- 
pel, that as it discovereth sin within us, so it propoundeth a 
remedy unto us. While we are in this life encompassed with 
flesh, while the allurements of the world, while the stratagems 
of Satan, while the infirmities and corruptions of our nature, 
betray us to the transgression of the Law of God, we are 
always subject to offend (from whence whosoever saith that he 
hath no sin is a liar, contradicting himself, and contracting 
iniquity by pretending innocency) ; and so long as we can 
offend, so long we may apply ourselves unto God by repent- 
ance, and be renewed by his grace, and pardoned by his mercy. 

And therefore the Church of God, in which remission of sin 
is preached, doth not only promise it at first by the laver of 
regeneration, but afterwards also upon the virtue of repentance; 
and to deny the Church this power of absolution is the heresy 
of Novatian.* 

The necessity of the belief in this Article appeareth, first. 
Because there can be no Christian consolation without this per- 
suasion. For we have all sinned and come short of the glory 
of God, nay, God himself hath concluded all under sin ; we 
must also acknowledge that every sinner is a guilty person, and 
that guilt consisteth in an obligation to endure eternal punish- 
ment from the wrath of God provoked by our sins; from whence 
nothing else can arise but a fearful expectation of everlasting- 
misery. So long as guilt remaineth on the soul of man, so 
long is he in the condition of the devils, " delivered into chains 
and reserved unto judgment." (2 Pet. ii. 4.) For we all fell as 
well as they, but with this difference; remission of sins is pro- 
mised unto us, but to them it is not. 

Secondly, It is necessary to believe the forgiveness of sins, 
that thereby we may sufficiently esteem God's goodness and 
our happiness. When man was fallen into sin, there was no 
possibility left him to work out his recovery; that soul which 
had sinned must of necessity die, the wrath of God abiding 
upon him for ever. There can be nothing imaginable in that 
man which should move God not to shew a demonstration of 
his justice upon him ; there can be nothing without him which 
could pretend to rescue him from the sentence of an offended 

* I call this the heresy of Novatiau fxtTama. h nrx Xovrp^ rvyx^kni' t\ Se rt? 9ra- 

rather tlian of Novatus, because though ^ima-tv om avoKXei rovrov h ayia tol! QeoZ 

they both joined in it, yet it rather sprang ImXrjo-icf ^i^anri yaf xai sTravo^ov, kcli [xera, 

from Novatianus the Roman presbyter, rhv /uETavctav -rhv fxera/xeXsiav Ibid, and 

than from Novatus the African bishop. again : AB^erai oZv o 'iyioq \6yog koi h ayia 

And he is thus expressed by Epiphanius, Qeov SKuXtis-ia Ttavrori tw fxtrayoicLV Ibid. 

H(zr. lix. 1. Akymv (xh sTvai <ra)T>ipjav, §. 2. and yet more generally : Ta irhra. 

oKKa. fxiav fxeravoiav fjtera, to Xourgov, f/,n- ira<pZi rsrB'heiairai fjusra tw BvrevQev SK^nfAiav, 

JtHTJ ^vvairQai IXeeio-Qat TrcL^airsitrcunoTcf that STt ovraov Iv rcc ayxvi Ttkvruv, xat fxira 

is, he acknowledged but one repentance 'nrSoa-iv 'in avaa-rcts-ig, 'in Ixmg, 'in ^z^a- 

which was available in baptism ; after Tre/a, 'in ofxohoylci- xav el [jiM rsxaoTara, axx' 

which if any man sinned, there was no ovv ye rZv aXXwv oiiK aifnyQ^evrai h a-airri^la. 

mercy remaining for him. To which Epi- Ibid. §, 10. 
phanius gives this reply : 'h /wev rehua 



552 



ARTICLE X. 



and almighty God. Glorious therefore must the goodness of 
our God appear, who dispenseth with his Law, who taketh off 
the guilt, who looseth the obligation, who imputeth not the 
sin. This is God's goodness, this is man's happiness. For 
blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, w^hose sin is co- 
vered ; blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no 
iniquity/' (Psal. xxxii. 1, 2.) The year of release, the year of 
jubilee, was a time of public joy ; and there is no voice like that, 

thy sins are forgiven thee." By this a man is rescued from in- 
fernal pains, secured from everlasting flames ; by this he is made 
capable of heaven, by this he is assured of eternal happiness. 

Thirdly, It is necessary to believe tlie Jorgiveness of sins, that 
by the sense thereof we may be inflamed with the love of God : 
for, that love doth naturally follow from such a sense, appeareth 
by the parable in the Gospel, There was a certain creditor 
which had two debtors, the one owed him five hundred pence, 
the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly 
forgave them both." (Luke vii. 41, 420 Upon which case our 
Saviour made this question, " Which of them will love him 
most?" He supposeth both the debtors will love him, because 
the creditor forgave them both ; and he collecteth the degrees 
of love will answer proportionably to the quantity of the debt 
forgiven. We are the debtors, and our debts are sins, and the 
creditor is God : the remission of our sins is the frank forgiving 
of our debts, and for that we are obliged to return our love. 

Fourthly, The true notion of forgiveness of sins is necessary 
to teach us what we owe to Chp^ to whom, and how far we 
are indebted for this forgiveness. " Through this man is 
preached unto us the forgiveness of sins," (Acts xiii. 38.) and 
without a surety u'e had no release. He rendered God propi- 
tious unto our persons, because he gave himself as a satisfaction 
for our sins. While thus he took off our obligation to punish- 
ment, he laid upon us a new obligation of obedience. We 
'^are not our own" w^ho are "bought with a price :" we must 
'^glorify God in our bodies, and in our spirits, which are God's." 
(1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.) We must be no longer " the servants of 
men ; we are the servants of Christ, who are bought with a 
price." (1 Cor. vii. 22, 23.) 

- Fifthly, It is necessary to believe remission of sins d^?, vfvowght 
by the blood of Christ, l3y which the covenant was ratified and 
confirmed, which mindeth us of a condition required. It is 
the nature of a covenant to expect performances on both parts ; 
and therefore if we look for forgiveness promised, we must 
perform repentance commanded. These two were always 
preached together, and those wdiich God hath joined ought no 
man to put asunder. Christ did truly appear " a Prince and a 
Saviour," and it was to give repentance to Israel, and forgive- 
ness of sins ;" (Acts v. 3L) he joined these two in the apostles' 
commission, saying, that '^repentance and remission of sins 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 



553 



should be preached in his name throughout all nations/' (Luke 
xxiv. 47.) 

From hence every one may learn what he is explicitly to 
believe and confess in this Article of forgiveness of sins ; for 
thereby he is conceived to intend thus much : I do freely and 
fully acknowledge, and with unspeakable comfort embrace this 
as a most necessary and infallible truth, that whereas every sin 
is a transgression of the Law of God, upon every transgression 
there remaineth a guilt upon the person of the transgressor, 
and that guilt is an obligation to endure eternal punishment ; 
so that all men being concluded under sin, they were all obliged 
to suffer the miseries of eternal death ; it pleased God to give 
his Son, and his Son to give himself to be a surety for this 
debt, and to release us from these bonds, and because without 
shedding of blood there is no remission, he gave his life a 
sacrifice for sin, he laid it down as a ransom, even his precio'us 
blood as a price by way of compensation and satisfaction to 
the will and justice of God ; by which propitiation, God, who 
was by our sins offended, became reconciled, and being so, 
took off our obligation to eternal punishment, which is the guilt 
of our sins, and appointed in the Church of Christ the sacra- 
ment of baptism for the first remission, and repentance for the 
constant forgiveness of all following trespasses. And thus I 
believe the forgiveness of sins. 



ARTICLE XI. 
Tlie Resurrection of the Body, 

Tins Article was anciently delivered and acknowledged by all 
Churches,* only with this difference, that whereas in other 
places it was expressed in general terms, the resurrection of the 
Jiesh, they of the Church of Aquileia, by the addition of a pro- 
noun propounded it to every single believer in a more particular 
way of expression, the resurrection of this flesh. And though 
we have translated it in our English Creed, the resurrection of 
the body ; yet neither the Greek nor Latin ever delivered this 
Article in those terms, but in these, the resurrection of the flesh ;f 



* ' Cam omnes occlesiaj ita sacramen- 
tum Symboli tradaut, ut postquam dixe- 
rint peccutorum remisdonem, addant carnis 
resarrectionem ; saucta Aqilueiensis eccle- 
sia, ubi tradit carnis resurrectionem, addit 
unius pronominis syllabam ; et pro eo 
quod cjeteri dicunt, carnis resurrectionem, 
nos dicimus hujus carnis resurrectionem.' 
Rnjffin. Apol. 1. i. adv. Hier. inter Op. Hie- 
ron. t. iv. par. 2. col. 354. • Satis cauta 
et provida adjectione fidem Symboli ec- 
clesia nosti-a docet, quje in eo quod a cae- 
teris traditur, carnis resurrectionem, uuo 
addito pronomine tradit, hujus carnis re- 



surrectionem.' Id. in Symb. 42. * Sive 
ergo corpus resurrecturum dicimus, se- 
cundum Apostolum dicimus (hoc enim 
nomine usus est ille) sive carnem dici- 
mus, secundum traditionem Symboli con- 
fitemur.' Idem, ProL in Apolog. Pawphili. 

t The Greeks always use a-a^nog ava.- 
crrac-iv, the liatins carnis resurrectiouern. 
And this was to be observed, because, 
being we read of spiritual bodies some 
would acknowledge the resurrection of 
the body, who would deny the resurrec- 
tion of the flesh. Of this St. Jerome gives 



554 



ARTICLE XI. 



because there may be ambiguity in the one, in relation to the 
celestial and spiritual bodies, but there can be no collusion in 
the other. Only it will be necessary, for shewing our agree- 
ment with the ancient Creeds, to declare that as hy flesh they 
understood the body of man, and not any other flesh ; so we, 
when we translate it body, understand no other body but such 
a body of flesh, of the same nature which it had before it was 
by death separated from the soul. And this w e may very well 
and properly do, because our Church hath already taken care 
therein, and given us a fit occasion so to declare ourselves. 
For though in the Creed itself, used at Morning and Evening- 
Prayer, the Article be thus delivered, the resurrection of the 
body, yet in the formofpubhc baptism, where it is propounded 
by way of question to the godfathers in the name of the child 
to be baptized, it runneth thus, * Dost thou believe — the resur- 
rection of the JieshV We see by daily experience that all men 
are mortal ; that the body, left by the soul, the salt and life 
thereof, putrifieth and consumeth, and according to the sen- 
tence of old, returneth unto dust: but these bodies, as frail 
and mortal as they are, consisting of this corruptible flesh, are 
the subject of this Article, in which we profess to believe the 
resurrection of tJie body. 

When we treated concerning the resurrection of Christ,* 
we delivered the proper notion and nature of the resurrection 
in general, that from ihence w^e might conclude that our Sa- 
viour did truly rise from the dead. Being now to explain the 
resurrection to come, we shall not need to repeat what we 
then delivered, or make an addition as to that particular, but 
referring the reader to that which is there explained, it will be 
necessary for us only to consider what is the resurrection to 
come, who are they which shall be raised, how we are assured 
they shall rise, and in what manner all shall be performed. 
And this resurrection hath some peculiar difficulties different 
from those which might seem to obstruct the belief of Christ's 
resurrection. For the body of the Son of God did never see 
corruption; all the parts thereof continued in the same condi- 
tion in which they were after his most precious soul had left 
them, they were only deposited in the sepulchre, otherwise the 
grave had no power over them. But other mortal bodies, after 
the soul hath deserted them, are left to all the sad eff'ects of 
their mortality : we may say " to corruption, Thou art my 
father; to the worai. Thou art my mother and my sister;" our 



an account, and withal of the words of 
the Creed : ' Exempli causa pauca sub- 
jiciam, Credimus, inquiunt, resurrectiiuiem 
futuram corporum. Hoc si bene dicatur, 
pura confessio est ; sed quia corpora sunt 
ccelestia, et terrestria, et aer iste et aura 
tenuis juxta naturam saam corpora no- 
minantur, corpus ponunt, non carnem, ut 
Orthodoxus corpus audiens carnem putet, 
Hcereticus spiritum recognoscat. Haec 



enim eorum est prima decipula; quae si 
deprehensa fuerit, instruunt alios dolos, 
et innocentiam simulant, et malitiosos 
nos vocant, et quasi simpliciter credentes 
aiunt, Credimus resurrectionem cands. Hoc 
vero cum dixerint, vulgus indoctum putat 
sibi sufficere, maxime quia idipsum et in 
Symbolo creditur.' Ep. 65. al. 41. ad 
Pammach. et Ocean, col. 34-i. 
* Page 380. 



THE RESURRECTIOlSr OF THE BODY. 555 



corpses go down to the bars of the pit, and rest together in 
the dust." (Job xvii. 14. 16.) Our death is not a simple disso- 
lution, nor a bare separation of soul and body, as Christ's was, 
but our whole tabernacle is fully dissolved, and every part 
thereof crumbled into dust and ashes, scattered, mingled, and 
confounded with the dust of the earth. There is a description 
of a kind of resurrection in the prophet Ezekiel, in which there 
is supposed a '* valley full of bones, and there was a noise, and 
behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his 
bone, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin 
covered them above, and their breath came into them, and they 
lived and stood upon theirfeet." (Ezek. xxxvii. 1. 7,8. 10.) But 
in the resurrection to come we cannot suppose the bones in the 
valley, for they are dissolved into dust as well as the other parts. 

We must therefore undertake to shew that the bodies of 
men, howsoever corrupted, wheresoever in their parts dispersed, 
how long soever dead, shall hereafterbe recollected in them- 
selves, and united to their own souls. And for the more fa- 
cile and familiar proceeding in this so highly concerning truth, 
I shall make use of this method : First, To prove that such a 
resurrection is not in itself impossible : Secondly, To shew 
that it is upon general considerations highly probable : Thirdly, 
To demonstrate that it is upon Christian principles infallibly 
certain. It is not in itself impossible, therefore no man can 
absolutely deny it ; it is upon natural and moral grounds highly 
probable, therefore all men may rationally expect it ; it is upon 
evangelical principles infallibly certain, therefore all Christians 
must firmly believe it. 

First, I confess philosophers of old did look upon the resur- 
rection of the body as impossible,''^' and though some of them 
thought the souls of the dead did live again, yet they never 
conceived that they were united to the same bodies, and that 
their flesh should rise out of the dust that it might be conjoined 
to the spirit of a man. We read of certain philosophers of 
the Epicureans and of the Stoics, who encountered St. Paul ; 
and when they heard of the resurrection they mocked him, 
some saying, that he seemed to be a setter-forth of strange 
gods, because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrec- 
tion." (Acts xvii. 18.) But as the ancient philosophers thought 
a creation impossible, because they looked only upon the con- 
stant works of nature, among which they never find any thing 
produced out of nothing, and yet we have already proved a 



* Pliny, reckoning up those things 
which he thought not to be in the power 
of God, mentions these two : * Mortales 
aeternitate donare, autrevocare defunctos.' 
I. ii. cap. 7. And Jischj'lus, though a 
Pythagorean, yet absolutely denies it to 
be in the power of God, for so he makes 
Apollo speak to the Eumenides: 

UilcLq fxh av Xvixusv, eVtj rov^' aKog, 



"A7ra| flavovTo?, ovtk; so-t avaj-rairig. 
TovToiv kTToi^ct? ovK liToln^sv Trarh^ 
Ohfxoq, TO, y aXXa itavr avo) t£ Jtat xaTiw 

JEschyl. Eumenid. 635. 
' Uti anima interire dicatur, ab Epicureis 
observatur. Et carnis restitutio negetur, 
de una omnium Philosophorum schola su- 
mitur,' Tertull. dePrccscr. adv. Hairet.c. 7. 



556 



ARTICLE XI. 



creation not only possible, but performed ; so did they think a 
resurrection of corrupted, dissolved, and dissipated bodies to 
be as impossible, because they could never observe any action 
or operation in nature, which did or could produce any such 
effect ; and yet we being not tied to the consideration of nature 
only, but estimating things possible and impossible by the 
power of God, will easily demonstrate that there is no impos- 
sibility that the dead should rise. 

For, if the resurrection of the dead be impossible, it must 
be so in one of these respects ; either in reference to the agent, 
or in relation to the patient ; either because it is a work of 
so much difficulty, that there neither is nor can be any agent 
of wisdom, power, and activity, sufficient to effect it ; or else 
because the soul of man is so far separated by death from the 
body, and the parts of the body so much dissolved from them- 
selves, and altered from their nature, that they are absolutely 
incapable by any power to be united as they were. Either 
both or one of these two must be the reason of the impossibility, 
if the resurrection be impossible; for if the body be capable of 
being raised, and there be any agent of sufficient ability to raise 
it, the resurrection of it must be possible. 

Now, if the resurrection were impossible in respect of the 
agent which should effect it, the impossibility must arise 
either from an insufficiency of knowledge or of power;*' for 
if either the agent know not what is to be done, or if he know 
it but hath no power to do it, either he will not attempt it, or 
if he do, must fail in the attempt ; but that, of which he hath 
perfect knowledge, and full power to effect, cannot be impos- 
sible in relation to the agent endued with such knowledge, and 
with such power. 

Now, when we say the resurrection is possible, we say not it 
is so to men or angels, or any creature of a limited knowledge 
or finite power, but we attribute it to God, with whom nothing- 
is impossible ; (Luke i. 37.) his understanding is infinite, he 
knoweth all the men which ever lived since the foundation, or 
shall live unto the dissolution of the world, he knoweth whereof 
all things were made, from what dust we came, into what 
dust we shall return. " Our substance was not hid from thee, 
O Lord, when we were made in secret, and curiously wrought 
in the lowest parts of the earth ; thine eyes did see our sub- 
stance, yet being imperfect, and in thy book were aH our mem- 
bers written, which in continuance were fashioned when as yet 
there was none of them." (Psal. cxxxix. 15, 16.) Thus every 
particle in our bodies, every dust and atom which belongeth 



* To a'^uvctTov Tivi yiyVMtrnsrai xar' a\h- 
Biiav TOIOVTOV, ri Ik tou [xfi yiyvxs'KUV To yzvri- 
croy-ivov, n \% tov Ivvctfjuv a^nova-av fxh e';)(;hiv 
Trfoq TO TToi'nsTai xaX£? to lyv'jOTfA,svov. 'O ykp- 
ayvoZv Ti Txv yevk^Bai ^bovtoov ovk ctv ovt ly- 
■)(cipr)s-ai , ovTS 7roin:rai to Trapavctv Suvn&Ein 
oWcg flyvosr o te yiyvuis-Kcuv naXxg to Ttoin^i)- 



erofjiSvov, kclI tto^bv yivotr' av xat TriS;, ^vvufxiv 
ri |U>jS' oXooq s^mv 'rr^oq to TCOirio-ai, to yiyvoo- 
a-KOfXEVov h fxh a.p)iovo-av lyj^^, oln av lyX-^?^- 
(TSiB Tnv afX/iV, el (roo<p^ovoir) xat Tnv l^iav Itti- 
crx£%|/!5Tat Sv\afAiV, iy)(tipha-ag Se aTrB^is-KBiTTooi; 
oln av liTiTB'kBTBiB TO So^av. Alhenagoras dc 
Resurrectionc, p. 42. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 



557 



to us, is known to him that made us. The generation of our 
flesh is clearly seen by " the Father of spirits," (Heb. xii. 9.) the 
augmentation of the same is known to him ''in whom we live, 
move, and have our being (Acts xvii. 28.) the dissolution of 
our tabernacles is perceived by that God by whom the " very 
hairs of our head are all numbered, and without whom one 
sparrow shall not fall to the ground." (Matt. x. 29, 30.) He 
which numbereth the sands of the sea, knoweth all the scat- 
tered bones, seeth into all the graves and tombs, searcheth all 
the repositories and dormitories in the earth, knoweth what 
dust belongeth to each body, what body to each soul. Again, 
as his all-seeing eye observeth every particle of dissolved and 
corrupted man, so doth he also see and know all ways and 
means by which these scattered parts should be united, by 
which this ruined fabric should be recompacted; he knoweth 
how every bone should be brought to its old neighbour-bone, 
how every sinew may be re-embroidered on it ; he understand- 
eth what are the proper parts to be conjoined, what is the pro- 
per gluten by which they may become united. The resurrection 
therefore cannot be impossible in relation to the Agent upon 
any deficiency of knowledge how to effect it. 

And as the wisdom is infinite, so the power of this Agent 
is illimited ; for God is as much omnipotent as omniscient. 
There can be no opposition made against him, because all power 
is his; nor can he receive a check against whom there is no 
resistance : all creatures must not only suffer, but do what he 
will have them; they are not only passively, but actively obe- 
diential. There is no atom of the dust or ashes but must be 
where it pleaseth God, and be applied and make up what and 
how it seemeth good to him. The resurrection therefore can- 
not be impossible in relation unto God upon any disability to 
effect it, and consequently there is no impossibility in reference 
to the agent, or him who is to raise us. 

Secondly, The resurrection is not impossible in relation to 
the patient, because where we look upon the power of God, 
nothing can be impossible but that which involveth a contra- 
diction, as we before have proved ; and there can be no con- 
tradiction in this, that he which was, and now is not, should 
hereafter be what before he was. It was so far from a repug- 
nancy, that it rather containeth a rational and apparent possi- 
bility, that man who was once dust, becoming dust, should 
become man again. Whatsoever we lose in death, is not lost 
to God ; as no creature could be made out of nothing but by 
him, so can it not be reduced into nothing but by the same : 
though therefore the parts of the body of man be dissolved, 
yet they perish not ; they lose not their own entity when they 
part with their relation to humanity ;* they are laid up in the 

* ' Non sola anima sepbnitur : habet et dissolvi videtiir, velut in vasa transfundi- 
caro suos sinus interim, in aquis, in aliti- tur.' Terttill.de Resurree. carnis, c. 63. 
bus, in ignibus, in bestiis ; cum in haec *Tu perire et Deo credis, si quid oculis 



558 



ARTICLE XI. 



secret places, and lodged in the chambers of nature, and it is 
no more a contradiction that they should become the parts of 
the same body of man to which they did belong, than that after 
his death they should become the parts of any other body, as 
we see they do. Howsoever they are scattered, or wheresoever 
lodged, they are within the knowledge and power of God,* and 
can have no repugnancy by their separation to be reunited 
when and how he pleaseth. The first dust of which man was 
made, was as far from being flesh as any ashes now or dust 
can be; it was only an omnipotent power which could mould 
that into a human body, and breathe into the nostrils of it the 
breath of life. The same power therefore, which must always 
be, can still make of the dust returning from the bodies of men 
unto the earth, human bones and flesh, as well as of the dust 
which first came from the earth : for if it be not easier, it is 
most certainly as easy to make that to be again which once 
hath been, as to make that to be which before was not.t 
When there was no man, God made him of the earth; and 
therefore when he returns to earth, the same God can make him 
man again. The resurrection therefore cannot be impossible, 
which is our first conclusion. 

Secondly, The resurrection is not only in itself possible, so 
that no man with any reason can absolutely deny it; but it is 
also upon many general considerations highly probable, so 
that all men may very rationally expect it. If we consider the 
principles of humanity, the parts of which we all consist, we 
cannot conceive this present life to be proportionable to our 
composition. The souls of men, as they are immaterial, so they 



nostris hebetibus subtrahitur 1 Corpus 
onine, sive arescit in pulverem, sive in 
huniorem solvitur, vel in cinerem com- 
primitur, vel in nidorem tenuatar, sub- 
ducitur nobis, sed Deo elementoruin 
custodi reservatur.' Minutins Felix in Oc- 
tavio, c. 34. ' Omnia quae discerpuntur, 
et in favillas quasdam putrescunt, integra 
Deo sunt ; in ilia enim eleraenta mundi 
eunt, unde primo venerunt.' S. August, 
in Psal. enarrat. 62. 6. 

* ' Absit autem ut ad resuscitanda cor- 
pora vitaeque reddenda noa possit omni- 
potentia Creatoris omnia revocare quae 
vel bestia vel ignis absumpsit, vel in pul- 
verem cineremque collapsum, vel in hu- 
moreni solutum, vel in auras est exhala- 
tum. Absit ut sinus ullus, secretumque 
naturae ita recipiat aliquid subtractum 
sensibus nostiis, ut omnium Creatoris aut 
lateat cognitionem, aut eiFugiat potesta- 
tem.' S. August, de Civitate Dei, 1. xxii. 
c. 20. 

+ ' Recogita quid fueris, antequam es- 
ses ; utique nihil. Meminisses enim, si 
quid fuisses. Qui ergo nihil fueras prius- 
quam esses, idem nihil factus cum esse 
desieris, cur noa possis esse rursus de 



nihilo, ejusdem Auctoris voluntate, qui 
te voluit esse de nihilo? Quid novi tibi 
eveniet 1 Qui non eras, factus es ; cum 
iterum non eris, fies. Redde, si potes, 
rationem qua factus es, et tunc require 
qua fies, Et tamen facilius utique fies, 
quod fuisti aliquaudo, quia aeque non 
difficile factus es, quod nunquam fuisti 
aliquando.' Tertull. Ap>d c.48. • Utique 
idoneus est reficere, qui fecit. Quanto 
plus est fecisse quam refecisse, initium 
dedisse quam reddidisse ; ita restitutio- 
nem carnis faciliorem credasinstitutione.' 
Idem, de Resur. cam. c. 11. ' Difficilius 
est id quodnon sit iiicipere, quam id quod 
fuerit iterare.' Minutina Felix in Octario, 
c. 34. ' Utique plus est facere quod nun- 
quam fuit, quam reparave quod fuerit. 
Quomodo ergo impossibile esse dicis, ut 
Deus, qui hominem formavit ex nihilo, 
reformet ? Quomodo nos suscitare non 
potest conversos in pulverem, qui etirirasi 
in nihilum rediremus, facere poterat ut 
essemus, sicut et fecit nos esse, cum aa- 
tea nunquam fuissemus V S. August, de 
verbis Apost. Serm. 34. al. 3 09. append. 
§. 3. To the same purpose the Jews, nn abi 
: istt* b3 n': im Tin 



THE RESURHECTION OF THE BODY. 559 



are immortal; and being once created by the Father of spirits, 
they receive a subsistence for eternity ; the body is framed by 
the same God to be a companion for his spirit, and a man born 
into the world consisteth of these two. Now the life of the 
most aged person is but short, and many far ignobler crea- 
tures of a longer duration. Some of the fowls of the air, se- 
veral of the fishes of the sea, many of the beasts of the field, 
divers of the plants of the earth, are of a more durable consti- 
tution, and outlive the sons of men. And can we think that 
such material and mortal, that such inunderstanding souls 
should by God and nature be furnished with bodies ol' so long 
permansion, and that our spirits should be joined unto flesh so 
subject to corruption, so suddenly dissolvable, w^ere it not that 
they lived but once, and so enjoyed that life for a longer 
season, and then went soul and body to the same destruction, 
never to be restored to the same subsistence? but when the 
soul of man, which is immortal, is forced from its body in a 
shorter time, nor can by any means continue with it half the 
years which many other creatures live, it is because this is 
not the only life belonging to the sons of men, and so the soul 
may at a shorter warning leave the body which it shall resume 
again. 

Again, If we look upon ourselves as men, we are free agents, 
and therefore capable of doing good or evil, and consequently 
ordinable unto reward or punishment. The angels who are 
above us, and did sin, received their punishment without a 
death, because being only spirits they were subject to no other 
dissolution than annihilation, which cannot consist with longer 
suffering punishment ; those who continued in their station 
were rewarded and confirmed for all eternity : and thus all the 
angels are incapable of a resurrection. The creatures which 
are below us, and for want of freedom cannot sin, or act any 
thing morally either good or evil, they cannot deserve after 
this life either to be punished or rewarded, and therefore when 
they die they continue in the state of death for ever. Thus 
those who are above us shall not rise from the dead, because 
they are punished or rewarded without dying ; and where no 
death is, there can be no resurrection from the dead. Those 
which are below us, are neither capable of rew^ard nor punish- 
ment for any thing acted in this life, and therefore though 
they die yet shall they never rise, because there is no reason 
for their resurrection. But man by the nobleness of his better 
part being free to do what is good or evil while he liveth, and 
by the frailty of his body being subject to death, and yet after 
that, being capable in another world to receive a reward for 
what he hath done well, and a punishment for what he hath 
done ill in the flesh, it is necessary that he should rise from 
the dead to enjoy the one, or suffer the other. For there is not 
only no just retribution rendered in this life to man, but consi- 
dering the ordinary condition of things, it cannot be. For it 



560 



ARTICLE XI. 



is possible, and often cometb to pass, that one man may com- 
mit such sins as all the punishments in this world can no way- 
equalize them.* It is just, that he who sheddeth man's blood, 
by man his blood should be shed ; but what death can suffi- 
ciently retaliate the many murders committed by one notorious 
pirate, who may cast many thousands over board; or the ra- 
pines or assassinations of one rebel or tyrant, who may destroy 
whole nations ? It is fit that he who blasphemeth God should 
die ; but what equivalent punishment can he receive in this 
life, who shall constantly blaspheme the name of God, destroy 
his priests and temples, abolish his worship, and extirpate his 
servants ? What is then more proper, considering the provi- 
dence of a most just God, than to believe that man shall suffer 
in another life such torments as will be proportionable to his 
demerits? Nor can we with reason think, that the soul alone 
shall undergo those sufferings, because the laws which were 
given to us are not made in respect of that alone, but have 
most frequent reflection on the body, without which in this life 
the soul can neither do nor suffer any thing.-f- It is therefore 
highly probable, from the general consideration of human ac- 
tions and divine retributions, that there shall be a "resurrec- 
tion of the flesh, that every one may receive the things done in 
his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good 
or bad." (2 Cor. v. 10.) 

Furthermore, Beside the principles of which we consist, and 
the actions which flow from us, the consideration of the things 
without us, and the natural course of variations in the crea- 
ture, will render the resurrection yet more highly probable. 
Every space of twenty- four hours teacheth thus much, in which 
there is always a revolution amounting to a resurrection. The 
day dies into night, and is buried in silence and in darkness ;:|: 



nagoras, de Resurrect. Mart. p. 62. 

t'Qaod congruet judicari, hoc corn- 
petit etiam resuscitari.' TertuU. de Resur- 
rectione carnis, c. 14. ' Negent opera- 
rum societatem, ut merito possint merce- 
dem negare. Non sit particeps in sen- 
ten da caro, si non fuerit et in causa. 
Sola anima revocetur, si sola decedit. At 
enira non magis sola decedit, quam sola 
decucurrit illud unde decedit ; vitana banc 
dico.' Ibid. c. lo. ' Cum omnis vitse no- 
stras usus in corporis animcEque consortio 
sit, resurrectio autem aut boni actus 
priemium habeat aut poenam improbi, ne- 
cesse est corpus rosurgere cujus actus ex- 
penditur. Quomodo enim in judicium 
vocabitur sine coipore, cum de suo et cor- 
poris contubernio ratio praestanda sit V 
S. Ambros. dc fide Resur. 



xai av'-^T-arai. S. Thenphil. Antioch. ad Au- 
tol. 1. i. p. 77. ' Dies moritur in noctem 
et tenebris usquequaque sepelitur. Fu- 
nestatur mundi honor ; omnis substantia 
denigratur. Sordent, silent, stupent cun- 
eta ; ubique justitium est, quies rerum : 
ita lux amissa lugetur, et tamen rursus 
cum suo cuitu, cum dote, cum sole, eadem 
et integra et tota universo orbi reviviscit, 
interficiens mortem suam noctem, rescin- 
dens sepulturam suam tenebras, haeres 
sibimet exsistens, donee et nox reviviscat, 
cum suo et ilia suggestu. Redaccen- 
duntur enim et stellarum radii, quos ma- 
tutina succensio exstinxerat. Reducuntur 
et siderum absentiae, quas temporalis di- 
stinctio exemerat. Redornantur et spe- 
cula lunas, quee menstruus numerus attri- 
verat.' Tertiill. de Resiir. cam. c. 12. 
' Lux quotidie interfecta resplendet, et 
tenebra; pari vice decedendo succedunt ; 
sidera defuncta vivescunt ; tempora ubi 
finiuntur incipiuut ; fructus consumraautur 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 



561 



in the next morning it appeareth again and reviveth, opening 
the grave of darkness, rising from the dead of night : this is a 
diurnal resurrection. As the day dies into the night, so doth 
the summer into winter; the sap is said to descend into the 
root, and there it lies buried in the ground ; the earth is co- 
vered with snow, or crusted with frost, and becomes a general 
sepulchre : when the spring appeareth, all begin to rise ; the 
plants and flowers peep out of their graves, revive, and grow, 
and flourish : this is the annual resurrection.* The corn by 
which we live, and for want of which we perish with famine, 
is notwithstanding cast upon the earth, and buried in the 
ground, with a design that it may corrupt, and being corrupted 
may revive and multiply; our bodies are fed with this constant 
experiment, and we continue this present life by succession of 
resurrections. Thus all things are repaired by corrupting, are 
preserved by perishing, and revive by dying ; and can we think 
that man, the lord of all these things which thus die and re- 
vive for him, should be detained in death as never to live again? 
Is it imaginable that God should thus restore all things to 
man, and not restore man to himself ? If there were no other 
consideration, but of the principles of human nature, of the 
liberty and remunerability of human actions, and of the natu- 
ral revolutions and resurrections of other creatures, it were 
abundantly sufficient to render the resurrection of our bodies 
highly probable. 

We must not rest in this school of nature, nor settle our 
persuasions upon likelihoods ; but as we passed from an ap- 
parent possibility, unto a high presumption and probability, so 
must we pass from thence unto a full assurance of an infalli- 
ble certainty. And of this indeed we cannot be assured but 
by the revelation of the will of God ; upon his power we must 
conclude that we may, from his will that we shall, rise from 

et redeunt.' 7dem, Jpo/. c. 18. £^vvEt h h/xB^a, vera foenore interitu, et injuria usura, et 

Kal vEXfiv ulnrrofxe^a rlv t^o'ttov, xoijUtcr/uov lucro damno. Semel dixerira, universa 

amrrofjLtvric avttriwsi h hfx^a hfxa.<; StuTTvi- conditio recidiva est. Quodcunque con- 

(ova-a xai aytt^raa-iMq vTrohiy-vvovca to o-n- veneris, fuit ; quodcunque amiseris, nihil 

fAtiov. S. Epiphan. in Anc(*rato, §. 84. non iterum est. Omnia in statum red- 

* * Omnia pereundo servantur, omnia eunt, cum abscesserint ; omnia incipiunt, 

de interitu reformantur. Tu homo, tantum cum desierint : ideo finiuntur ut fiant-, 

nomen, si intelligas te, vel de titulo Py- nihil deperit nisi in salutem. Totusigitur 

thiae discens, dominus omnium morien- hie ordo revolubilis rerum testatio est re- 

tium et resurgentium, ad hoc morieris ut surrectionis mortuorum. Operibus eam 

pereas 1' 2erti(//. Apol. c. 48. ' Revol- praescripsit Deus antequam Uteris, viribus 

vuntur liyemes et sestates, et verna aut praedicavit antequam vocibus. Praemisit 

autumna. cum suis viribus, moribus, fruc- tibi naturam magistram, submissurus et 

tibus. Quippe etiam terree de coelo dis- prophetiam, quo facilius credas prophe- 

ciplina est arbores vestire post spolia, tize discipulus naturae ; quo statim ad- 

flores denuo colorare, herbas rursus im- mittas cum audieris, quod iibique jam 

ponere, exhibere eadem quae absumpta videris, nec dubites Deum carnis etiam 

sunt semina ; nec prius exhibere quam resuscitatorem, quern omnium noris resti- 

absumpta. Mira ratio, de fraudatrice tutorem. Et utique si omnia homini re- 

servatrix, utreddat iiitercipitjUt custodial surgunt, cui procurata sunt: porro non 

perdit, ut integret vitiat, ut etiam ampliet homini, nisi et cami, quale est ut ipsa 

prius decoquit. Siquidem uberiora et depereat in totum, propter quam et cui ni- 

cultiora resiituit, quam exterminavit : re- hil deperit V Idem, deResurrect.cam.c, I't. 

9 o 



562 



ARTICLE XL 



the dead. Now the power of God is known unto all men, and 
therefore all men may infer from thence a possibility; but the 
will of God is not revealed unto all men, and therefore all have 
not an infallible certainty of the resurrection. For the ground- 
ing of which assurance, I shall shew that God hath revealed 
the determination of his will to raise the dead, and that he hath 
not only delivered that intention in his word, but hath also 
several ways confirmed the same. 

Many of the places produced aut of the Old Testament to 
this purpose will scarce amount to a revelation of this truth. 
The Jews insist upon such weak inferences out of the Law, as 
shew that the resurrection was not clearly delivered by Moses;* 
and in the Book of Job, where it is most evidently expressed, 
they acknowledge it not, because they will not understand the 
true notion of a Redeemer properly belonging to Christ. The 
words of Job are very express, I know that my Redeemer 
liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth, 
and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my 
flesh shall I see God." (Job xix.25, 26.) Against the evidence 
of this truth there are two interpretations: one very new of 
some late opinionists, who understand this of a sudden resti- 
tution to his former temporal condition; the other more ancient 
of the Jews, who make him speak of the happiness of another 
life, without any reference to a resurrection. But that Job 
spake not concerning any sudden restitution, or any alteration 
of his temporal condition, is apparent out of the remarkable 
preface ushering in this expression, ** O that my words were 
now written ! O that they were printed in a book ! That they 
were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever V' 
(Ibid. 23, 24.) He desires that his words may continue as his 
expectation, that they may remain in the rock, together with 
his hope so long as the rock shall endure, even to the day of 
his resurrection. The same appeareth from the objection of 
his friends, who urged against him that he was a sinner, and 
concluded from thence that he should never rise again ; for his 
sins he pleaded a Redeemer, and for his resurrection he shew- 
eth expectation and assurance through the same Redeemer.^ 

• They produce several places out of dust while thou livest, and after death 

Moses, which when the resurrection is thou shalt return unto this dust, that is, 

believed, may in some kind serve to il- thou shalt live again as now thou doest. 

lustrate it, but can in no degree be thought So from those words, Exod. xv. 1. tk 

to reveal so great a mystery. As because nwD~Tir they conclude the resurrection 

in the formation of man Moses useth the upon this ground, Ttt'" N^K ")0K3 tib "itt' 

word "ly*''^ with two jods, and in the for- it is not said, he sang, but he shall sing, 

ination of beasts with but one ; there- viz. after the resurrection in the life to 

fore the beasts are made but once, but come. With these and the like argu- 

man twice ; once in his generation, and ments did the Rabbins satisfy themselves; 

again in his resurrection. They strangely which was the reason that they gave so 

apprehend a promise of the resurrection, small satisfaction to the Sadducees, while 

even in the malediction, " Dust thou art, they omitted that pregnant place in Job. 

and unto dust thou sUalt return;" Gen. t This place is urged by St. Clemens 

iii. 19. yWPi NbK "jbn it is not RomanuSj the immediate successor of the 

thou shalt go to the dust, but thou shalt apostles, in his epistle to the Corinthians, 

J etton. As if he had said, thou art now where instead of these woids of the 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 563 



It is farther confirmed by the expressions themselves, which 
are no way proper for his temporal restitution: the first words, 
/ also know* denote a certainty and community, whereas the 
blessings of this life are under no such certainty, nor did Job 
pretend to it, and the particular condition of Job admitted no 
community, there being none partaker with him of the same 
calamity; / know certainly and infallibly, whatsoever shall 
become of my body ^.t this time, which I know not, but this I 
know, that I shall rise ; this is the hope of all which believe in 
God, and therefore this / also know. The title which he gives 
to him on whom he depends, the Redeemer, ^- sheweth that he 
understands it of Christ ; the time expressed denotes the futu- 
rition at the latter day the description of that Redeemer, 
standing on the earth, representeth the Judge of the quick and 
the dead ; and seeing God with his eyes, declares his belief in 
the incarnation. The Jewish exposition of future happiness 
to be conferred by God, fails only in this, that they will not 
see in this place the promised Messias; from whence this future 
happy condition which they allow, would clearly involve a re- 
surrection. Howsoever, they acknowledge the words of Daniel 
to declare as much, " and many of them that sleep in the dust 
of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 
shame and everlasting contempt." (Dan. xii. 2.)§ 

If these and other places of the Old Testament shew that 
God had then revealed his will to raise the dead, we are sure 
those of the New fully declare the same. Christ who called 
himself *' the resurrection and the life," (John xi. 25.) refuted 
the Sadducees, and confirmed the doctrine of the Pharisees 
as to that opinion. He produced a place out of the Law of 
Moses, and made it an argument to prove as much, "As touch- 
ing the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which 
was spoken unto you by God, saying, I am the God of Abra- 
ham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob ? God is not 



LXX. ivaa-Tna-cti to is^/xa fxav to avivn'Kovv 
ravra, he reads, Kat avaa-Thasit rhv a-agxa 
fjiov TttUTflv TW avavrXtio-aa-ay ravTO, TraVTtt. 
§. 26. 

* "njn- -^Ki 
t *bKJ 
t in N 

§ The Jews collect from hence the re- 
surrection, as Rabina in Sanhedrin, and 
in the Midrash Tillhn. Psal. xciii. 3. 

D-nn 'du^ n-nnn on -i3y pom 

: ly^p" ISy nmx Rabbi RachmOH said, 
that the sleepers in the dust are the dead, 
as it is written, Dan. xii. 2. Many of them 
that sleep in the dust of the earth shall 
awake, &c. And this is only denied by 
the Gentiles ; for Porphyrins referreth it 
only and wholly to the times of Anti- 
ochus, whose words are thus left unto us 
translated by St. Jerome : ' Tunc hi qui 
quasi in terraj pulvere dormiebant, et 
operti erant malorum pondere, et quasi 



in sepulcris miseriarum reconditi, ad in- 
speratam victoriam de terras pulvere re- 
surrexerunt, et de humo elevaverunt ca- 
put, custodes legis resurgentes vitam 
ajtemam,et prjevaricatores in opprobrium 
sempiternum :' ad loc. where it is to be 
observed, that he gives a probable gloss 
of the former part of the verse, but none 
at all of the latter, because it is no way 
consistent with his exposition of the for- 
mer : for they which did rise from the 
burden of the pressures under Antiochus, 
did neither rise from thence to an eternal 
life, nor to an everlasting contempt. 
Thus, I say, only the Gentiles did inter- 
pret it, but now the Sociuians are joined 
to them. So Volkelius urges : ' Quod in 
praecedentibus de Antiochi temj)ore aga- 
tur, et resurreclio ilia ad tempora quae 
jam prjEcesserunt spectet.' De ver. Rttig, 
1. iii. c. 11. 

2 o 2 



564 



ARTICLE XL 



the God of the dead but of the living." (Matt. xxii. 31, 32.) 
With the force of which argument the multitude was asto- 
nished, and the Sadducees silenced. For under the name of 
God was understood a great benefactor, a God of promise, and 
to be their God, was to bless them and to reward them ; as in 
them to be his servants and his people, was to believe in him, 
and to obey him. Now Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had not 
received the promise which they expected, and therefore God 
after their death desiring still to be called their God, he thereby 
acknowledgeth that he had a blessing and a reward for them 
still, and consequently that he will raise them to another life, 
in which they may receive it. So that the argument of our 
Saviour is the same which the Jews have drawn from another 
place of Moses, '* I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and 
unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name 
Jehovah was I not known unto them. Nevertheless I have 
established my covenant with them, to give them the land of 
Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were 
strangers.'' (Exod. vi. 3, 4.)* It is not said, to give their sons, 
but to give them the land of Canaan; and therefore, because 
while they lived here, they enjoyed it not, they must live again, 
that they may receive the promise. 

And as our blessed Saviour did refute the Sadducees out of 
the Law of Moses, so did St. Paul join himself unto the Pha- 
risees in this particular, for being called before the council, 
and perceiving that the one part were Sadducees and the 
other Pharisees," one denying, the other asserting the resur- 
rection, *' he cried unto the council. Men and brethren, I am 
a Pharisee, the son of a Pliarisee, of the hope and resurrection 
of the dead I am called in question;" (Acts xxiii. 6.) and an- 
swering before Felix, that they had 'Mound no evil-doing in 
him, while he stood before the council," he mentioned this par- 
ticularly, " except it be for this one voice, that I cried standing 
among them, touching the resurrection of the dead I am called 
in question by you this day." (Acts xxiv. 20, 21.) 

It is evident therefore that the resurrection of the dead was 
revealed under the Law, that the Pharisees who satin Moses's 
chair did collect it thence, and believe it before our Saviour 
came into the world; that the Sadducees who denied it erred, 
*• not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God ;" (Matt, 
xxii. 29.) that our blessed Saviour clearly delivered the same 
truth, proved it out of the Law of Moses, refuted the Saddu- 
cees, confirmed the Pharisees, taught it the apostles, who fol- 
lowed him, confirming it to the Jews, preaching it to the Gen- 
tiles. Thus the will of God concerning the raising of the dead 
was made known unto the sons of men: and because God can 



» Exod. vi. 4. KbK vh D3b mb 

: minn p o^non n*nn"? in3d onb It is not 

said to give you, but to give them, whereby 
the resurrection of the dead uppeareth out 
of the law, R. Simai, in Perek. Ilelek. 



And therefore the Jews hold the resur- 
rection for one of the foundations of the 
law of Moses, p myKp DTion H'-nm 
Kira nvnw T^K-p Moses Maim. ExpL c. 
10. Tract. Sanhedrin. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 565 

do whatsoever he will, and will certainly eftect whatsoever he 
hath foretold, therefore we are assured of a resurrection by 
virtue of a clear revelation. 

Beside, God hath not only foretold, or barely promised, but 
hath also given such testimonies as are most proper to confirm 
our faith in this particular prediction and promise. For God 
heard the voice of Elijah for the dead child of the widow of 
Sarepta, " and the soul of the child came into him again, and 
he revived." (1 Kings xvii. 22.) Him did Elisha succeed, not 
only in the same spirit, but also in the like power, for he raised 
the child of the Shunammite from death : (2 Kings iv.) nor did 
that power die together with him ; for when they were burying 
a dead man, they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha, 
and when the man was let down and touched the bones of 
Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet." (2 Kings xiii.21.) 
These three examples were so many confirmations, under the 
Law, of a resurrection to life after death; and we have three 
to equal them under the Gospel. When the daughter of Jairus 
was dead, Christ "said unto her, Talitha cumi, 'Damsel arise, 
and her spirit came again, and straightway the damsel arose." 
(Mark v. 41, 42. Luke viii. 55.) When he came " nigh to the 
gate of the city called Nain, there was a dead man carried 
out, and he came nigh and touched the bier, and said. Young 
man, I say unto thee, arise ; and he that was dead sat up and 
began to speak." (Luke vii. 12. 14, 15.) Thus Christ raised 
the dead in the chamber and in the street, from the bed and 
from the bier, and not content with these smaller demonstra- 
tions, proceedeth also to the grave. When Lazarus had been 
*' dead four days," and so buried that his sister said of him, 
'* by this time he stinketh ;" Jesus cried with a loud voice, 
Lazarus, come forth, and he that was dead came forth." (John 
xi. 39. 43, 44.) These three evangelical resuscitations are so 
many preambulary proofs of the last and general resurrection ; 
but the three former and these also come far short of the re- 
surrection of him who raised these. 

Christ did of himself actually rise, others who had slept in 
their graves did come from thence, and thus he gave an actual 
testimony of the resurrection. For if Christ be preached that 
he rose from the dead (saith St. Paul to the Corinthians), how 
say some among you that there is no resurrection from the 
dead?" (1 Cor. xv. 12.) If it be most infallibly certain that 
one man did rise from the dead, as we have before proved that 
Christ did, then it must be as certainly false to assert that 
there is no resurrection. And therefore when the Gentiles did 
themselves confess that some particular persons did return to 
life after death,* they could not rationally deny the resurrec- 

* There were not only certain persons tioned before, one out of Plutarch, p. 394. 
under the Law and among the Jews, who who rose the third day, and Plato men- 
were raised to life ; but there were also tioneth another who revived the twelfth 
histories amongst the Gentiles of several day after death : 'axx' oh fxtvroi eroi, »v i' 
who rose to life after death. We men- lyoo, 'AhKivov ye airoXoy ov IgS, aX\' aXKifjtov 



566 ARTICLE XI. 

tion wholly. Now the resurrection of Christ doth not only 
prove by way of example, as the rest who rose, but hath a force 
in it to command belief of a future general resurrection. For 
God hath " appointed a day in which he will judge the world 
in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof 
he hath given an assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised 
him from the dead " (Acts xvii.31.) All men then are assured 
that they shall rise, because Christ is risen." And since 
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the 
dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be 
made alive." (1 Cor. xv. 20—22.) 

This consequence of a future resurrection of the dead from 
that of Christ already past, either hath a general or particular 
consideration. In a general reference it concerneth all ; in a 
more peculiar way it belongeth to the elect alone. First, It 
belongeth generally unto all men in respect of that dominion 
of which Christ at his resurrection did obtain the full posses- 
sion and execution. "For to this end Christ both died and 
rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and 
living," (Rom. xiv. 9.) Now as *' God is not the God of the 
dead, but of the living;" (Matt. xxii. 32.) so Christ is not the 
Lord of the dead, as dead, but as by his power he can revive 
them and rule them, when and in what they live. By virtue of 
this dominion entered upon at his resurrection *^ he must reign 
till he hath put all his enemies under his feet, and the last 
enemy that shall be destroyed is death," (1 Cor. xv. 25, 26.) 
and there is no destruction of death but by a general resurrec- 
tion. By virtue of this did he declare himself after this manner 
to St. John, I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I 
am alive for ever more, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of 
death." (Kev. i. 18.) Thus we are assured of a general resur- 
rection, in that Christ is risen to become the Lord of the dead, 
and to destroy death. g 

Secondly, Christ rising from the dead assureth us of a 
general resurrection in respect of the judgment which is to fol- 
low. For as '*it is appointed for all men once to die, so after 
death cometh judgment," (Ileb. ix. 27.) and as Christ was 
raised that he might be Judge, so shall the dead be raised that 
they may be judged. As therefore God gave *' an assurance 
unto all men," that he would judge the world " by that man, 
in that he raised him from the dead ;" so by the same act did 
he also give an assurance of the resurrection of the world to 
judgment. 

Now as the general resurrection is evidenced by the rising 
of Christ, so in a more special and peculiar manner the resur- 
rection of the chosen Saints and servants of God is demon- 



fxh avSjoj, 'Hpo? rov A^fxiviou, to yr.'Of 
TlafA<pv'Kov' o'f TTOTS Iv irokifxcti rsXevTha-a^ , 



rn TTv^x x£i'|M.£Voj avBSi'j). Plat, de Rep. 1. x. 
p'. 32^/. ed. Bip. Vide Plin. Nat. Hist. 1. 
vii. cap. 52. De his qui elati revlxerunt. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 567 



strated thereby. For he is risen not only as their Lord and 
Judge, but as their Head, to which they are united as members 
of his body (for ** he is the head of the body, the Church, who 

the beginning, the first-born from the dead," Col. i. 18,); 
as the First-fruits, by which all the lump is sanctified and 
accepted, for **now is Christ risen from the dead, and become 
the first-fruits of them that slept." (1 Cor. xv. 20.) The Saints 
of God are endued with the Spirit of Christ, and thereby their 
bodies become the temples of the Holy Ghost ; now as the 
promise of the Spirit was upon the resurrection of Christ, so 
the gift and possession of the Spirit is an assurance of the re- 
surrection of a Christian. For if the Spirit of him that raised 
up Jesus from the dead dwell in us, he that raised up Christ 
from the dead shall also quicken our mortal bodies by his 
Spirit that dwelleth in us." (Kom. viii. 11.) 

Thus God hath determined, and revealed that determination 
to raise the dead, and confirmed that revelation by the actual 
raising of several persons as examples, and of Christ as the 
highest assurance which could be given unto man, that the 
doctrine of the resurrection mio^ht be established beyond all 
possibility of contradiction. Wherefore I conclude that the 
resurrection of the body is, in itself considered, possible, upon 
general considerations hi.gh]y probable, upon Christian princi- 
ples infallibly certain. 

But as it is necessary to a resurrection that the flesh should 
rise, neither will the life of the soul alone continuing amount 
to the reviviscence of the whole man, so it is also necessary 
that the same flesh should be raised again ; for if either the 
same body should be joined to another soul, or the same soul 
united to another body, it would not be the resurrection of the 
same man. Now the soul is so eminent a part of man, and by 
our Saviour's testimony not subject to mortality, that it never 
entered into the thoughts of any man to conceive that men 
should rise again with other souls. If the spirits of men de- 
parted live, as certainly they do, and when the resurrection 
should be performed, the bodies should be informed with other 
souls ; neither they who lived before then should revive, and 
those who live after the resurrection should have never been 
before. Wherefore being at the latter day we expect not a new 
creation but a restitution, not a propagation, but a renovation, 
not a production of new souls, but a reunion of such as before 
were separated, there is no question but the same souls should 
live the second life which have lived the first. Nor is this 
only true of our souls, but must be also made good of our 
bodies, those houses of clay, those habitations of flesh : as our 
bodies while we live are really distinguished from all other 
creatures, as the body of every particular man is different from 
the bodies of all other men, as no other substance whatsoever 
is vitally united to the soul of that man whose body it is while 
he liveth ; so no substance of any other creature, no body of 



568 



ARTICLE XI. 



any other man, shall be vitally reunited unto the sduI at the 
resurrection. 

That the same body, not any other, shall be raised to life, 
which died ; that the same flesh which was separated from the 
soul at the day of death, shall be united to the soul at the last 
day ; that the same tabernacle which was dissolved shall be 
reared up again ; that the same temple which was destroyed 
shall be rebuilt, is most apparent out of the same word, most 
evident upon the same grounds upon which we believe there 
shall be any resurrection. "Though after my skin worms 
destroy my body (saith Job, xix. 26 ) yet in my flesh {in flesh, 
shewing the reality, in my fleshy shewing the propriety and 
identity) shall I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and mine 
eyes shall behold, and not another," or a stranger, eye.* " He 
that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken our 
mortal bodies;" (Rom. viii. 11.) after the resurrection our 
glorified bodies shall become spiritual and incorruptible, but 
in the resurrection of our mortal bodies, those bodies, by reason 
of whose mortality we died, shall be revived. " For this cor- 
ruptible must put on incorruption, and tliis mortal must put on 
immortality." (1 Cor. xv. 53. )f But this corruptible and this 
mortal is the same body which dieth, because mortal; and is 
corrupted, because corruptible ; the soul then, at the resurrec- 
tion of that man which is made immortal, must put on that 
body which putteth on incorruption and immortality. 

The identity of the body raised from death is so necessary, 
that the very name of the resurrection doth include or suppose 
it ; so that when I say there shall be a resurrection of the dead, 
I must intend thus much, that the bodies of men which live 
and are dead shall revive and rise again. For at the death of 
man nothing falleth but his body,J "the spirit goeth upward," 



* ' Quid hac proplietia manifestius ? 
Nullus tarn aperte post Christum, quam 
iste ante Christum de resurrectione loqui- 
tur.' S. Hier. ep 61. al. 38. col. 324. 

BayiXsiav &£oZ oii KXripoyofxrurei, vojui^ri rx 
a-xiAUTa fjih avis-racQai, STrvyaysv, crt ^Bi ro 
<f)9apTcv TOVTO IvJucras-Sai a<pQa,^a-ia.v, Kal ro 
BynrovroZro kv^vs'aa-^ai adavas-iav <pBa.^Tov Ss 
TO c xfxa, Koi 0v»!Tov to caiifxa' u/s-re ro fj-h 
o'Sfxa fxsvsi' avro ya.^ sen ro Iv^vofxtvov h 
$B 6vvr6rng xai h <^9o^a a<pa.\i^£Tai, aBavao'ici? 
xai e.<^da^Tiag l7riou5-«? avrS. S. Chrysost. 
ad loc. Horn, 4<i. 'Of2f tvv ax.^l0tiav, ro 
BvtiTov toJts shi^S SsjxTiXa;?, Tva fxh aXXr;? 
vofxls-ri; tra^Xi? avas-Tacriv. Theodaret. ad loc. 
' Oportet enim corruptivum istiid induere 
incorriiptionein, et mortaLe istud induere 
iinmortulitatem. Quid mortale, nisi caro 1 
quid corruptivum, nisi sanguis! Ac ne 
putes aliquid aliud sentire apostolum 
providentem tibi, et, ut de came dictum 
intelligas, laborantem ; cum dicit, istud 
corruptivum et istud mortale, cutem ipsam 



tenens dicit. Certe istud nisi de subjecto, 
nisi de comparenti proaunciasse non 
potuit : demonstrationis corporalis est 
verbum.' Tertull. de Resur. carrt. c. 51. 
' Sed et apostolus cum dicit, Oportet enim 
corruptibile hoc induere incorrupiionem, et 
mortale hoc induere immortalitatem, num- 
quid non corpus suum quodammodo con- 
tingentis et digito palpantis est vox 1 Hoc 
ergo quod nunc corruptibile corpus est, 
resurrectionis gratia iacorruptibile est, et 
nunc quod mortale est, immortalitatis vir- 
tutibus induetur.' Uvff'. in Symb. 43. 
' Quod dicit apostolus, corruptibile hoc et 
mortale ; hoc ipsum corpus, id est, camem, 
quee tunc videbatur, ostendit. Quod au- 
tem corpulat, induere iiicorruptionem et 
immnrtalitatem, illud indumentum, id est, 
vestiraentum, non dicit corpus abolere 
quod ornat in gloria ; sed quod ante in- 
gloriam fuit, efficere gloriosum.' S. Hier. 
Epist. 61. al. 38. ad Pammach. col. 3'^3. 
:f nsfi cct^xog avns-rka-exq, Tri; el'x} 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 



569 



(Eccles. iii. 21.) and no other body falleth but his own; and 
therefore the body, and no other but that body, must rise again, 
to make a resurrection. If we look upon it under the notion 
of reviviscency, which is more ordinary in the Hebrew lan- 
guage,* it proves as much ; for nothing properly dieth but the 
body: the soul cannot be killed ; and nothing can revive but 
that which dieth. Or to speak more punctually, the man 
falleth not in respect of his spirit, but of his flesh, and therefore 
he cannot be said to rise again but in respect of his flesh which 
fell : man dieth not in reference to his soul, which is immortal, 
but his body; and therefore he cannot be said to revive, but in 
reference to his body before deprived of life : and because no 
other flesh fell at his death, no other body died but his own; 
therefore he cannot rise again but in his own flesh, he cannot 
revive again but in his own body. 

Again, The description of the place from whence the resur- 
rection shall begin, is a sufficient assurance that the same bo- 
dies which were dead shall revive and rise again. They which 
** sleep in the dust of the earth," (Dan. xii. 2.) they which "are 
in the graves," (John v. 28.) shall hear the voice and rise : 
the sea shall give up the dead which are in it, and death and 
the grave deliver up the dead which are in them.'*f (Rev. xx. 



Svvorfxiv, 'Ava3-Ttt<rif ya^ ol naXtirai rov [xn 

nBTTTMKOrOi;' mToV Si icTl TO <7ns-6v ; TTOiOV TO 

Ta<piv ; 'ffoXov to Xy^sv, aXX' ri to oSifxa ; xaj 

^^X " "^"X^' 'TO''""' °^ TTtTTTEJ, OVTS 

BaiTTirsLi. S. Epiphan. Hcer. Ixvii. §. 6. 
' Nametipsum quod mortuorum remrrectio 
dicitur, exigit defendi proprietates voca- 
bulorum. Mortuorum itacjue vocabulo noa 
est, nisi quod amisit animam, de cujus 
facultate vivebat. Corpus est quod amittit 
animam, et amittendo fit mortuum ; ita 
mortal vocabulum corpori competit. Porro, 
si resurrectio mortui est, mortuum autera 
non aliud est quam corpus, corporis erit 
resurrectio. Sic et resurrectionis vocabu- 
lum non aliam rem vindicat quam quas 
cecidit. Surgere enim potest dici et 
quod omnino non cecidit, quod semper 
retro jacuit. Resurgere autem non est 
nisi ejus quod cecidit. Iterum enim sur- 
gendo quia cecidit resurgere dicitur. Be 
enim syllaba iterationi semper adhibe- 
tur.' TertuU. adv. Marc. 1. v. c. 9. ' Sed et 
ipsum resurrectionis vocabulum significat 
non aliud ruere, aliud resuscitari, et quod 
adjicitur mortuorum ca.mem propriam de- 
monstrat ; quod enim in homine moritur, 
hoc et vivificatur.' S. Hier. ep. 61. al. 38. 
ad Fammach. col. 327. 'Si id resurgere 
dicitur quod cadit, caro ergo nostra in 
veritate resurgit, sicut in veritate cadit.' 
Gennad. de Eccl. Dogm. c. 6. IToSf yag 
avaa-Tr^a-erai h fJth irsTfrMUvia -^vx/t j a,vaa-ra,- 
erii ttS; aiiT??? nXyi^vasrai , t>?c fA,r> Trierova-r)^ 
•^v^yii ; 'TTa.y ya^ to ttiinQV Mag-TaffWi ^Zirai, 



mTrrei 51 ol^ h -^vxh aXXa (rSifA.a' o9iv xai 
iuaioc; <rrrMfxa alro h irimQeia, biod^b xaXsTy. 
S. Epiphan. Hoir. xlii. ^. 5. 'Avao-Tasrjv Js 
crcDfxaTajv •jrs^tjue.svofjiev' toZto yaf xa; wgo- 
criyo^ia JflXoI", avaiTTxa-if ya^ rj ivao6sv o'Taa-tf* 
TO a-S)y.a Isttj to <Ji9etgO|M.Evoy Koi liakvofxiwv 
TovTOv Tolvuv h av'xQbv s-va-ra,{ri(; eI>toT<w{ KaXeiTUk 
uva,a-Taa-i<;' t^? ya^ Sij aQa.va.TQV ovK 
avaa-Ta^iq, aXX BTTavoioq yiyvtrai TTgoc to 
<rai[xa. Theodoret, Hcsr. Fab. 1. v. c. 19. 
Vide Ireu. 1. v. c. 7. 

* The Rabbins use sometimes nnpn 
which is properly resurreclio, avas-Tatrti;, 
according to that of our Saviour, Talitha 
cumi ; but more often they make use of 
n^nn, which is revivisceutia, avaBLo^a-it. And 
though they make a distinction sometimes 
between them, attributing the first to the 
wicked, the second to the just : yet it 
must not be so understood as if there 
could be a reviviscency without a resur- 
rection, a n^nn without a noipn, but that 
there is to the wicked a nQlpn, which can- 
not so properly be called n-nn, because 
they rise not to the happiness of eternal life. 

+ This argument is so cogent, that the 
Socinians are forced to deny that Christ 
spake of the resurrection, affirming that 
the graves of ignorance and impiety are 
only there intended, and rising is nothing 
else but coming to the knowledge of 
Christ by the preaching of the Gospel. 
Whereas Christ expressly speaks of bring- 
ing men to judgment, John v. 27. and 
divides those which are to come out of 
their graves into two ranks, neither of 



670 



ARTICLE XI. 



13.) But if the same bodies did not rise, they which are in 
the dust should not revive; if God should give us any other 
bodies than our own, neither the sea nor the grave should give 
up their dead. That shall rise again which the grave gives up; 
the grave hath nothing else to give up but that body which 
was laid into it; therefore the same body which was buried, 
at the last day shall be revived. 

The immediate consequent of the resurrection proveth the 
identity of the dying and rising body, ** We must all appear 
before the judgment-seat of Christ, that everyone may receive 
the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, 
whether it be good or bad." (2 Cor. v. 10.) That which shall 
be then received is either a reward or punishment, a reward for 
the good, a punishment for the evil, done in the body : that 
which shall receive the reward, and be liable to the punishment, 
is not only the soul but the body ; it stands not therefore with 
the nature of a just retribution,* that he which sinned in one 
body should be punished in another, he which pleased God in 
his own flesh should see God with other eyes. As for the 
wicked, God shall **destroy both their soul and body in hell;" 
(Matt. X. 28.) but they which " glorify God in their body and 
their spirit which are God's," (1 Cor. vi. 20.) shall be glorified 
by God in their body and their spirit ; for they are both bought 
with the same price," (Ibid.) even the blood of Christ. The 
bodies of the Saints "are the members of Christ," (1 Cor.vi. 15.) 
and no members of his shall remain in death : they are the 
"temples of the Holy Ghost," (Ibid. 19.) and therefore if they 
be destroyed, they shall be raised again. For ** if the Spirit of 
him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in us," as he doth, 
and by so dwelling maketh our bodies temples, " he which 
raised up Christ from the dead, shall also quicken our mortal 
bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in us." (Kom. viii. 11.) 

Furthermore, The identity of the dying and rising body will 
appear by those bodies which shall never rise, because they 
shall never die. This may be considered not only in the trans- 



wbich can so be understood. The first 
are those which have done good, before they 
come out of the graves ; these therefore 
could not be the graves of ignorance or im- 
piety, from which no good can come. The 
second are such who have done evil, and so 
remain as evil-doers, and therefore cannot 
be said to have come forth out of the graves 
of ignorance or impiety, or to rise by the 
preaching of the Gospel to newness of life, 
because they are expressly said to come 
forth iinto the resurrection of damnation. 

* ' Quam absurdum, quam vero et ini- 
quum ; utrumque autem quam Deo indi- 
gnum, aliam substantiam operari, aliam 
mercede dispungi : ut haec quidem caro 
per martyria lanietur, alia vero coronetur : 
item e contrario haec quidem caro in spur- 



citiisvolutetur, alia vero damnetur. Nonne 
praestat omnem semel fidem a spe resur- 
rectionis abducere, quam de gravitate 
atque justitia Dei ludere ? Marcionem 
pro Valentino resuscitari ?' Tertull. de 
Resur. Carnis, c. 56. And speaking to 
the soul of man : • Affirmamus te manere 
post vitse dispunctionem, et exspectare 
diem judicii, proque meritis aut cruciatui 
destinari aut refrigerio, utroque sempi- 
terno. Quibus sustinendis necessario 
tibi substantiam pristinam ejusdemque 
horainis materiam et memoriam reversu- 
ram, quod et nihil mali ac boni sentire 
possis sine carnis passionalis facultate, 
et nulla ratio sit judicii sine ipsius exhi- 
bitione, qui meruit judicii passionem ' 
Id. de Testim. Anima, c. 4. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 571 



lations of Enoch and Elias,* but also in those whom Christ 
shall find alive at his coming, whom he shall not kill but 
change ; " the dead in Christ stiall rise first, then they which 
are alive, and remain, shall be caught up together with thera 
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall ever be 
with the Lord." (1 Thess. iv. 16, 17.) If those which are alive 
shall be caught up as they are alive with the same bodies, only 
changed into glorified and spiritual bodies, that is, with the 
same bodies spiritualized and glorified ; certainly those which 
are dead shall rise out of their graves to life in the same bodies 
in which they lived, that they may both appear alike before the 
Judge of the quick and the dead. Otherwise the Saints which 
shall be with God and with the Lamb for evermore would be 
chequered with a strange disparity, one part of them appearing 
and continuing with the same bodies in which they lived, an- 
other part with others. 

Lastly, Those examples which God hath been pleased to 
give us to confirm our faith in the resurrection, do at the 
same time persuade us that the same body which died shall 
rise again. For whether we look upon the three examples 
of the Old Testament, or those of the New,+ they all rose in 
the same body before it was dissolved : if we look upon those 
which rose upon our Saviour's death, it is written that ** the 
graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints which slept 
arose, and came out of their graves," (Matt, xxvii. 52, 53.) 
certainly the same bodies which were laid in. If then they 
were to us examples of the resurrection to come,J as certainly 
they were, then must they resemble in their substance after 
they lived again the substance in which all the rest shall rise. 
And being Christ himself did raise his own body, according to 
his prediction, ** Destroy this temple, and in three days I will 
raise it up," (John ii. 19.) and declared it to be his own body, 
saying, ** Behold my hands and my feet that it is I myself," 
(Luke xxiv. 39.) being " he shall change our vile bodies that they 
may be fashioned like unto his glorious body;" (Phil. iii. 21.)^ 



* 'Enocli translatus est in came, Ellas 
carneus raptus est in coelum ; necdum 
mortui etparadisi jam coloni, habent quo- 
que membra quibas rapti sunt atque trans- 
late' S. Hier. Epist. 61. al. 38. ad Pam- 
mach. col. 324. 

t Iren. adv. Hceres. 1. v. c. 13. 

t • Post dicta Domini, facta etiam ejus 
quid sapere credamus, de capulis, de se- 
pulcris, mortuos resuscitantis 1 cui rei 
istud 1 Si ad simplicem ostentationem po- 
testatis, aut ad prsesentem gratiam reda- 
nimationis, non adeo magnum illi denuo 
morituros suscitare. Enimvero, si ad fi- 
dem potius sequestrandam futurse resur- 
rectionis, ergo et ilia corporalis praescri- 
bitur, de documenti sui forma.' Tertull. 
de Resur. Cam. c. 38. • At ego Deum 
malo decipere non posse, de fallacia so- 



lummodo infirmum ; ne aliter documenta 
prcemisisse, quam rem disposuisse vide- 
atur : imo, ne si exemplum resurrectionis 
sine carne non valuit inducere, multo 
magis plenitudinem exempli in eadem 
substantia exhibere non possit. Nullum 
vero exemplum majus est eo, cujus exem- 
plum est. Majus est autem, si animse 
cum corpore resuscitabuntur in documen- 
tum sine corpore resurgendi ; ut tota ho- 
minis salus dimidia? patrocinaretur : quan- 
do exemplorum conditio istud potius expe- 
teret, quod minus haberetur ; animae dico 
solius resurrectionem, velutgustum carnis 
etiam resurrecturae suo in tempore.' Ibid. 

§ ' Exspectamus in hujus morte et san- 
guine emundatos remissionem peccato- 
rum consecuturos : resuscitandos nos ab 
eo in Lis corporibus, et in eadem carne 



572 



ARTICLE XI. 



it followeth that we sliall rise in the same bodies as our Saviour 
did, that every particular person at the resurrection may speak 
the words which Christ then spake, ** Behold, it is I myself." 
(Luke xxiv. 39.) 

We can therefore no otherwise expound this Article, teaching 
the resurrection of the body, than by asserting that the bodies 
which have lived and died shall live again after death, and that 
the same flesh which is corrupted shall be restored ; whatsoever 
alteration shall be made,* shall not be ol" their nature, but of 
their condition; not of their substance, but of their qualities. 
Which explication is most agreeable to the language of the 
Scriptures, to the principles of religion, to the constant pro- 
fession of the Church, against the Origenists of old, and the 
Socinians of late. 

Having hitherto proved the certainty of this Article, That 
there shall be a resurrection, and declared the verity and pro- 
priety of it, that it shall be a resurrection of the same body 
which was dead; we may now proceed farther to inquire into 
the latitude of the same, to whom the resurrection doth belong. 
And here we find a greater difference between the revelation 
of this truth under the Law and under the Gospel ; Christ proved 
out of the Law that there should be a resurrection, but by such 
an argument as reacheth no farther than unto the people of 
God, because it is grounded upon those words, 1 am the God 
of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." (Matt. xxii. 32.) Job 
speaketh most expressly of the resurrection, but mentioneth 
no other than his Redeemer and himself. The place of Daniel, 
which was always accounted the most evident and uncontra- 
dicted testimony, though it deliver two diff'erent sorts of per- 
sons rising, yet it seems to be with some limitation, " Many of 
them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake." (xii. 2.) 
From whence the Jews most generally believed that some men 
should live again, and some should not ; because it is written, 
many shall awake, but it is not written, all shall awake. Nay, 
some of them have gone so far by way of restriction, that they 
have maintained a resurrection of the just alone, according to 
that ancient saying accepted amongst them, that the * sending 
of the rain is of the just and the unjust, but the resurrection 
of the dead is of the just alone.'t Against which two restric- 



qua nunc sumus, sicut et ipse in eadem, 
qua natus et passus et mortuus est, resur- 
rexit.' So we read in the Creed which 
by some is attributed to Athanasius, by 
others to Gregory Nazianzen : * Si ad 
exemplum Christi resurgamus qui resur- 
rexit in came, jam non ad exemplum 
Christi resurgemus, si non in carne et 
ipsi resurgemus.' 

* ' Hffic est vera resurrectionis confes- 
sio, quae sic gloriam carni tribuit, ut non 
auferat veritatem.' S. Hieron. ep. 61. al. 
38. ad Pammach. col. 323. * Cum ergo 



ita evidens, et (ut ita dicam) palpabile, 
et manu attrectandum nobis Christus de- 
derit suae resurrectionis exemplum ; ita 
aliquis insanit, ut aliter se resurrecturum 
putet, quam resurrexit ille qui primus 
resurrectionis aditum patefecitV Ruff- 
Invect. in S. Hieron. 1. i. col. 354. ' Nostri 
autem illud quoque recogitent, corpora 
eadem recepturas in resurrectione ani- 
mas, in quibus decesserunt.' TertuU. de 
Anima, c. 56. 

t This is recorded in the Bereshit Rnbba. 
Vide Maimonidis Expl. c. 10. Tract. Satihed. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 



573 



tions, by the light delivered in the Gospel, we shall deliver the 
latitude of this Article in these two propositions. First, The 
resurrection of the dead belongeth not to the just alone, but 
to the unjust also. Secondly, The resurrection of the dead 
belongeth not only to some of the just, but to all the just ; not 
to some of the unjust only, but to all the unjust, even unto all 
the dead. 

For the first. It is most evident not only out of the New, but 
also out of the Old Testament : the words of Daniel prove it 
sufficiently ; for of those **many which shall awake, some shall 
rise to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting con- 
tempt." But it is most certain that the just shall never rise to 
*' shame and everlasting contempt therefore it is most evident 
that some shall awake and rise beside the just. The Jews 
themselves did understand and believe thus much, as appeareth 
by St. Paul's apology to Felix : ** But this I confess unto thee, 
that I have hope towards God, which they themselves also 
allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead both of the 
just and unjust." (Acts xxiv. 15.) The just shall rise to re- 
ceive their reward, the unjust to receive their punishment; the 
first unto a resurrection called, in reference unto them, " the 
resurrection of life the second unto a resurrection named, 
in relation unto them, the resurrection of damnation." (John 
V. 29.)* For as there is a resurrection of the just, so there must 
also be a resurrection of the unjust : that as Christ said unto the 
charitable person, *' Thou shalt be blessed, for thou shalt be 
recompensed at the resurrection of the just ;" (Luke xiv. 14.) 
so it may be said to the wicked and uncharitable, ' Thou shalt 
be accursed, for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection 
of t!ie unjust.' For there shall be a resurrection that there may 
be a judgment, and at the judgment there shall appear sheep 
on the right hand of the Son of man, and goats on the left ; 
therefore they both shall rise ; those, that they may receive that 
blessing, ** Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world ;" (Matt. 
XXV. 34.) these, that they may receive that sentence, Depart 
from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil 
and his angels." (Ibid. 41.) At that resurrection then, which 
we believe, there shall rise both just and unjust. 

Secondly, As no kind of men, so no person, shall be ex- 
cluded : whosoever dieth is numbered with the just or unjust. 
Adam the first of men shall rise, and all which come from him. 

For as in Adam all died, so in Christ shall all be made alive." 
(1 Cor. XV. 22.) Christ is the Lord of the dead, and so hath a 
right by that dominion to raise them all to life : it is called 
the resurrection of the dead indefinitely, and comprehendeth them 
universally. By man came death, by man came also the re- 
surrection of the dead," (Ibid. 21.) and so the resurrection ade- 

* 'Avarrairtj ^ar? and 'AvaVrafTj; kAssooi;. The first is called avaVraff-if 5iXat*v, 
and therefore the second may as well be called avda-Taff-i; aStxw. 



574 



ARTICLE XI. 



quately answereih unto death. Christ shall destroy death, but 
if any one should be left still dead, death were not destroyed. 
The words of our Saviour are express and full, The hour is 
coming, in the which all that are in their graves shall hear his 
voice and shall come fortli, they that have done good, unto 
the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the 
resurrection of damnation." (John v. 28, *i9.) In the descrip- 
tion of the judgment which foUoweth upon the resurrection, 
** when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of his glory, 
before him shall be gathered all nations." (Matt. xxv. 32.) 
•* We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ/' 
(llom. xiv. 10.) and if so, the dead must all arise, for they are 
all fallen. " We must all appear before the judgment-seat of 
Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, 
according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad ;" 
(2 Cor. v. 10.) and before we all appear, the dead must rise 
that they may appear. This is the latitude of the resurrection ; 
the resurrection of the dead is the resurrection of all the dead, 
or of all mankind.* 

Now this resurrection, as an object of our faith, is yet to come ; 
and we are obliged to believe the futurition of it. There were 
heretics in the apostles' days who acknowledged a resurrection, 
but yet destroyed this Article, by denying the relation of it to 
the time, as ** Hymeneus and Philetus, who erred concerning 
the truth, saying that the resurrection is past already, and so 
overthrow the faith of some." (2 Tim. ii. 17, 18. )t To believe 
it already past, is to deny it ; because it cannot be believed 
past, but by such an interpretation as must destroy it. As 
they which interpret this resurrection of the likeness of Christ's 
resurrection : that as he died and rose again, so we should die 
unto sin and live again unto righteousness, attributing all to the 
renovation of the mind, must deny the resurrection of the body. 

Now, as we know the doctrine of the resurrection was first 



• Irenseus in his Rule of Faith : 'Ettj 
TO avax£<f)aXajM3-ao-&a{ to. Travxct, xaj ava- 
rrna-ai rras-av a-aeKo, TraaTjj avSjouTroTHTOj. 
Adv. H(tres. 1. i. c. 10. §. 1. And Theo- 
philus calls it : tw xaQoXix^v avis-ras-iy 
ajravTuv avQ^MTrwv. Ad Autol. 1. 1. p. 78. 

t ' Nonnulli enim attendentes verba 
quae assidue dicit apostolus, Quia ct mor- 
tui siimus cum Christo, et resarreximus cum 
€0 ; nec intelligentes quatenus dicantur, 
arbitrati sunt jam factam esse resurrec- 
tionem, nec ullam ulterius in fine tempo- 
rum esse sperandam. Ea quibus est, 
inquit, H\jmentEus et Philetus, qui circa 
veritatem aberraverunt, dicenies resurrec- 
tionemjam factam esse. Idem apostolus 
eos arguens detestatur, qui tamen dicit 
DOS resurrexisse cum Christo.' S. August. 
F^pist. liy. al. 5.7. ad Januariumy ^.4. 
'I'his was the heresy of the Seleuciani or 
Hermiani, as the same St. Augustin tes- 
tifies: ' Resurrec tionem non putantfutu- 



ram, sed quotidie fieri in generatione 
filiorum.' Hceres. 59. Thus Tertullian 
relates of some heretics in his time, who 
made the resurrection wholly allegorical, 
and yet pretended to believe a resurrec- 
tion in the flesh, but understood it in this 
life at the baptismal renovation, and so 
past when they professed to believe : 
' Exinde ergo, resurrectionem fide con- 
sequutos cum Domino esse, cum eum in 
baptismate indueriut. Hoc denique in- 
genio etiam in colloquiis saepe noslros 
decipere consueverunt; quasi et ipsi 
resurrectionem carnis admittant. Vse, 
inquiunt, qui non in hac came resur- 
rexerit; ne statim illos percutiant, si re- 
surrectionem slatim abnuerint. 'Jacite 
autem secundum conscientiam suam hoc 
sentiunt, Vaj, qui non, dum in came est, 
cognoverit arcana ha;retica ; hoc enim 
est apud illos resurrectio.' TertuU. de 
Resurrect. Carnis, c, ly. 



THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY 575 



delivered to be believed as to come ; so we are assured that 
it is not yet come since the doctrine of it was first delivered, 
and is to be believed as to come to the end of the world ; be- 
cause, as Martha called it," it is the " resurrection at the 
last day." (John xi. 24.) Job who knew that his Redeemer 
lived, did not expect that he should stand upon the earth till 
"the latter day;" Christ hath no otherwise declared *' his 
Father's will," than that "of all which he hath given him, 
he should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the 
last day." (John vi. 39.) The corn is sown and laid in the 
ground, and "the harvest is the end of the world." (Matt, 
xiii. 39.) We must not expect to rise from the dead till " the 
last trump." (1 Cor. xv. 52.) " The Lord himself shall descend 
from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and 
with the trump of God," (1 Thess. iv. 16.) before " all that are 
in the graves shall hear his voice." (John v. 28.) God shall 
"judge the world," (Acts xvii. 31.) and therefore shall raise 
the world ; but he will not raise them to that judgment till the 
end t)f the world. 

Thus having demonstrated that the will of God hath been 
revealed that there should be a resurrection ; that the resur- 
rection which was revealed is the resurrection of the body ; 
that the bodies which are to be raised are the same which are 
already dead or shall hereafter die ; that this resurrection is 
not past, but that we which live shall hereafter attain unto it : 
I conceive I have declared all that is necessary by way of ex- 
plication and confirmation of the truth of this Article. 

The value of this truth, the necessity of this doctrine, will 
appear; first, in the illustration of the glory of God, by the 
most lively demonstration of his wisdom, power, justice, and 
mercy. God first created all things for himself, and the re- 
surrection is as it were a new creation. The wisdom and power ^ 
of God are manifested in this acknowledgment, inasmuch as 
without infinite knowledge he could not have an exact and 
distinct comprehension of all the particles and individual dusts 
of all the bodies of all men; and without an infinite power he 
could not conjoin, cement, conglutinate, and incorporate them i 
again into the same flesh. The mercy and justice of God are 
declared by the same profession; the mercy, in promising life 
after that death which we had so justly deserved ; the justice, 
in performing that promise unto all true believers, and in pu- 
nishing the disobedient with everlasting flames. " When ye 
see this(saith the prophet), your hearts shall rejoice, and your 
bones shall flourish like an herb ; and the hand of the Lord 
shall be known towards his servants, and his indignation to- 
wards his enemies." (Isa. Ixvi. 14.) 

Secondly, It is necessary to profess the belief of the resurrec- 
tion of the bodyy that we may thereby acknowledge the great 
and powerful work of our redemption, confessing that death 
could not be conquered but by death, and that we could never 



576 



ARTICLE XI. 



have obtained another life, had not the Saviour of the world 
"abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light 
through the Gospel." (2 Tim. i. 10.) If Christ were not the 
life, the dead could never live ; if he were not the resurrection, 
they could never rise. Were it not for him that " liveth, and was 
dead, and is alive for evermore," had not he the keys of hell 
and of death,'' (Rev. i. 18.) we could never break through the 
bars of death, or pass the gates of hell. But he hath under- 
taken to vanquish our enemies, and our " last enemy to be 
destroyed is death :" (1 Cor. xv. 26.) that the prophecy (Hos. 
xiii. 14.) may be fulfilled, " Death is swallowed up in victory," 
and we may cry out with the apostle, " Thanks be to God, who 
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 
XV. 54. 57.) 

Thirdly, The belief of this Article is necessary to strengthen 
us against the fear of our own death, and immoderate sorrow 
for the death of others. The sentence of death, passed upon 
us for our sins, cannot but affright and amaze us, except we 
look upon the suspension, relaxation, or revocation of it in the 
resurrection; but when w^e are assured of a life after death, 
and such a life as no death shall follow it, we may lay down 
our fears arising from corrupted nature, upon the comforts pro- 
ceeding from our faith. The departure of our friends might 
overwhelm us with grief, if they were lost for ever ; but the 
apostle will "not have us ignorant concerning those which are 
asleep, that we sorrow not even as others which have no hope." 
(1 Thess. iv. 13.) 

Fourthly, The belief of the resurrection hath a necessary 
reflection upon this life by way of preparation for the next, as 
deterring from sin, as encouraging to holiness, as comforting 
in afflictions. How can any man commit a deliberate sin while 
he thinks that he must rise and stand before the judgment-seat, 
and give an account, and suffer for ever the punishment due 
unto it? What pleasure can entice him, what inclination can 
betray him, for a momentary satisfaction, to incur an eternal 
rejection ? How can we defile that body which shall never be 
raised to glory hereafter, except it here become the temple 
of the Holy Ghost? St. Paul, who hath delivered the doc- 
trine, hath taught us by his own example what work is ex- 
pected to be wrought upon our souls by it. " I have hope 
(saith he) towards God, that there shall be a resurrection of 
the dead, both of the just and unjust. And herein do 1 exer- 
cise myself to have always a conscience void of offence toward 
God and toward men " (Acts xxiv. 15, 16.) This is the pro- 
per work of a true belief, and a full persuasion of a resurrection ; 
and he which is really possessed with this hope, cannot choose 
but purify himself ; " always abounding in the work of the 
Lord, forasmuch as he knoweth that his labour is not in vain 
in the Lord." (1 Cor. xv. 58.) This encourageth all drooping* 
spirits ; this sustaineth all fainting hearts ; this sweeteneth all 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



577 



present miseries ; this lighteneth all heavy burdens ; this en- 
courageth in all dangers : this supporteth in all calamities. 
- Having thus discovered the truth of this Article, we may 
easily perceive what every man is obliged to believe, and 
understood to profess, when he confesseth a belief of the resur- 
rection of the body ; for thereby he is conceived to declare thus 
much ; I am fully persuaded of this as of a most necessary and 
infallible truth, that as it is appointed for all men once to die, 
so it is also determined that all men shall rise from death, that 
the souls separated from our bodies are in the hand of God 
and live, that the bodies dissolved into dust, or scattered into 
ashes, shall be recollected in themselves, and reunited to their 
souls, that the same flesh which lived before shall be revived, 
that the same numerical bodies which did fall shall rise, that 
this resuscitation shall be universal, no man excepted, no flesh 
left in the grave, that all the just shall be raised to a resurrec- 
tion of life, and all the unjust to a resurrection of damnation ; 
that this shall be performed at the last day when the trump shall 
sound : and thus I believe the resurrection of the bodYp 



ARTICLE XII. 

jind the Life Everlasting. 

This last Article, though not to be found in all,* yet was ex- 
pressed in many ancient Creeds :t in some by way of addition, 



* Not in all ; for divers ended with 
that of the resurrection, as appeareth by 
Ruffinus, v/ho not ODly expounded the 
Aquileian Creed, but collated it with the 
Greek and Roman, and yet makes no 
mention of this Article, but concludes 
with that of the resurrection. ' Sed et 
ultimus iste sermo qui resurrectionem car- 
rtis pronunciat, summam totius perfectio- 
nis succincta brevitate concludit.' Expos, 
in Symb. §. 40. And whereas he shews 
the custom of the Aquileian Church to 
make a cross upon their forehead at the 
naming of hitjus carnis, he tells us else- 
where in his Apology against St. Jerome, 
that it was to conclude the Creed : 'Quo 
scilicet frontem, ut mos est, in fine Sym- 
boli signaculo contingentes, et ore carnis 
hujus, videlicet quam contingimus, resur- 
rectionem fatentes, omnem venenatae ad- 
versum nos lingute calumniandi aditum 
prpestruemus.' 1. i. col. 354. In the same 
manner St. Jerome his contemporary : 
' In Symbolo fidei et spei nostrcs, quod ab 
apostolis traditum non scribitur in charta 
et atramento, sed in tabulis cordis carna- 
libus, post confessionem Trinitatis et uni- 
tatem Ecclesiae, omne Christiaoi dogma- 
tis sacramentum carnis resurrectione con- 
eluditur:' Epist. 61. al. 38. ad Fammach. 

2 



col. o!23. So St. Chrysostora : Mera ya^ 
rriv avayyeXiav t2v fA.'Js-Tiy.u>v prifxarocv imivaiv 
Kal (poBe^Siv, Koi tou? :p^t)nov? xavovaj Tiv Ik 
Tou ov^ctvov iiarsve^BivTCiiv ^oyfAaTnv , Kai tov- 

TO TTfOJ Ta) TEXet TT^Off-riQlfASV, OTttV jUBWcafAiV 

Vfxgooy avktrrctaiv kcli Itti rri 'cris'TSi ravTri 
Befrrrit^ofxBQa.- fxSTa ya^ to ofxo'Koyna-ai toSto 
|U£Ta TU)V ''aXXav, Tcre xa&iE^H&ct sic tw 
mynv nr^hv lEpiSv va-fxarcDV imlvcev. Horn, 40. 
in 1 Cor. So Maximus Taurinensis, after 
those words carnis resurrectionem , adds : 
' hie religionis nostras finis, heec summa 
credendi est.' In Ejpos. Symb. And Ve- 
nantius Fortunatus after the same words : 
'summa perfectionis concluditur.' 1. xi. 
art. 1. And in the MS. set forth by the 
Bishop of Armagh, <rag>ioj avaa-Taa-iv, and 
carnis resurrectionem are the last words. 

t As Petrus Chrysologus expressly : 
' Credimus vitam ceternam; quia post re- 
surrectionem nec bonorum finis est nee 
malorum. Signate vos.' Serm. 60. And 
again : ' Bene addidit, vitam ceternam, ut 
se resurrecturum crederet, qui resurget 
per ipsum, qui cum Deo Patre et Spiritu 
S. vivit et regnat.' S<v'm. 62. So Etherius 
Uxamensis, and Eusebius Gallicanus. 
So we find Serm. de Temp. 131. et De 
Symb. ad Catech. 1. i. 16. ' Quomodo 
P 



578 



ARTICLE XII. 



and the life everla^tittg ; in others by way of conjunction with 
the former, the resurrection of the body unto everlasting life. 
Upon this connexion with the former will follow the true inter- 
pretation of this concluding Article ; for thereby we are per- 
suaded to look upon it as containing the state of man after the 
resurrection in the world to come. 

As therefore St. Paul hath taught us to express our belief 
of a resurrection both of the just and unjust/' (Acts xxiv. 
15.) so after the resurrection we are to consider the condition 
of them both ; of the one as risen to everlasting life, of the other 
as risen to everlasting punishment and contempt; and so those 
who first acknowledged this Article did interpret it.* Although 
therefore life everlasting, as it is used in the Scriptures, belong- 
eth to the just alone, and is never mentioned otherwise than as 
a reward promised and given to them who fear and serve the 
Lord; yet the same words may be used to express the duration 
of any persons which live never to die again, whatsoever their 
state and condition in itself shall be. For as the resurrection 
of the dead is taken in the Scriptures for the happy and eternal 
condition which followeth after it, as when the apostle saith, 
" If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the 
dead (Phil. iii. 11.)+ which he must needs be most certain 



carnis resurrectionem? Ne forte putet ali- 
quis quomodo Lazari, ut scias non sic 
esse, additum est in vitam <eternam' And 
1. 2. §. 23. 'Hoc sequitur etiam in 
sancto Symbolo, quod post resurrectionem 
carnis, credamus et vitam eternam.' 1. 3. et 
]. 4. §. 2'2. * Hoc sequitur in sancto Sym- 
bolo, quod omnia quae credimus et spera- 
mus, iu vita aeterna percipiamus.' And 
CaroluS Magnus in his reprehension of 
Basilius bishop of Ancyra : ' Non eo 
modo prasjudicat prsetermissio imaginum 
adorationis sacrae fidei puritati, quae in- 
terdicta potius quam instituta est ; sicut 
praejadicant remissio peccatorum, carnis 
resurrectio, et vita futuri saeculi, si in 
confessione praetermittantur ; qu£B utique 
et in omni scripturarum serie prsedican- 
tur, et ab apostolis in Symbolo laudabili 
brevitate connexae tenentur.' Capit. 1. 3. 
c. 6. Anonymus in HomiLia sacra set forth 
by Elmenhorstius with Gennadius : ' Post 
illam ab renunciationem nos interrogati 
a sacerdote, Credis in Deum Patrem 
Omnipotentem, creatorem coeli et terrs '? 
unusquisque respondit, Credo. Credis et 
in Dominum Christum, Filium ejus uni- 
cum, Dominum natum ex Maria Virgine, 
passum et sepultum'? et respondit, Credo. 
Tertia interrogatio, Credis et in Spiritum 
Sanctum, sanctam ecclesiam catholicam, 
sanctorum communionem, remissionem 
peccatorum, carnis resurrectionem, et vi- 
tam aetemaml et respondit unusquisque 
nostrum. Credo.' 

* As appeareth by those words of 



Chrysologus : ' Credimus viiam cEternam, 
quia post resurrectionem nec bonorum 
finis est nec malorum.' Serm. 60. 

t Though in this place it is not barely 
avaa-raa-ii but l^avac-raa-iQ, El? rhv l^ava- 
a-raa-iv tSv vm^aiv and in the Alexandrian 
MSS. Eli rhv e^avaa-Tas-iv rhv Ix y£KfS/v, 
which is the most ancient reading, as 
appeareth by the translation, ' Si modo 
occurram ad resurrectionem qu<E est ex 
mortuis :' and the reading of TertuUian : 
* Si qua concurram in resurrectionem quce. 
est a 7nortuis :' and the Syriac transla- 
tion mD n-n idt xno-pb yet the e^a- 
vaarcLo-iq of itself was taken for no more 
than avatTTac-if by any of the transla- 
tors. And St. Chrysostom did so under- 
stand it, as appeareth by these words : 
El TTCtiQ ■/.atavrhs-o), 4»i5-jv, i\q T>iv l^avaixTa- 
civ Triv SK vExpwv, (which is the reading 
of the Alexandrian MS.) rl yiT^eiq ; Jta; ^nv 
TravTS? avrrig TVy^avous-i, nal ovk a.vxa-rk- 
c-Boii; [xovriq, aXXa, net) a<pQa^a-iaq iravTiQ, 
01 (aIv £i? Ttf^hv, 01 SI slf l<p6Siov KoXairsciog. 
El TOi'vi^!' TraVTE? T^j avcLa-raa-evf ruy)(^a.voviri, 
yial ov frig avac-raaStuq fJ.ovng, aXKa Ka) a.<p- 
Qap^lag, ttuii; mq fXBWoDV l^ai^irov Tivo? rv/' 
p^avEiv IXsyEf, El' 7ra)? xaravT^iTiw ; ad loc. 
Horn. 11. By which it appeareth that 
St. Chrysostom took no notice of the word 
l^avaa-rao-iq, or of the phrase h In raJv V£- 
xg£v, but as the interpretation of the apo- 
stle's intention addeth : Uotav IvrauS* 
avas-rairtv <j5>j<7j ; rhv ir^oq avrh ayov<rav tov 
XptiTTov. So also Theodoret's paraphrase : 
"iva fxcras'X^ avaa-raasaq. It is 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



679 



to attain unto, who believed the resurrection of the just and 
unjust, and therefore if he had spoken of the resurrection in 
general, as it belongeth unto all, he needed not that expression, 
** If by any means," nor that which went before, '* the fellow- 
ship of Christ's sufferings," for without them he should cer- 
tainly rise from the dead ; but he meant that resurrection which 
foUoweth upon the being " made conformable unto his death," 
which is a resurrection in conformity to the resurrection of 
Christ. As, I say, the resurrection oj the dead is taken in the 
Scripture for everlasting happiness, and yet the same language 
is and may be used for the general resurrection of all men, 
even of such as shall be everlastingly unhappy; so the life ever- 
lasting,^ though used for a reward given only unto the elect, 
may yet be taken as comprehending the condition of the repro- 
bate also, and understood barely for the duration of persons 
living. 

All those then who shall rise from the dead shall rise to life, 
and after the resurrection live by a true vital union of their 
souls unto their bodies: and because that union shall never 
cease, because the parts united shall never be dissolved, be- 
cause **it is appointed unto men once to die," (Heb. ix. 27.) 
and after their reviviscency never to die again, it followethj 
that the life which they shall live must be an everlasting life. 

To begin then with the resurrection to condemnation ; the 
truth included in this Article, in reference unto that, is to this 
effect, that those who die in their sins, and shall be raised to 
life, that they may appear before the judgment-seat of Christ, 
and shall there receive the sentence of condemnation, shall be 
continued in that life for ever to undergo the punishment due 
unto their sins; in which two particulars are contained, the 
duration of their persons, and of their pains. For two ways 
this eternity may be denied : one, by a destruction or annihila- 
tion of their persons, with which their torments must likewise 
cease ; the other, by a suspension or relaxation of the punish- 
ment, and a preservation of the persons, never to suffer the 
same pains again. Both of which are repugnant to the clear 
revelation of the j ustice of God against the disobedience of man. 

Our first assertion therefore is, that the wicked after the day 
of judgment shall not be consumed or annihilated, but shall 
remain alive in soul and body to endure the torments to be in- 
flicted upon them by the justice of God, for all the sins com- 
mitted by them while they were in the body. They who of late 
oppose the eternal subsistence and misery of the wicked, 
strangely maintain their opinion, not as a position to be proved 
by reason, as some of the heathens did,t but as a truth deli- 

therefore, 1 conceive, a notion peculiar to non omnes resurgent ad gloriam.' Ruffui. 

Theophylact among the Greeks: nivre; ad Psal. 1. 

ans-ravrai, ov fxivroi irav-.it l^aviVravraj t Mi'XJ^'rai ykfi iBavaroq <pvcrig aXyfjSoVt 

ad lac, (Sacravojf, VstVej Trav to a'Kyovv &v»3tcv 

• * Sed sciendum est quia omnes boni la-ri. Se.xt. Emjnricus adv. Mathem. p. 

et mali resurgere habent ad vitam, sed 321. 

2 p 2 



580 



ARTICLE XII. 



vered in the Scriptures ; as if the word itself taught nothing 
but an annihilation of the enemies of God, and no lasting tor- 
ment ; as if all the threats and menaces of the justice and wrath 
of God were nothing else but what the scoffing atheist ex- 
pects, that is, after death never to be again ; or if they be, as 
it w^ere in a moment to lose that being for ever. Because the 
Scripture speaks of them as of such as shall be destroyed, and 
perish, and die ; therefore they will give that comfort to them 
here, that though their life in which they sin be short, yet the 
time in which they are to be tormented for their sins shall be 
shorter far. They tell us where the Scripture mentioneth de- 
struction in hell, it speaks of perdition, but no torment there. 
In this sense will they understand those words of Christ (so 
full of terror in the true, so full of comfort to the wicked in 
their exposition), *'Fear not them which kill the body, but are 
not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear him which is able to 
destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matt. x. 28.)* If this 
place speak, as those men would have it, of perdition only, not 
of cruciation, then will it follow that God is not able to cruci- 
ate and torment a man in hell ; for there can be no other reason 
why it must be spoken of perdition only, excluding cruciation, 
but because he is able to annihilate, not to cruciate. No, cer- 
tainly a man may be said to be destroyed, and perish, to be 
lost and dead, who is rejected, separated, and disjoined from 
God, the better and the nobler life of man ; and that person so 
denominated may still consist, and be what in his own nature 
he was before, and live the life which doth consist in the vital 
union of his soul and body, and so subsisting undergo the wrath 
of God for ever. Nor shall any language, phrases, or expres- 
sions, give any comfort to the wicked, or strength to this opi- 
nion, if the same Scriptures, which say the wicked shall be de- 
stroyed, and perish, and die, say also that they shall be tor- 
mented with never-dying pains, as they plainly and frequently do. 

^' Depart from me, ye cursed," shall the Judge eternal say to 
all the reprobates, into everlasting fire;" and lest any should 
imagine that the fire shall be eternal, but the torments not, it 
followeth, " and these shall go away into everlasting punish- 
ment, but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. xxv. 41. 46.)t 
Now, if the fire be everlasting by which God punisheth the re- 
probates, if the punishment inflicted be also everlasting; then 
must the reprobates everlastingly subsist to endure that punish- 
ment, otherwise there would be a punishment inflicted and none 
endured, which is a contradiction. Now the life eternal may as 



* ' Locus Matthaei x. 28. perditionem 
tantum animae in gehenna, non cruciatum 
denunciat.' Smalchis contra Meisyierum. 
* Igni eeterno illi Christi hostes, qui qui- 
dem sunt diabolus et angeli ejus (vel sal- 
tern quorum nomine isti quoque continen- 
tur) cum impiis cruciabuntur, et ita dele- 
buutur.' CrelL Com. in 1 Cor. c. xv. 



t ' Quibuscunque enim dixerit Domi- 
nu9, Discedite a me, maledicti, in ignem 
perpetitum, isti erunt semper damnati : et 
quibuscunque dixerit, Venite, benedicti 
Putris viei, hi semper percipiunt regnum, 
et in eo proficiunt semper.' Iren. adv. 
Hares. I. iv. c. 47. 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 581 



well be affirmed to have an end, as the everlasting punishment, 
because they are both delivered in the same expression.* 

Indeed the eternity of that fire prepared for the devil and 
his angels is a sufficient demonstration of the eternity of such 
as suffer in it ; and the question only can be what that eternity 
doth signify. For, because some things are called in the 
Scriptures eternal which have but a limited or determined du- 
ration; therefore some may imagine the fire of hell to be in 
that sense eternal, as lasting to the time appointed by God 
for the duration of it. But as the fire is termed eternal, so 
that eternity is described as absolute, excluding all limits, 
prescinding from all determinations. The end of the burning 
of fire is by extinguishing, and that which cannot be extin- 
guished can never end : but such is the fire which shall tor- 
ment the reprobate ; for he, " whose fan is in his hand, shall 
burn up the chatl'with unquenchable fire;" (Matt. iii. 12. Luke 
iii. 17.) and hath taught us before, that "it is better to enter 
into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two 
feet to be cast into everlasting fire, to go into hell, into the fire 
that never shall be quenched ;" (Matt, xviii. 8. Mark ix. 43. 
45.) and hath farther yet explained himself by that unques- 
tionable addition, and undeniable description of the place of 
torments, *' where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not 
quenched." (Mark ix. 44. 46. )t And that we may yet be 
farther assured that this fire shall be never extinguished, we 
read that the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever 
and ever," (Rev. xiv. ll.)J and that those which are "cast into 
the lake of fire and brimstone, shall be tormented, day and 
night for ever and ever;" (Rev. xx. 10.) which expression of 
day and night is the same with that v/hich declareth the eternal 



* Kat a.tn'Kiva-oinai ovroi £if H.o'Kaa-iv aleu- 
viov, 01 Se J/jtatoj £(? !^ctir,v alciviov. Matt. 
XXV. 46. ' Aiitiquus ille persuasor in 
merabris suis, id est, in mentibus ini- 
quorum, futuras poenas quasi certo fine 
determinat, ut eorum corruptiones ex- 
tendat, et eo magis Lie peccata non fini- 
ant, qui istic affirmant peccatorum sup- 
plicia finienda. Sunt enim nunc etiam, 
qui idcirco peccatis suis ponere finem 
negligunt, quia habere quandoque finem 
futura super se judicia suspicantur. Qui- 
bus breviter respondemus, si quandoquo 
iSnienda sunt supplicia reproborum, quan- 
doque finienda sunt et gaudia beatorum : 
per semetipsam enim Veritas dicit, Ibnnt 
hi in supplicium cetermim, justi auteni. in 
vitam cBternam. Si igitur hoc verum non 
est quod minatus est, neque est illud ve- 
rum quod promisit.' S. Gregor. Moral. 1. 
xxxiv. c. 12. 'Affirmanaus te (anima) 
manere post vitae dispunctionem, et ex- 
spectare diem judicii, proque meritis, aut 
cruciatibus destinari, aut refrigerio, 
ut oque sempiterno.' Tertull. de Tcstim. 



Anima, c. 4. ' Deus itaque judicabit ple- 
nius, quia extremius, per sententiam 
seternam tara supplicii quam refrigerii.' 
Tertull. de Anima, c. 33. 'Qui producto 
asvo isto judicaturus sit suos cultores ia 
vita; aiternse retributionem ; profanes iu 
ignem aeque perpetem et jugem ; suscita- 
tis omnibus ab initio defunctis ad utrius- 
que meriti dispunctionem.' Hem, Apol. 
c. 18. 

t ' Quid ilium thesaurum ignis aeterni 
sestimamus, quum fumariola qu^edam ejus 
tales flammarum ictus suscitent, ut proxi- 
mas urbes aut jam nuUdd exstent, aut 
idem sibi de die sperent 1 Dissiliunt su- 
perbissimi montes ignis intrinsecus foetu ; 
et, quod nobis judicii perpetuitatem pro- 
bat, cum dissiliant, cum devorentur, nun- 
quam tamen finiuntur.' Tertull. de Px- 
nitent. c. 12. 

:j: EI? ctlZva SI aldvoov avrov avaBaivstv Xe- 
ytrui, I'va, fxaQaifxiv ariXsurrirov sTvai Tnv xo- 
XaiTiv Tiiv ctfxa^rcD'hSiv, aiiTTrep ml rhv rZv 
^inalm r^v^^hv alciviw. Andreas Casur. ad 
locum. 



582 



ARTICLE XII. 



happiness in the heavens, where " they rest not day and night, 
saying, Holy, holy, holy : where they are before the throne of 
God, and serve hira day and night in his temple.'^ (Rev. iv. 8. 
vii. 15.) If then the fire, in which the reprobates are to be tor- 
mented, be everlasting; if so absolutely everlasting, that it 
shall never be quenched; if so certainly never to be quenched, 
that the smoke thereof shall ascend for ever and ever ; if those 
which are cast into it shall be tormented for ever and ever (all 
which the Scriptures expressly teach); then shall the wicked 
never be so consumed as to be annihilated, but shall subsist 
for ever, and be coeternal to the tormenting flames. And so 
this language of the Scriptures proves not only an effect eter- 
nal, as annihilation may be conceived, but an eternal efficient 
never ceasing to produce the same effect, which cannot be an- 
nihilation, but cruciation only. And therefore the fire, which 
consumed Sodom and Gomorrha, bears no proportion with the 
flames of hell ; because all men know that fire is extinguished, 
nor doth the smoke thereof ascend for ever and ever. 

Neither doth this only prove the eternity of infernal pains, 
but clearly refute the only material argument brought against 
it, which is laid upon this ground, that the wicked after the 
resurrection shall be punished with death, and that a second 
death ; and so they shall be no more, nor can in any sense be 
said to live or subsist. For, the enduring of this fire is that 
very death, and they are therefore said to die the second death, 
because they endure eternal torments. " He that overcometh 
shall not be hurt by the second death." (Rev. ii. 11.) it seems 
that they which shall die that death shall be hurt by it; whereas 
if it were annihilation, and so a conclusion of their torments, 
it would be no way hurtful or injurious, but highly beneficial 
to them. But the living torments are the second death. For 
death and hell were cast into the lake of fire, that is the 
second death. Whosoever was not found written in the book 
of life, was cast into the lake of fire ;" (Rev. xx. 14, 15.) this is 
the second death. The Jews before our Saviour's time believed 
there was a second death ; and though it were not expressed 
in the oracles themselves which were committed to them, yet 
in the received exposition of them it was often mentioned,* 



* The Chaldee paraphrase maketh 
often mention of it, as Deut. xxxiii. 6. 
" Let Reuben live and not die ;" he ex- 
pounded thus, Nmm Koby -"nb pihn"n* 

: mD" Kb X^-DH Let Reuben live in the life 
vf the ivorld, and not die the second death. 
So the Targum of Oukelos. The Jeru- 
salem Targum more expressly, pixi Ti'- 
H^-in N3m?:n mo- xbi yir] xabys 

: -nx"! KOVyb K-yif-l yn'T2 Let Reuben live 
hi this world, and let him not die the second 
death, which the iviched die in the world to 
come. So Isa. xxii. 14. " Surely this ini- 
quity shall not be purged from you till ye 

die," ftTTtnn "1 p3b fnn nmn pnnw ek 



: HT'^n xmo and Ixv. 6. "1 will not keep 
silence, but will recompense into their 
bosom." inbx N^nn xDnx pnb inx xb 
NmaV TiDONT pn-mn mDj;*n3 imb obiva 

■■ pnn''13 n* N^'DD I will not give ihem an end 
in this life, but will recompense them ivith 
vengeance for their sins, and deliver their 
bodies to the second death. From these 
and the like places it appeareth, that the 
Jews believed that the wicked after death 
should be delivered to a second death ; 
that this death should be in the world to 
come ; that they should by this death be 
punished for their sins. And St. John 
revealed that this punishment shall be by 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



583 



and that as the punishment of the wicked in the life to come; 
and what this punishment shall be, was in these words revealed 
to St. John : But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abo- 
minable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and 
idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which 
burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. 
(Rev. xxi. 8.) Now, if the part in the lake be the second 
death, if that part be a perpetual permansion in torment, as be- 
fore it is proved ; then to say that the wicked shall die the 
second death is not a confutation of their eternal being in 
misery, but an assertion of it, because it is the same thing with 
everlasting torments, but delivered in other terms. 

And, if the pretence of death will not prove an annihilation, 
or infer a conclusion of torment, much less will the bare 
phrases of perdition and destruction ; for we may as well con- 
clude that whosoever says he is undone,^ intends thereby that 
he shall be no more. Besides, the eternity of destruction in 
the language of the Scripture signifies a perpetual perpession, 
and duration in misery. For when Christ shall come to take 
" vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the 
Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, they shall be punished with 
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from 
the glory of his power." (2 Thess. i. 8, 9.) Wherefore I con- 
clude, that the wicked shall rise to everlasting punishment, 
continuing both in soul and body under the wrath of God and 
the torments proceeding from it, never to be quitted of them 
by annihilation ; which is our first assertion, against the covert 
doctrine of the Socinians.f 

The second assertion teacheth us, that as the reprobates 
shall never fail to endure the torments due unto their sins ; so 
the justice of God will never fail to inflict those torments for 
their sins. They shall never live to pay the uttermost farthing, 



everlasting burnings : Kai S-avarot oocrav- 
Tooq ^vo' 0 fxh tH? act^yilq TTfocrKctt^oq' 6 51 S'l* 

XovTf aloovioq, oQitt^ Iff-Tiv f) Tou TTupoj ykvvo,. 
Andreas Cccsar. in Apocal. ad loc. 

* "OXXvfxai, Peril. 

t 1 call it covert, because it was at first 
closely delivered by Socinus, and some 
of his brethren did profess tliemselves to 
be scandalized at it, though he thought 
lie had so delivered it tliat it should sooner 
be believed by his writings than perceived 
by them, as appeareth out of his sixth 
Epistle to Volkelius, who was offended at 
this doctrine, and seems never to have 
assented to it : ' Quod ais ea, in disputa- 
tione mea cum Puccio, turn de Christia- 
norura resurrectione, turn de morte impi- 
orum passim contineri, quae a multis sine 
magna offensione, turn nostris tum alienis, 
legi non possint : scio equidem ista ibi 
contineri, sed, meo judicio, nec passim 



nec ita aperte (cavi enim istud quantum 
potui) ut quisquamvir pius facile offendi 
possit ; adeo ut, quod nominatim attinet 
ad impiorum mortem, in quo dogmate 
majus est multo offensionis periculum, ea 
potius ex iis colligi possit, quae ibi dispu- 
tantur, quam expresse Uteris consignata 
exstet ; adeo ut Lector, qui alioqui sen- 
ten tiam meam adversus Puccium de mor- 
talitate primi hominis, quae toto libro 
agitatur, quaeque ob non paucos quos 
habet fautores, parum aut nihil offensionis 
parere potest, probandum censeat, prius 
censeat doctrinam istam sibi jam persua- 
sam esse quam suaderi animadvertat.' 
Against this, Germanus, patriarch of 
Constantinople, in bis defence of Gregory 
Nyssen, shewed from the words of Christ, 
the apostles, prophets, and the fathers, 
ctitritt^ alcliivioy tyiv foov Sjxftt'wv avsn'ka.Knrov 
airoXcLViTiv, ovroo nai Trjv toov cLtxa^T^XSiv arB- 
XsuTHTov T£ aai avvTrocrrarov KoXaa-iy. Photins, 
in Biblioth. Cod. 233. 



684 



ARTICLE XII. 



they shall never come to the days of refreshment who are cast 
into perpetual burnings. One part of their misery is the hor- 
ror of despair ; and it were not perfect hell if any hope could 
lodge in it. The favour of God is not to be obtained where 
there is no means left to obtain it; but in the world to come 
there is no place for faith, nor virtue in repentance. If there 
be now such a vast distance between the tormenting flames 
and Abraham's bosom, that none could pass from one to the 
other, what impossibility must there be when the final sentence 
is passed upon all ! As certainly as no person once received 
into the heavenly mansions shall ever be cast into outer dark- 
ness ; so certainly no one which is once cast into the fire pre- 
pared for the devil and his angels shall ever enter into their 
Master's joy. As the tree falleth, so it lieth : there is no change 
to be wrought in man within those flames, no purgation of his 
sins, no sanctification of his nature, no justification of his per- 
son, and therefore no salvation of him. Without the mediation 
of Christ no man shall ever enter into heaven, and when he 
hath "delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father/' 
(1 Cor. XV. 24.) then shall the office of the Mediator cease. 

So groundless was the opinion of Origen, who conceived 
that after some number of years the damned should be released 
from their torments, and made partakers of the joys of heaven, 
or at least try their fortunes in such regions of the World as 
he conceived should be reserved for their habitation. For he 
may as well imagine that Christ shall be born and die again 
(who being risen, dieth not, Rom. vi. 9.) as that any person 
being condemned to the flames for contemning of his death, 
should ever come to live again, and by believing in the death 
of Christ to be after saved. For certainly their condition is 
unalterable, their condemnation is irreversible, their torments 
inevitable, their miseries eternal. As they shall not be taken 
from their punishment by annihilation of themselves, which is 
our first; so the punishment shall not be taken off* them by any 
compassion upon them, which is our second assertion. 

To conclude this branch of the Article, I conceive these cer- 
tain and infallible doctrines in Christianity : That the wicked 
after this life shall be punished for their sins, so that in their 
punishment there shall be a demonstration of the justice of 
God revealed against all unrighteousness of men. That to 
this end they shall be raised again to life, and shall be judged 
and condemned by Christ, and delivered up under the curse, 
to be tormented with the devil and his angels. That the pu- 
nishment which shall be inflicted on them shall be proportion- 
ate to their sins, as a recompense of their demerits, so that no 
man shall suff'er more than he hath deserved. That they shall 
be tormented with a pain of loss, the loss from God, from 
whose presence they are cast out, the pain from themselves, in 
a despair of enjoying him, and regret for losing him. That 
they farther shall be tormented with the pain of sense inflicted 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 585 



on them by the wrath of God which abideth upon them, repre- 
sented unto us by a lake of fire. That their persons shall con- 
tinue for ever in this remediless condition, under an everlasting 
pain of loss, because there is no hope of heaven, under an eter- 
nal pain of sense, because there is no means to appease the 
wrath of God which abideth on them. Thus the Athanasian 
Creed, " They that have done good shall go into life everlast- 
ing, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.' 

The next relation of this Article to the former, is in reference 
to the resurrection of the just ; and then the life everlasting is 
not to be taken in a vulgar and ordinary sense,=^ but raised to 
the constant language of the Scriptures, in which it signifieth 
all which God hath promised, which Christ hath purchased, 
and with which man shall be rewarded in the world to come. 

Now this life eternal may be looked upon under three consi- 
derations ; as initial, as partial, and as perfectional. I call that 
eternal life initial, which is obtained in this life, and is as it were 
an earnest of that which is to follow : of which our Saviour 
spake, " he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that 
sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into con- 
demnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John v. 24.) 
I call that partial, which belongeth, though to the nobler, yet 
but a part of man, that is, the soul of the just separated from 
the body. I dispute not whether the joys be partial as to the 
soul, I am sure they are but partial as to the man. For that life 
consisteth in the happiness which is conferred on the soul de- 
parted in the fear, and admitted, to the presence, of God. 
St. Paul had a ** desire to depart and to be with Christ 
(Phil. i. 23.) he was " willing rather to travel and be absent 
from the body, and to be present and at home with the Lord." 
(2 Cor. V. 8.) And certainly where St. Paul desired to be when 
he departed, there he then was, and there now is, and that not 
alone, but with all them which ever departed in the same faith 
with him, and tliat is with Christ who sitteth at the right hand 
of God. This happiness which the Saints enjoy between the 
hour of their death and the last day, is the partial life eternal. 
Thirdly, I call tha.i perfectional, which shall be conferred upon 
the elect immediately after the blessing pronounced by Christ, 
** Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom 



* ' Earn quippe vitam CEternam dicimus, 
ubi est sine fine felicitas. Nam si ani- 
ma in poenis vivit aeternis, quibus et ipsi 
spiritus cruciabuntur immundi, mors ilia 
potius Jeterna dicenda est, quam vita. 
Nulla quippe major et pejor est mors, 
quam ubi non moritur mors.' S. Augtist. 
de Civit. Dei, 1. vi. c. 12. ' Quia vita (Zter- 
na ab his, qui familiaritatem non habent 
cum Scripturis Sanctis, potest accipi etiam 
pro malorum vita; vei secundum quos- 



dam etiam philosophos, propter animas 
immortalitatem ; vel etiam secundum 
fidem nostram, propter poenas interraina- 
biles impiorum, qui utique in aeternum 
cruciari non poterunt, nisi etiam vixerint 
in aeternum ; profecto finis Civitatis hu- 
jus, in quo summum habebit bonum, vel 
pax in vita aeterna, vel vita seterna in 
pace dicendus est, ut facilius ab omnibus 
possit intelligi.' Idem, 1. xix. c. 11. 



68^ 



ARTICLE XII. 



prepared for you from the foundation of the world." (Matt. 
XXV. 34.) 

This eternal life is to be considered in the possession, and in 
the duration : in the first, as it is life ; in the second, as it is 
eternal. Now this life is not only natural, that is, the union of 
the soul to the body, which is the life of the reprobate ; but 
spiritual, which consisteth in the union of the soul to God,^ 
as our Saviour speaks, " He that hath the Son hath life, and he 
that hath not the Son hath not life." (1 John v. 12.) And it is 
called after an especial manner life, because of the happiness 
which attendeth it if and therefore to understand that life is to 
know, so far as it is revealed, in what that happiness doth 
consist. 

To begin with that which is most intelligible ; the bodies of 
the Saints, after the resurrection, shall be transformed into 
spiritual and incorruptible bodies. The flesh ''is sown in cor- 
ruption, raised in incorruption ; sown in dishonour, raised in 
glory; sown in weakness, raised in power; sown a natural body, 
raised a spiritunl body." (1 Cor. xv. 42 — 44.) This perfective 
alteration shall be made by the Son of God, who shall change 
our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious 
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to 
subdue all things unto himself." (Phil. iii. 21.) Thus, when we 
come into that other world, the world of spirits, even our bodies 
shall be spiritual. 

As for the better part of man, the soul, it shall be highly 



* * Duae vitae sunt, una corporis, altera 
animsR ; sicut vita corporis anima, ita vita 
animae Deus. Quo modo si anima de- 
serat, moritur corpus : sic anima moritur, 
si deserat Deus.' S. August, in Psul. 70. 
Serm. ii. §. 3. 

t For life is taken for happiness, and 
to Live for being happy. Among the 
Greeks and Latins, ^tv and vivere were 
taken for living a cheerful and merry life, 
as ' Vivamus, mea Lesbia,' in Catullus, 
Carm. v. 1. and in Martial. 1. i. epigr. 
16.ver. 12. 

' Sera nimis vita estcrastina, vive hodie.' 
And as it is an old inscription, amici 
DUM viviMus vivAMUs, and in the con- 
vivial wish, ZiijTEia?, mentioned by Dio in 
the life of Comraodus, I. Ixxii. so in the 
language of the Scriptures, and a reli- 
gious notion, they signify a hap[)y and a 
blessed life : as 1 Sam. x. 24. -jbrin "n- 
Let the king live, is translated bj the 
Chaldee paraphrast, xDbo nb^^" Let the 
king prosper. And when David sent unto 
Nabal, he said, " Thus shall ye say to 
him that liveth in prosperity," which is in 
the original (1 Sam. xxv. 6.) nothing but 
-nb. So the Psalmist is to be understood, 
Psal. kix. 32. "The humble shall see 
this and be glad, and your heart shall live 



that seek God." And St. Paul, 1 Thess. 
iii. 8, "Oti vZv ^Z/xev, lav vfxsTg a-Tnuyin h 
Kufiw. Thus life of itself is often taken in 
the Scriptures for a happy and glorious 
life, even that which is eternal, as St. 
Augustin observeth upon these words of 
the Psalmist : ' Veniant mihi miserationes 
tu(E et vivam: Tunc enim vere vivam, 
quando nihil potero timere ne moriar. 
Ipsa enim et sine ullo additamento dici- 
tur vita, nec intelligitur nisi .Eterna et 
beata, tanquam sola dicenda sit vita, in 
cujus comparatione ista quam ducimus, 
mors potius sit appellanda quam vita ; 
quale illud est in evangelio. Si vis venire 
ad vitam, serva mandata. Nunquid addi- 
dit, (Bternam vel beatam ? Item de resur- 
rectione carnis cum loqueretur, Qui hem 
fecerunt, inquit, in resurrectionem vitcs; 
neque hie ait, etern(Z vel beatce. Sic et 
hie, Veniant, inquit, mihi miserationes tuw, 
et vivam : Neque hie ait, in ceternum vi- 
vam, vel heate vivam ; quasi aliud non sit 
vivere quam sine ullo fine, et sine ulla 
miseria vivere.' In Psal. 118. serm. 19. 
§. 4. Thus St. Augustin. And again . 
' Non est vera vita, nisi ubi feliciter vi- 
vitur ; nee vera incorruptio, nisi ubi salus 
nuUo dolore corrumpitur.' Enchir. de 
Fid. ad Laurent, c. 92. 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



587 



exalted to the utmost perfection in all the parts or faculties 
thereof. The understanding shall be raised to the utmost capa- 
city, and that capacity completely filled. *' Now we see 
through a glass darkly, but then face to face ; now we know 
but ill part, but then shall we know even as also we are known." 
(1 Cor. xiii. 12.) And this even now "we know, that when 
God shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as 
he is." (I John iii. 2.) Our first temptation was, that we 
should be like unto God in knowledge, and by that we fell ; 
but being raised by Christ, we come to be truly like him, by 
knowing him as we are known, and by seeing him as he is. 
Our wills shall be perfected with absolute and mdefective holi- 
ness, with exact conformity to the will of God, and perfect 
liberty from all servitude of sin : they shall be troubled with 
no doubtful choice, but with their radical and fundamental 
freedom shall fully embrace the greatest good.^' Our affections 
shall be all set right by an unalterable regulation, and in that 
regularity shall receive absolute satisfaction; and all this shall 
be effected, that we may be thereby made capable, and then 
happy by a fall fruition. 

To this internal perfection is added a proportionately happy 
condition, consisting in an absolute freedom from all pain, mi- 
sery, labour, and want; an impossibility of sinning and offending 
God ; an hereditary possession of all good, with an unspeak- 
able complacency and joy flowing from it, and all this redound- 
ing from the vision and fruition of God : this is the life. 

And now the duration of this life is as necessary as the life 
itself, because to make all already mentioned amount unto a 
true felicity, there must be added an absolute security of the 
enjoyment, void of all fear of losing it, or being deprived of it. 
And this is added to complete our happiness, by the adjection 
of eternity. Now that this life shall be eternal, we are assured 
who have not yet obtained it, and they much more who do enjoy 
it. He which hath purchased it for us, and promised it unto 
us, often calleth \t eternal life ; it is described as a "continuing 
city;" (Heb. xiii. 14.) as ''everlasting habitations," (Luke xvi. 
9.) as a " house eternal in the heavens ;" (2 Cor. v. 1.) it is ex- 
pressed by eternal glory," (1 Pet. v. 10.) " eternal salvation," 
(Heb. V. 9.) by an "eternal inheritance," (Ibid. ix. 15.) "incor- 



* ' Sicut prima immortalitas fuit, quam 
peccando Adamperdidit, posse non raori, 
novissima erit non posse mori ; ita pri- 
mum liberum arbitrium posse non pec- 
care, novissimum non posse peccare. Sic 
enim erit inamissibilis voluntas pietatis 
et sequitatis, quomodo est felicitatis. 
Nam utique peccando nec pietatem nec 
felicitatem tenuimus, volantatem vero 
felicitatis nec perdita felicitate perdidi- 
mus. Certe Deus i se numquid quoniam 
jjeccMie non potest, ideo liberum arbitri- 



um habere negandus est 1 Erit ergo iilius 
civitatis et una in omnibus et insepara- 
bilis in singulis voluntas libera, ab omni 
malo liberata, et impleta omni bono, 
fruens indeficienter seternorum jucundi- 
tate gaudiorura, oblita culparum, oblita 
poenarum, nec tamen ideo sua; liberationis 
oblita, ut liberatori suo non sit ingrata.' 
S. August, de Civit. Dei, 1. xxii. c. 30. 
Vide eundem Tractatu de Epicaris et 
Stoicis, prope jinem. 



688 



ARTICLE XII. 



vuptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away (I Pet. i.4.)by 
" the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus 
Christ." (2 Pet. i. IL) And lest v^^e should be discouraged by 
any short or lame interpretation of eternity^ it is farther ex- 
plained in such terms as are liable to no mistake. For our 
Saviour hath said, ^' if any man keep my saying, he shall never 
see death." (John viii. 51.) And *^ whosoever liveth and be- 
lieveth in me shall not die." (Ibid. xi. 26.) When God shall 
wipe away all tears from our eyes, there shall be no more 
death ;" (Rev. xxi. 4.) and where there is life and no death, 
there must be everlasting life : which is expressed by St. Paul 
by way of opposition, calling it life and immortality," and 
that together with the abolition of death, saying that " our 
Saviour Jesus Christ hath abolished death, and hath brought 
life and immortality to light through the Gospel." (2 Tim. i. 10.) 

The belief of this Article is necessary (as to the eternity of 
torment) to deter us from committing sin, and to quicken us 
to holiness of life, and a speedy repentance for sin committed. 

For the wages of sin is death ;" (Rom. vi. 23.) nothing can 
bring us to those everlasting flames but sin, no sin but that 
which is unrepented of ; nothing can save that man from the 
never-dying w^orm, who dieth in his sins ; and no other reason 
can bring him thither, but because he sinned and repented not. 
They which imagine the pains inflicted for sin to be either 
small or short,* have but a slender motive to innocence or 
repentance; but such as firmly believe them sharp and endless, 
have by virtue of that faith within themselves a proper and 
natural spur and incitement to avoid them : for who can 

dwell with everlasting burnings ?" (Isa. xxxiii. 14.) 

Secondly, The belief of eternal pains after death is necessary 
to breed in us a fear and awe of the great God, a jealous God, 
a consuming fire, a God that will not be mocked ; and to teach 
us to tremble at his word, to consider the infinity of his jus- 
tice, and the fierceness of his wrath, to meditate on the power 
of his menaces, the validity of his threats, to follow that di- 
rection, to embrace that reduplicated advice of our Saviour, 

I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear; fear him, which after 
he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell ; yea, I say unto 
you, fear him." (Luke xii. 5.) And that exclusively of such 
fear as concerns the greatest pains of this life, which the mar- 
tyrs undervalued out of a belief of eternal torments.f 



* TertuUian recounting tlie advantages 
of the Christians towards innocence and 
holiness of life, which the heathens had 
not : ' Recogitate etiam pro brevitate 
supplicii cujuslibet, non tamen ultra mor- 
tem remansuri. Sic et Epicurus omnem 
cruciaturn doloremque depretiat, modi- 
cum quidem contemptibilem pronunci- 
ando, magnum vero, non diuturnum. 
Enimyero nos qui sub Deo omnium spe- 



culatore dispungimur, quique aeternam ab 
eo pctjnam providemus, merito soli inno- 
centiai occurrimus, et pro scientias pleni- 
tudine, et pro latebrarum difficultate, et 
pro magnitudine cruciatus, non diutumi, 
verum sempiterni, eum timentes, quern 
timere debebit et ipse qui timentes judi- 
cat, Deum, non Proconsulem, timentes.* 
Apolog. c. 45. 

t So Polycarpus the JMartyr answered 



AND THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



589 



Thirdly, This belief is necessary to teach us to make a fit 
estimate of the price of Christ's blood, to value sufficiently the 
work of our redemption, to acknowledge and admire the love 
of God to us in Christ. For he which believeth not the eter- 
nity of torments to come, can never sufficiently value that 
ransom by which we were redeemed from them, or be propor- 
tionately thankful to his Redeemer, by whose intervention we 
have escaped them. Whereas he who is sensible of the loss 
of heaven and the everlasting privation of the presence of God, 
of the torments of fire, the company of the devil and his angels, 
the vials of the wrath of an angry and never-to-be-appeased 
God, and hopeth to escape all these by virtue of the death of 
his Redeemer, cannot but highly value the price of that blood, 
and be proportionably thankful for so " plenteous a redemption." 
(Psal. cxxx. 7.) 

Again, As this Article followeth upon the resurrection of 
the just, and containeth in it an eternal duration of infinite 
felicity belonging to them, it is necessary to stir us up to an 
earnest desire of the kingdom of heaven, and that righteous- 
ness to which such a life is promised, " I will now turn aside 
and see this great sight," said Moses, (Exod. iii. 3.) when he 
saw the burning bush. It is good for us to be here," said 
St. Peter, (Matt. xvii. 4.) when he saw our Saviour transfi- 
gured in the mount; how much more ought we to be inflamed 
with a desire of the joys of heaven, and that length of days 
which only satisfieth by its eternity,* to a careful and con- 
stant performance of those commands to which such a reward 
is graciously promised! For as all our happiness proceedeth 
from the vision of God, so we are certain that without holiness 
no man shall see him. 

Secondly, This belief is necessary to take off our inclina- 
tions and desires from the pleasures and profits of this life ; 
to breed in us a contempt of the world,! and to teach us to 
despise all things on this side heaven ; to set our affections 
on things above, not on things on the earth, considering we are 
dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. iii. 2, 3.) 



the Proconsul threatening to consume hira 
with fire : Hvp aTrSiXET? to Trpo; ai^av naiofxi- 
vov Koi /met' o'kiyov a-BcWvfxinv. 'Aj/vofr? ya^ 
TO tnQ fA-iWoiirni; xgtVsajj aaX alaivlov HoXas-EOJf 
To~c acrs^Bcrt t»^oi;,uhvov TrSp. Epist.ad Smym. 
Eccles. c. 11. 

* So St. Augustin upon those words, 
Longitudine diernm replebo eiim, in the 
9 1 St Psalm : ' Quse est longitudo dierum 1 
Vita aeterna. Fratres, nolite putare lon- 
gitudinem dierum dici, sicut sunt hyeme 
dies minores, eestate dies majores. 
Tales dies nobis habet dare ? Longitudo 
ilia est quae non habet finem, agterna vita 
quae nobis promittitur in diebus longis. 
Et vere, quia sufficit, non sine causa dix- 



it, replebo eum. Non nobis sufiicit quic- 
quid longum est in tempore, si habet 
finem ; et ideo nec longum dicendum est. 
Et si avari suraus, vitae aeternee debemus 
esse avari : talem vitam desiderate, quas 
non habet finem. Ecce ubi extendatur 
avaritia vestra. Argentum vis sine fine 1 
Vitam aeternam desidera sine fine. Non 
vis ut habeat finem possessio tua 1 Vitam 
JEternam desidera.' In Psal. 90. Serm. 2. 
§. 12. 

t * Nemo vitam aeternam, incorrupti- 
bilem immortalemque desiderat, nisi eum 
vitas hujus temporalis, cormptibilis, nior- 
talisque, pneniteat.' S. Aitg^ist. Horn, 50. 
al. Serm. Ssl. §. 3. 



b90 



ARTICLE XII. 



For where our treasure is, there will our hearts be also." 
(Ma^^t. vi. 21.) Therefore we must forget those things which 
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are 
before, press towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling 
of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. iii. 13, 14.) 

Thirdly, An assent unto this truth is necessary to encourage 
us to take up the cross of Christ, and to support us under it, 
willingly and cheerfully to undergo the afflictions and tribula- 
tions of this life, reckoning with the apostle, "that the suffer- 
ings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with 
the glory which shall be revealed in us :" (Rom. viii. 18.) and 
knowing that " our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 
worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." 
(2 Cor. iv. 17.) And this knowledge is not to be obtained, this 
comfort is not to be expected, except " we look not at the things 
which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the 
things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are 
not seen are eternal." (Ibid. 18.) 

And now having thus shewed the propriety, proved the 
verity, and declared the necessity, of this Article, we may fully 
instruct every Christian how to express his belief in the last 
object of his faith, which he may most fitly thus pronounce : 
I do fully and freely assent unto this, as unto a most necessary 
and infallible truth, that the unjust after their resurrection and 
condemnation shall be tormented for their sins, in hell, and 
shall be so continued in torments for ever, as neither the jus- 
tice of God shall ever cease to inflict them, nor the persons of 
tlie wicked cease to subsist and suffer them : and that the 
just after their resurrection and absolution shall as the blessed 
of the Father obtain the inheritance, and as the servants of 
God enter into their Master's joy, freed from all possibility of 
death, sin, and sorrow, filled with all conceivable and incon- 
ceivable fulness of happiness, confirmed in an absolute secu- 
rity of an eternal enjoyment, and so they shall continue with 
God and with the Lamb for evermore. And thus I believe 

THE LIFE EVERLASTING. 



END OF THE EXPOSITION OF THE CREED. 



APPENDIX. 



SYMBOLUM S. IRENiEI. 
Ex. 1. i. c. 10. adv. Hceres. 

juLEV yap 'EKKXi^o-ta, Kam^p /caS^' oXrjc t?7C OLKOvjuLivrjg tcjg tte- 
pcLTiov rr\Q yy]Q daairapfiivr}, wapa te tCov aTToaTokwv kcli TUiv Ikh- 
v(jt)v fia^r\Twv irgoaka^ovaa r/jv' Et^ Eva Qtov, Vlaripa TravroKpa- 
Topa, Tov TTfTroiijfcora rov ovpavov koX ttiv yriv koX rag ^aXaaarag 
Ka\ iravTa ra Iv avro7g' iriariv. Ka\ dg eva Xpiarov ^lr](TOvv, tov 
Yiov rov 0£ov, rov aapKiodkvra virlp rrig r^fiEripag (TMrripiag . Kat 
Hc Uvtvjiia^' Ayiov, ro dia rCov Trpo^r\rC}v KEKr]pv)(og rag olKOvofiiag, 
KOI rag lAeucxfic, Kat rriv Ik TrapOivov y£vvr)aiv, kol ro Trd^og^ kol 
rrjv eyepaiv Ik vEKpwv, Ka\ rr]V ivcrapKOv dg rovg ovpavovg avakry^piv 
rov 7]yaTry]fiivov Hpiarov lr\<J0v rov Kupiov i]jiCov, kol rrjV Ik rwv 
ovpavCov Iv ry So^rj rov Ilarpog irapovaiav avrov, ctti ro avaKE^a- 
Xauoaacrdai ra iravra, Ka\ avaarriaat Traa-av aapKU iraarig av^pwTTo- 
rr^rog, Xpiarw 'IrjrroO r(^ Kvpit^ ti/uwv, koi Qe(o, Ka\ '^torripi, fcoi 
Bao-tXtT, Kara rrjv EvdoKiav rov Harpog rov aoparov, irdv yovv 
KCifX^y ETTOvpavuov Kcti ETTiyeiojv Ka\ Kara)(^ovuoV', Ka\ waaa yXtoaaa 
i^OfJLo\oyi\(rEraL avrw, Ka\ KpiaLv SiKaiav ev rolg ndcn TroLrjcrr^rai' ra 
fXEV TTVEVjuarLKci rrig irovr}piag, Kal ayy iXovg TTopajSe/Bj/fcorac koi ev 
aTToaraala yEyovorag, Ka\ rovg atrtjSac /cat adiKOvg Ka\ avofxovg 
Ka\ (5\a(T(pr}iuLOvg ru)v av^pujirojv, Eig to ahoviov ro irvp TTEjUipri' roig 
diKaioig Kal baioig Ka\ rag EvroXag avrov rEr-qp-nKoai Ka\ ev ryj 
aydirr) avrov BiajUEfiEvtiKoai, roXg jiev ott' ap^^c? Tolg St ek fiEravoiag, 
^(jjrjv yapiadiiEvog, a(l>^apaiav Bcjprjarirai, kol do^av aiujviav iTEpt- 
TTOiy]ari. 



SYMBOLA TERTULLIANI. 
Ex lib. de Virg. veland. c. 1 . 

Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola immobilis et irre- 
formabilis, credendi scilicet. 

In unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem : Et 
Filium ejus Jesum Christum, natum ex Virgine Maria, cruci- 
fixum sub Pontic Pilato, tertia die resuscitatum a mortuis, 
receptum in ccelis, sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, ven- 
turum judicare vivos et mortuos, per carnis etiam resurre- 
ctionem. 

Ex lib. de Prcescript. adv. Hizretic. c, 13. 

Regula est autem fidei, ut jam hinc quid credamus profitea- 
mur, ilia scilicet qua creditur. 



592 



APPENDIX. 



Unum oranino Deum esse, nec alium prseter mundi condi- 
torem, qui universa de nihilo produxerit, per Verbum suum 
primo omnium emissum : Id Verbum Filium ejus appellatum, 
in nomine Dei varie visum Patriarchis, in Prophetis semper 
auditum, postremo delatum ex Spiritu Dei Patris et virtute in 
Virginem Mariam, carnem factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum 
hominem et esse Jesum Christum ; exinde preedicasse novam 
legem et novam promissionem regni coelorum, virtutes fecisse; 
fixum cruci ; tertia die resurrexisse ; in coelos ereptum sedere 
ad dexteram Patris ; misisse vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti qui 
credentes agat ; venturum cum ciaritate, ad sumendos sanctos 
in vitse seternse et promissorum coelestium fructum, et ad pro- 
fanos judicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriusque partis resusci- 
tatione cum carnis resurrectione. 

Ev lib. adv. PraxeaUy c. 2. 

Nos et semper, et nunc magis ut instructiores per Paracle- 
tum deductorem sc. omnis veritatis, 

Unicum quidem Deum credimus : Sub hac tamen dispensa- 
tione, quam oiKovoiuLiav dicimus, ut unici Dei sit et Filius Sermo 
ipsius, qui ex ipso processerit, per quem omnia facta sunt, et 
sine quo factum est nihil; hunc missum a Patre in Virginem, 
et ex ea natum hominem et Deum, filium hominis et Filium 
Dei, et cognominatum Jesum Christum ; hunc passum, hunc 
mortuum et sepultum secundum Scripturas, et resuscitatum 
a Patre, et in ccelos resumptum, sedere ad dexteram Patris, 
venturum judicare vivos et mortuos ; qui exinde miserit secun- 
dum promissionem suam a Patre Spiritum Sanctum Paracletum, 
sanctificatorem fidei eorum, qui credunt in Patrem et Filium et 
Spiritum Sanctum. 



SYMBOLUM ORIGENIS. 
Ex Prooefn. Op. Trepl apyCjVj interprete Rujino. 

Species vero eorum, quae per prsedicationem apostolicam 
manifeste traduntur, istae sunt: 

Primo, quod unus Deus est, qui omnia creavit atque com- 
posuit, quique ex null us fecit esse universa, Deus a prima 
creatura et conditione mundi omnium justorum, Deus Adam, 
Abel, Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noe, Sem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, 
xii. Patriarcharum, Moysis, et Prophetarum : Et quod hie 
Deus in novissimis diebus, sicut per prophetas suos ante 
promiserat, misit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, primo 
quidem vocaturum Israel, secundo vero Gentes post perfidiam 
populi Israel. Hie Deus justus et bonus, Pater Domini 
nostri Jesu Christi, legem et prophetas et evangelia ipse de- 
dit, qui et apostolorum Deus est et veteris et uovi Testamenti. 



APPENDIX. 



59C 



Turn deinde quia Jesus Christus ipse qui venit, ante omnem 
creaturam natus ex Patre est. Qui, cum in omnium condi- 
tione Patri ministrasset (per ipsum enim omnia facta sunt), 
novissimis temporibus seipsum exinaniens homo factus est; 
incarntaus est cum Deus esset, et homo mansit quod Deus 
erat. Corpus assumpsit nostro corpori simile, eo solo diffe- 
rens quod natum ex Virgine de Spiritu Sancto est. Et quon- 
iam hie Jesus Christus natus et passus est in veritate et non 
per imaginem, communi hac morte vere mortuus est : vere 
enim a mortuis resurrexit, et post resurrectionem conversatus 
cum discipulis suis assumptus est. Tum deinde honore ac 
dignitate Patri ac Filio sociatum tradiderunt Spiritum Sanc- 
tum. In hoc non jam manifeste discernitur, utrum natus an 
innatus. Sed inquirenda jam ista pro viribus sunt de sacra 
Scriptura et sagaci perquisitione investiganda. Sane quod 
iste Spiritus Sanctus unumquemque sanctorum vel propheta- 
rum vel apostolorum inspiravit, et non alius spiritus in veteri- 
bus, aliud vero in his qui in adventu Christi inspirati sunt, 
manifestissime in ecclesiis prsedicatur. Post haec jam quod 
anima substantiam vitamque habens propriara, cum ex hoc 
mundo discesserit, et pro suis meritis dispensabit, sive vitse 
seternBB ac beatitudinis hsereditate potitura, si hoc ei sua gesta 
prsestiterint ; sive igne seterno ac suppliciis mancipanda, si in 
hoc eam scelerum culpa detorserit : sed et quia erit tempus 
resurrectionis mortuorum, cum corpus hoc, quod in corrupti- 
one seminatur surget in incorruptione ; et quod seminatur in 
ignominia, surget in gloria. Est et illud definitum in ecclesi- 
astica prsedicatione, omnem animam rationabilem esse liberi 
arbitrii : &c. 



SYMBOLUM FIDEI NICiENUM. 
Ev Condi. Gen., ed. Binii. 

Promulgated by the First General Council, held under Sylvester at 
Nicsea in Bithynia, A. D. 325, attended by 318 Bishops. 

nfOT£uo/u£v HQ ivtt Q^ov, UaTepa TravroKoaTopa, wavrwv oparuyv 
T£ KaX aopaTMV ttoltytiiv. Kai %va Kvptov 'Irjo-ovv XpicrTov, tov 
Yiuv TOV Geov, yevvr}^tvTa Ifc tov IlaTpog fxovoyevri, TOVTiaTiv, ek 
riic ovcriag tov TlaTpog' Qeov Ik Qeov, (jywg etc (f>u)Tog, Qeov clXyi^l- 
vov Ik 0fou a\r}6Lvov' ytwr^^evTa, ov TroLi]^ivTa' bfxoovcnov tlj 
TlaTpi' ov TO, wavTa iyiviTO, to. ra Iv t(^ ovpavw kqi ra ^ £7ri rr)c 
yrig' tov ri/uLag Tovg av9p(V7rovg kol Trjv rjjuiSTipav aujTriplav 
KaTeXOovTa, koX dapKOj^tvTa, ^ kqX evavOpioirriaravTa' iraOovTa, koX 
avaaTavTa Ty TpLTy rijULspq., ^ kqI aveX^ovTa elg TOvg ovpavovg' ~ koX 
Ip^ofievov TToXiv Kplvai t^wvTug koX veKpovg. Kai dg to riv£v/xa 

' sv ytt. Socrat. Hist. Eccles. I. i. c. 8. ^ Deest nau Ibid. 

2o 



Wi APPENDIX. 

to' Ay lov, Tovg Xiyovrag, riv ttote ote ovk riv, ^ koI irpiv jevvy}- 
^rivai OVK riv, kol oti IE, ovk ovtwv eyivero, i) tripag viroaraaEwg 
rj ovdLag ^aaKOVTag slvai, rj ktigtov, t) oXXoUotov, *?7 rpdwrov, tov 
Ylov TOV Qwv, TOVTOvg avade/JLaTiZ^L r} KadoXiKr) Koi ^ cnroaToXiKrj 
'E/CKX»7<rta. 



SYMBOLUM EUSEBII C^SARIENSIS. 
Ex Socrat. Hist. Eccles. 1. i. c. 8. 

rifOTfvojUEV £ic fi'ct Qtov, YiaTipa iravTOKpcLTOpa, tov twv awav- 
T(jjv opaTOJV T£ KoX aopaTMv TTOLriTijv. Kal £<c 'iva Kvpiov 'lijcrouv 
XptoTov, TOV TOV 0£ou Aoyov, Qeov ek Qsov, cpwg £k: (j)WTog, Z^^riv 
Ik Z^rig^ Ylov fiovoyevrj, tt^ototokov 7ra(Tr]g /ct/ctewCj ^^po iravTUJv 
tCjv aidivwv Ik tov Qwv TlaTpog y^y Evvr\}.Livov' Si' ou koi tyiv^TO 
TO. TTCLVTa' TOV Sitt Ti)v i^fXETipav awTYioiav aapKwOivTa, koX kv Tolg 
avdpujTTOig iroXiTEvcTdiJLEvov' Koi TTa^ovTa, koX avaaTavTa ry Tpiry 
r]}iip(^' KcCi avsXOovTa irpog tov UaTipa, koX i]E,ovTa ttolXlv kv So^?^j 
Kpivai Zi*fVTag Koi vEKpovg. IliaTivofXEv koi ug %v YlviVfia^' Ayiov. 
TovTwv EKaaTOV eivai kcll virap^uv iriaTevovTEg, Tlaripa aXr]^(og 
UaTipa, Ka\ Ylov a\r]9(l)g Ylov, kqI YlvEVfia^' Ayiov aXi-i^ijjQ'' Ay lov 
Uvsviua' Ka^iog kol Kvpiog i]fJLU)v, airoaTiWwv elg to Ki^pvyjia Tovg 
kavTov jiia^ryr^g, eItte' Ylopev^ivTSg ina^r)TEv<TaT£ iravTa tcl t^vx], 
(daTTTiZovTeg avTovg dg to ovojuta tov TiaTpog, KaX tov Ylov, KaX tov 
^ Ay lov YlvtifjuaTog.'^ 



SYMBOLUM S. CYRILLI HIEROSOLYMITANI. 

Ex Tract at. de Catech. excerpt, 

rLi(JT£V(i) elg Eva Oeov, Ilarlpa TravroKparopa, iroLriTrjv ovpavov 
Ka\ yrig, bpariov te iravTivv Kal aopuTUJv 7roirjrr?v. KaX Eig eva Kv- 
piov '\r](JOvv Xptdrov, tov Ylov tov Qeov tov fiovoyEvr\, tov Ik tov 
liaTpog yEvvr\^EVTa irpo iravTwv twv alwvwv Qeov aXi]^Lv6v, St' oi 
Ta iravTa lyivETO' GapKw^EVTa, KaX Ivav^pcJiri^ffavTa' (TTavpio^ivTa, 
Kal Ta(pEVTa' Kal avacfravTa ek vEKpwv ry Tpmj r\jiEpa, koi avEk^ovTa 
Eig TOvg ovpavovg, koi KaOicravTa ek SE^tcuv tov YlaTpog' Kal £px^" 
juiEvov KptvaL ^wvra^ Kal vEKpovg. Kal tig ev ^'Ayiov HvEVfia to Ua- 
paKXriTov, TO \a\ri<jav twv 7rpo^>]Twv. Kal Elg fiiav ayiav ica-" 
^oXlkyiv 'EfCKXTjo-iav, Kal aapKog avaaTaaiv, kcll Elg Jwrjv alwviov. 

^ n ovit w TT^Iv ytwri^nva.;, n 1^, Ibid. 
* Y) T^s-STTov, 55 oXKoImtov. Socvat. Hist. Eccles. 1. i. c. 8. 
^ aTroa-roXinr] rov Qsov eKK\r,<ria. Ibid. 

* This Creed, given in at the First Nicene Council, together with some further 
arguments of its professor, caused some alteration in the Creed promulgated by 
that Synod. 



APPENDIX. 



595 



SYMBOLUM ARIANUM H^RETICUM. 

Ex Socrat. Hist. Eccles. 1. ii. c. 37. 

This is one of the Creeds of the Arians (of which Athanasius in his 
Book de Synodis, gives xi. Forms set forth by the followers of that 
Heresy, from A.D. 341. to A. D. 361.), published at the Council of 
Ariminum, A.D. 359., having been previously exhibited at the Coun- 
cil of Sirmium ; but it was disallowed by most of the Bishops present, 
and the Nicene Creed again confirmed. 

YiiGTivofi^v uq fva rov fxovov koI aXriOivov Gfdv, Haripa irav- 
roKQCLTOQa, KTiGTYiv KCLL ^r^jmovpyov TU)V TTavTwv. Kat iva /ulovo- 
j£vi) Ylov Tov Gfou, Tov wpo TTciVTWV tCjv olwvojv, kol TTpo TTaarjg 
ap)(riq, KaX irpo navTog hirivoovfitvov \p6vov, koX wpo Traarjg Kara- 
XrjTTrrjc LTTivoLag, yBy^vvYifxivov cnra^Hjg t/c tov Qeov, ov o'l r£ 
aiCjvig KaTripTLddriaav, Kal ra iravTa lyiv^TO' y^y evvrjimivov fxovo- 
y^vYi, fxovov Ik fXovov, viro tov Uarpogy Qeov Ik Oeov, bfiotov tio 
yswrjcravTi avTOv HaTpl /cara Tag ypa(j)ag' ov tyiv yivvrjaiv ovSug 
liriaTaTai, rj fxovog 6 yivvr\aag avTov nar/;p* tovtov 'iajULev tov jio- 
voyevri avTOv Ylov, vev/uLaTi iraTpiKt^) irapayevofievov Ik twv ovpavCjv 
dg aOaTTicnv Trig afxapTiag' Koi yevvrj^ivTa Ik Mapiag Trig napOivov, 
Kal avacTTpacpivTa fi^Ta rwv fxaOrjTiov, Koi Traaav TTjv olKOvofxiav ttXtj- 
paxjavTu KaTCL Trjv TraTpiKriv (5oi>\r}(nv' aTavpw^ivTa, kol airo^a- 
vovTa, Koi elg to. KaTa^doi'ia KUTeXOovTa, koi ra tKacrt olKOvojuri' 
aavTa' ov nv\(x)po\ adov IdovTeg t^pt^av* kol avaaTavTa Ttj TpiTy 
y]liipa, Ka\ avaaTpa^ivTa fxeTa tujv fiaOrjTUJV' koi, TeaaapaKOVTa r]fie- 
pwv TrXripov/bLiviov, avaXricp^ivTa dg Tovg ovpavovg, koi KaOet^ojuevov 
£K ^t^iMV TOV TlaTpog' KoX (Xevaofievov Trj k(7-)(aTy 'hl^epa ry So^r? Trj 
TraTpiKy, cnro^iSovTa fKaora) fcara ra epya avrov, KaX dg To"Ayiov 
nv£V/.ia, o avTog 6 jULOvoytvrjg tov Qeov Yiog 'Irjaoug XpiaTog eiriiy- 
yeiXaTO ireinxfjaL tm yevei tCjv avdpwirojv, tov Trapa/cAijroi', Kara ro 
yeypaiifxevov, ' Airep^ofxaL irpog tov liaTepa, juov, koi TrapaKoXemo 
TOV UttTepa fiov, KaX aXXov irapaKXr^Tov Trinxpei v/uuv, to llvevjua Trig 
aXr]^eiag' tKeivog ek roO efxov XijipeTai, KaX di^a^ei KaX vTrofivr]aei 
vfiag iravTa, To ^e ovojua Trig ovaUig dia to dirXovcTTepov viro tCov 
TraTepojv TeOeXa^at, ayvoovfxevov Ze vtto tCjv XaCjv, GKav^aXov (j)e- 
peiv, dia TO fXYiTe Tag ypa(l>ag tovto irepie^eiv, ripeae tovto irepiaipe- 
^rjvai KaX iravTeXCjg fxridifxiav jj.vr]fir]v ovaiag ewX Qeov elvai tov Xoi- 
TTOv, ^Lct TO Tag ^eiag ypa^ac jfirjSa/xov irepX VlaTpog Kal Ylov ovcriag 
lULefivriaOai' ofxoLov Xeyofiev tov Ylov tl^ UaTpX Kara Travra, wg at 
ayiai ypa(paX Xeyovaiv re KaX dL^aGKOvmv. 



SYMBOLUM S. EPIPHANII. 

Ex Ancoraf. \. 121. 

U.i(yTevoii.iev dg eva Qeov, IlaTepa iravTOKpctTOpa, iravrujv aopciTiov 
Te Kai opaTtov noiriTrjv. KaX elg eva Kvpiov 'Iriaovv XpiaTov, tov 
Ylov TOV Qeov, yevvijdevTa Ik Qeov TlaTpog, jnovoyevr], TOVTeariv, 

2 Q 2 



696 APPENDIX. 

£jc T^g oxxrlag tov YlarpSg* Qeov Ik Qeov, ^wc £»c <pioTog, Geov aXrj^i- 
vbv Ik Geou aXriOivov' ytwrjOivra, ov TroitiOivra' ofXOOvaLov 
Uarpl' ov tcl iravra eyivero^ to. re ev rotg ovpavoXg KaX ra Iv ry 
yy, opara t£ koX aopara' tov rjjuag Tovg av^ptvirovg Koi dia rrjv 
r]jjLi.Tipav ab)Tr]piav KareXOovTa' koX aapKiiyQivra, TOVTicrri, yevvri' 
^ivra reXdwg sk Trig dyiag Mapiag Trig atiirapOivov dia nvevjuaTog 
^Ayiov' lvavdpii)Trr)<7avTa, tovt^ctti, tcXeiov av^pa \aj36vTa, ipvxriv 
Kai (TCjjua Kal vovv, KaX iravra ei tl ftrriv avOpuirog, X<*^ptC dfiapTiag' 
ovK ttTTO (JiripfiaTog avBpog, oi/S' ev av'^pwirco, aW elg iavTov adpKa 
avairXdaavTa, dg jJLiav dyiav ivoTr^ra' ov Ka^direp Iv 7rpo<priTaig 
IveTrvevcri re KaX tXaXriat KaX evipyriaev , aXXa reXdojg evavOpojirri- 
aavra, 'O yap Aoyog cap^ eyivtro' ov rpoTrrjv viroarag, oi/Sf fxera- 
[5aX(x)v rrjv eavrov ^eorrjra dg av^p(x)7r6rr]Ta, dg fiiav avvevtlycravra 
kavrov dyiav reXeioTriTd re KaX ^e6rr\Ta, dg yap lari Kvptog ^Irjaovg 
XjOfOTO^, KaX ov dvo, 6 avrbg Qeog, 6 avrbg Kvpiog, b avrog Baat- 
Xevg' ira^ovra ^e rov avrbv ev aapKX, KaX avaaravra, KaX aveX^ovra 
elg rovg ovpavovg Iv avrt^ rto auyfiarC ev^o^wg Ka^iaavra ev de^ia 
rov Ylarpog' cp^o/itvov ev avrc^ tl^ adjparL ev So^y Kplvai t^wvTag 
KaX veKpovg' ov rrig jdacnXeiag ovk earaL reXog, KaX elg rb "Ayiov 
Tlvevfxa incfTevofxev, rb XaXr\(Tav ev rt^ vo/xw, KaX KYtpv^av ev rotg 
7rpo(f)r]Taig, kuX Kara[5av eirX rbv 'lopSdvr]v, XaXovv ev cnroaroXoig, 
oiKOVv ev dyioig' ovrwg ^e Tnarevofxev ev avri^, on ecrrX Tivevfia 
"Ayiov, Uvevpa Qeov, Uvevina reXeiov, Tlvevfjia 7rapdKXr}T0v, clktl- 
arov, Ik tov Ylarpbg eKiropevofievov, koX Ik rov Ytou Xap.^av6p.evov, 
KCLL TTiarevopevov. Fltcrrfuojuev elg piav Ka^oXiKriv KaX airoaroXiKriv 
^EKKXricTiav' Kal elg ev (^dirrLcrpa jjceravoiag' kcll elg avdcrraaiv veKOUiv, 
KOL KpidLV BiKaiav ipvy(f)V KaX (jojfxdrwv' Kca elg fdafriXeiav ovpavCov' 
KaX elg ZfOyriv altoviov. Tovg ^e Xeyovrag, on ^v irore, ore ovk riv 6 
Ylbg, rj TO nvevfia rb" Ayiovy r], on e^ovK ovruyv eyevero, i) e^ erepag 
v7ro<yrd<Teti)g rj ovaiag, (l>dcTKOvTag elvai rperrrbu rj aXXoltorov rbv 
Yibv rov Qeov, rj rb" Ay lov rLvevfjLa, rovrovg dvadejuari^ei T} Ka^oXiKrj 
KaX cnrocrroXiKi] 'EKKrXrjo-ia, 17 fi^rr]p vfiilyv re kcll r^pojv' KaX TrdXiv 
ava^efiariZopev rovg firi bjioXoyovvrag avdaraaiv veKpCjv, KaX Traaag 
rag aipecfeig rag ixrj Ik ravrr]g rr\g op^rig Triarewg ovaag."^ 



SYMBOLUM S. BASILII MAGNI. 

Ex Ascet. de Fide, §. 4. 

riLtTTevofiev TOLvvv KOL ojUoXoyovjUEv eva fxovov aXridivov kcu aya- 
^6v Qebv, KaX Uarepa TravroKpdropa, e^ ov ra wdvra, rbv Qebv KaX 
Tlarepa rov Kvpiov y]fxCjv koi Qeov '[i](jov Xpicrrov. KaX eva rov fxovo- 
yevri avrov Yibv Kvpiov KaX Qebv rjjUwv'lTjcrouv Xpiarov, p-ovov dXn]- 
hivbv, St' ov rd Trdvra eyevero, ra re bpard, Kal rd dopara' koi ev 
<J rd irdvra frvvetrrriKev' og ev dpxy irpbg rbv Qebv, Kai Qebg Tfv' 
KaX fxerd ravra, Kara rr]V ypa(priv, em rrig yrjg w^3"r}, KaX rolg dv- 
^pdynoig (Tvvave<jrpd<pri' og ev pop(py Qeov vTrdp^wv, ovx dpwayfxbv 

* The shorter Creed in §. 120. of this same Treatise, is nearly a recapitulation 

of the Nicene Creed. 



APPENDIX. 597 

YjyrjaaTO to tlvm tcra Ocw, aAX' kavTov ck^voxtc, koI ^la rrig Ik Trap- 
^ivov yevvrjijafog f.Lop^i]v ^ovXov Xaf^wv, koX a^fxari evp^^eig wg 
av^pMTTog, iravra to. ug avTov Koi TrepX avTov y^ygajx^iva hnXripuxTe 
Kara rryy kvToXrjv tov Uarpog, yEvofievog vTrrtKOog p^XP'^ ^avarov, 
^avcLTOv cFTavpov' kol ry Tptrr? r}pipq. lytpOdg Ik vEKpCjv Kara rag 
ypa^ag, io<p^rj TOig dyioig avrov pa^riToig, koX TOig XonroXg, u)g yi- 
ypairrai' avi^dr} te dg ovpavovg, kol Ka^rivai Iv Se^m tov IlaTpog' 
b^Ev EpxETai kirl avvTsXda tov alojvog tovtov avacTTriaai iravTag, 
KaX CLTTodovvai EKaortj) Kara ttjv Trpa^iv avTov' ore oi pev ^ikqiol irpoa- 
Xr}(l)9r](T0VTaL elg Z,wr)v ai(jjviov koX (5aaiXuav ovpavCjv, oi dpap- 
TwXol KaTaKpiOriaovTai elg KoXaatv alwviov, brrov 6 o-kwXt]^ avTwv 
ov TsXevTq, koX to irvp ov a[3ivvvTai. Kai ev povov*' Ay lov YlvEvpa 
TO YlapdKXijTov, EV latppayiadripEV Eig rtpipav cnroXvTpcLKyEwg' to 
llvtvpa TTjg aXr]9Eiag, to livEvpa Trig viodEcriag, ev KpdZ,opEv, 
'A|3/3a, 6 riarrjp* to diaipovv, koX EVEpyovv to. napa tov Qeov xapi- 
apuTa, EKCKTT^) TTpog to avp(f)Epov tjg |3oi3X£rai* to ^i^a<7Kov Koi vno- 
pipvr](JKOv TTCLVTa, b(ja av cucovy irapa tov Ytou* to ayaQov, to o^rj- 
yovv Elg waaav aX{]OEiav, kol aTY)pl^ov iravTag Tovg TCiGTEvovTag 
TTpog TE yvioaiv aXrjOrj koX a/cptjSi], kol XaTpEtav £ucrfj3?7, koX 7rpo(Th:i;- 
VTjmv TTVEvpaTiKrjv, KaX aXrj^ri opoXoytav Qeov TlaTpog, KaX tov po- 
voytvovc Ylov avTOv tov Kvpiov KaX Qeov rjpijjv 'Ir^aov XpiaTov, KaX 
EavTOv' EKCLCFTOv ovopttTog TOV ovopu^opEvov Trjv L^ioTT^Ta aa(p(jjg r^piv 
diEVKpivovvTog. KaX irEpX EKaaTov twv ovopat^opivwv TrdvTwg tivmv 

E^aipETlOV l^lWpaTMV £W(T£j3wC ^EtopOVpEVOW' TOV plv IJaTpog EV TO) 

l^LtjpaTi TOV narpoc? rov Yiov ev tw l^KvpaTi tov Ylov, tov 
'Ayiov UvEvpaTog ev t(^ oiKCtw IduopaTi' prjTE tov ' Ay iov Uvev' 
paTog cKj)' EavTOV XaXovvTog, pr]TE tov Ylov a(f>' euvtov tl TroiovvTog' 
KaX TOV pEV narpoc TripirovTog tov Ylov, tov Ylov TripTTovTog to 
*'Ayiov HvEvpa. OvTuyg (j)povovpEv, KaX outwc jSaTrr/^Ojuev £ic Tpiada 
bpoovaiov, KaTOL Trjv EVToXrjv avTov tov Kvpiov ripCov ^lr]<yov XpiaTOV, 
ElirovTog' YlopEvOivTEg paOriTEvaaTE navTa tci e^vyj, (^aTTTi^ovTEg 
avTovg Elg to ovopa tov TlaTpog KaX tov Ylov KaX tov 'Ayiov Hvev- 
paTog. 



SYMBOLUM FIDEI CONSTANTINOPOLITANUM. 

Ex Co?icil. Gen.f ed. Binii. 

Promulgated by the Second General Council, held under Damasus 
at Constantinople, A. D. 381, and attended by 150 Bishops. 

TiiGTEVopEv Eig Eva 0£ov, riarfpa TravroKpaTOjoa, 7rotrjTi7v ovpavoo 
KaX yi^g, opaTwv te TrdvTwv KaX aopcLTUJv. KaX Elg Eva Kvpiov 'Iriaovv 
XpLtTTOv, TOV Ylov TOV Qeov TOV povoyEvrj, TOV EK TOV HaTpog yEv 
VYi^EVTa TTpo TrdvTU)v TG)V alu)V(i)v' <^Cog EK (j)(i)Togf Qeov dXri^ivov 
Ik Qeov dX-q^ivov' yEvvri^EVTa, oi) Trotrj^EVTa' bpoovaiov Tto UaTpi' 

ov TCL TrdvTa lyivETO' tov ripdg Toiig dv^pwTTOvg KaX ^id Trjv 
ripETEpav au)Tr}piav KaTEX^ovTa ^ ek tu)V ovpavdHv' KaX aapKuy^EVTa 
Ik Hvivparog Ay lOV KaX Mapiag Trig TrapOivov, KaX IvavOpcJirriaavTa' 
• ov^avMV. Phot. Epist. i. §. 4. 



598 



APPENDIX. 



GTavpw^BVTa T£ virlp rifxtov Im Ylovriov YliXarov, KaX ira^ovTa, koX 
Ta(^ivTa, Koi avaaravra ry rpiry rjiuipa Kara rag ygar^tag' kol avsX- 
Oovra elg Tovg ovpavovg, koX Ka^etio/nevov ^ £/c dt^uov tov llarpog' 
KOL ttoXlv ep)(6iJ£vov fxera ^oZrjg KpTvai Zdjvrag /cat veKpovg' ov r^g 
fdaaiXdag ovk. sarai riXog. KaX slg to YlvevjjLa to "Ayiov, to Kvpiov, 

^ TO ZfJ^OTTOLOVf TO Ik TOV YlttTpOg EKTTOpCWO^E VO V, TO GVV JQarpi KOL 

yito ^ (TV}X7rQO<JK.vvoviiEvov KCLL <TU vSo^a^o/x£vo V, TO \a\r\(jav diaTtjJV 
7rpo(f)i]TO)v. Etc fJiLciv ayiav KaOoXiKriv koX aTrooToXtjcryy 'EKKXrjcrtav. 
'O/iioXoyov/JLLvtv (^aTTTLafxa dg acjyecriv afiapTuov, Upoa^OKLOjuiv avd- 
(TTaaiv vEKpdjv, KOL ^(i)rjv TOV fiiXXovTog aldjvog. 'Afxi^v. 



SYMBOLUM AQUILIENSE, VEL RUFFINI. 

Inter Op. S. Cyprian, fere vulg, et exinde excerpt. 

Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem : Et in Christum 
Jesura, unicum Filiura ejus, Dominum nostrum ; qui natus est 
de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine ; crucifixus sub Pontio 
Pilato, et sepultus, descendit in inferna ; tertio die resurrexit 
a mortuis ; adscendit in ccelos, sedet ad dexteram Patris ; 
inde venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos ; Et in Spiritum 
Sanctum \ sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam ; remissionem pec- 
catorum ; hujus carnis resurrectionem. 

SYMBOLUM S. AUGUSTINI. 

Ex Lib. de Fide et Stjmbolo excerpt. 

Credimus in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem: Credimus etiam 
in Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unicum, Dominum nostrum ; 
qui natus est per Spiritum Sanctum ex Virgine Maria ; sub 
Pontio Pilato crucifixus est, et sepultus; credimus etiam ilium 
tertio die resurrexisse a mortuis ; credimus in coelum adscen- 
disse ; credimus etiam, quod sedet ad dexteram Patris ; credimus 
etiam inde venturum convenientissimo tempore, et judicaturum 
vivos et mortuos : Adjungitur confessioni nostr<z, ad perficiejidam 
Jidem qucd nobis de Deo est, Spiritus-Sanctus, noji minore natura, 
quam Pater et Filius, sed, iit ita dicam, consubstantialis et co- 
c&ternus : Credimus et sanctam Ecclesiam, utique catholicam ; 
et remissionem peccatorum ; et carnis resurrectionem.* 

SYMBOLUM MAXIMI TAURINENSIS. 

Ex edit. Theoph, Raynaud, excerpt, 

Credis in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem : Et in Jesum Chri- 
stum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum ; qui natus est 

2 Iv Sefff. Phot. Epist. i. §. 4. 3 nai. Ibid. * v^oa-wvcvfAevov. Ibid. 

* Other Symbola might be extracted from the four Sermons, De Symholo ad Catechu- 
menos, and some of the Sermons de Tempore, generally included in St. Augustin's 
Works ; but as they are of doubtful credit, and often inexplicitly set forth, they have 
been omitted. 



APPENDIX. 



599 



de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine ; qui sub Pontio Pilato 
crucifixus est et sepultus ; tevtia die resurrexit a mortuis ; ad- 
scendit in coelum ; sedet ud dexteram Patris ; inde venturus 
judicare vivos et mortuos : Et in Spirituni Sanctum; sanctam 
Ecclesiam ; remissionem peccatoruni ; carnis resurrectionem. 

SYMBOLUM EUSEBII GALLICANI. 
Ex Biblioih, Pair. Lot. t. v. par. 1. excerpt. 
Crede in Deum Patrem omnipotentem. Credo et in Fiiium 
ejus, Dominum nostrum, Jesum Christum ; qui conceptus est 
de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine ; crucifixus et se- 
pultus ; tertia die resurrexit ; adscendit ad coelos ; sedet ad 
dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis ; inde venturus judicare de 
vivis et mortuis.* Credo in Spiritum Sanctum ; sanctam Ec- 
clesiam catholicam; sanctorum communionem; remissionem 
peccatorum ; carnis resurrectionem ; vitam seternam. 



SYMBOLUM CASSIANI. 

Ex \. vi. c. 4. de Incarn. Domini. 

Credo in unum verum solum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem, 
Creatorem omnium visibilium et invisibilium creaturarum : Et 
in Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium ejus unigenitum, 
et primogenitum totius creaturae, ex eo natum ante omnia sse- 
cula, et non factum, Deum verum ex Deo vero, homoousion 
Patri, per quem et ssecula compaginata sunt, et omnia facta ; 
qui propter nos venit, et natus est ex Maria Virgine, et cruci- 
fixus sub Pontio Pilato, et sepultus ; et tertia die resurrexit se- 
cundum Scripturas, et in coelos adscendit; et iterum veniet ju 
dicare vivos et mortuos. Et reliqua. 



SYMBOLUM PETRI CHRYSOLOGI. 

Ex edit. Theoph. Raynaud, excerpt. 

Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem : Et in Jesum Chri- 
stum, Filium ejus unicum, Dominum nostrum ; qui natus est 
de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine ; qui sub Pontio Pilato 
crucifixus est, et sepultus; tertia die ^ resurrexit; adscendit ^ 
in coelos ; sedet ad dexteram Patris ; inde venturus est judicare 
vivos et mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum ; 'sanctam Ec- 
clesiam catholicam ; *et remissionem peccatorum ; carnis re- 
surrectionem ; * vitam ^ seternam. 

* judicare vivos et mortuos. Horn. i. 
' resurrexit a mortuis. serm. 3. ^ ad. serm. 2. 5. 

s et sanctam Ecclesiam. serin. 2. 3. in sanctam Ecclesiam. serm. 6. 
< Deest et serm. 3. * Denst vitam aeternam. serm. 5. 

• asternam. Amen. serm. 3. 



600 



APPENDIX. 



SYMBOLUxM VENANTII HONORII FORTUNATL 

Ex Bibliotk. Pair. Lat. t. vi. par. 2. excerpt. 

Credo in Deum, Patrem oranipotentem : Et in Jesum Chri- 
stum ; qui natus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine ; cru- 
cilixus sub Pontic Pilato ; descendit ad iufernum ; tertia die 
resurrexit ; adscendit in ccelum ; sedet ad dexteram Patris. 
Credo in Sancto Spiritu ; sanctam Ecclesiam ; remissionem 
peccatorum ; resurrectionem carnis. 



SYMBOLUM ALCUINI. 

Ex lib. de Divmis Officiis, c. 41. excerpt. 

Credo in Deum, Patrem omnipotentem : In Jesum Christum, 
Filium ejus unicum, Dorainum nostrum ; qui conceptus est de 
Spiritu Sancto; natus ex Maria Virgine ; passus sub Pontio 
Pilato ; crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus ; descendit ad in- 
ferna; tertia die resurrexit; adscendit ad coelos ; sedet ad 
dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis ; venturus judicare vivos et 
mortuos. Credo in Spiritum Sanctum ; sanctam Ecclesiam 
catholicam ; sanctorum communionem ; remissionem pecca- 
torum ; carnis resurrectionem ; vitam aeternam. 



SYMBOLUM ETHERII UXAMENSIS. 

Ex Biblioth. Pair. Lat. t. viii. 

Credimus in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem; factorem 
coeli et terrse, visibilium omnium et invisibilium conditorem : 
Et in unum Dominum Jesum, Filium Dei unigenitum, ex Patre 
natum ante omnia saecula ; Deum ex Deo, lumen ex lumine, 
Deum verum ex Deo vero ; natum, non factum; homoiision 
Patri, hoc est, ejusdem cum Patre substantias ; per quem 
omnia facta sunt, quae in coelo, et quae in terra ; qui propter nos 
et propter nostram salutem descendit ; et incarnatus est de 
Spiritu Sancto et Maria Virgine ; homo factus ; passus sub 
Pontio Pilato ; sepultus ; tertia die resurrexit ; adscendit in 
ccelos ; sedet ad dexteram Patris; iterum venturus est in glo- 
ria judicare vivos et mortuos; cujus regni non erit finis. 
Credimus et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificatorem ; 
ex Patre et Filio procedentem ; cum Patre et Filio adorandum 
et glorificandum ; qui locutus est per prophetas: In unam 
catholicam atque apostolicam Ecclesiam. Confitemur unum 
baptismum in remissione peccatorum. Exspectamus resurrec- 
tionem mortuorum; vitam futuri sseculi. Amen. 



INDEX 



TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. 



The Reference* distinguished thus (•) have not been inserted in any former edition. 



GENESIS. 





Page. 


■ 1* 
1. 1 . 


7Q 


i 0 O i 1 




o • 






80 




177 


■CO, 




o 1 . 


oo. yo 


i\ -f 


^« OA QJ, 


•5 T 
4 , 


« y 


A. 


cjy 


If 


/ y 




o'± 


111. iO ♦ 


O JiJ 




260 


13, lo. 




1 O 


Ot. D04, 


IV. / . 


AAA fiAn* 




172 


V. O, 


t-t. OV. 


VI. 6. 




VII. 11, 


yt 


xii. 5. 




xiii. 8« 








xiv. 18—20. 


22. 26 


19, 20. 


1*6 


XV. 2. 8. 


221 


6. 


24 


xvii. 1. 


436 


4*. 


169 


xviii. 1, 2. 


531 


12. 


220 


14. 


211 


25. 


442 


XX. 6. 


542 


xxi. 12. 


124 


xxii. 2*. 12*. 


16». 211 


6. 


303 


18. 


126*. 242 


xxiv. 


221 


67. 


131 


xxvi. 3. 


223 


xxviii. 10. 


131 


15. 


264 


18. 


123 


xxix. 12. 


267 


17. 


133 





Page. 


XXX. 1, 2. 


41 


xxxi. 35. 


221 


xxxiii. 8. 


221 


XXXV. 18. 


542 


xxxvii. 35. 


352 


xxxviii, 17, 18. 20. 494 


xxxix. 2. 


221 


6. 


133 


xl. 9. 


407 


xli. 40. 42, 43. 


414 


xlii. 10. 


221 


33. 


342 


38. 


352 


xliv. 5. 


221 


18. 


406 


xlv. 2. 


542 


xlix. 8. 10. 


125, 126 


11.19. 


439, 440 


1. 17. 


542 


EXODUS. 


5. 17, 18. 


389 


iii. 2. 


11 


3*. 


589 


14. 


189. 223 


15. 


222 


iv. 1. 16. 30, 31. 


11 


22. 


40 


vi. 3. 


222* 


3*, 4». 


564 


4. 


564 


xii. 2. 


400 


46. 


304 


xiii. 2. 


265 


xiv. 31. 


11. 23 


XV. 1. 


562 


3. 


226 


XV. 18. 


66 


xvi. 5. 


398 


xvii. 15. 


198. 226 


xix. 9. 


24 


22. 


145 


XX. 3. 


37 


11. 


72 


xxi. 2. 4. 


221 


6. 


186 


xxii. 31. 


527 


xxiv. 5. 


145 





Page. 


xxiv. 13. 


116 


xxviii. 38. 


526 


xxxi. 13. 


401 


17. 


72 


18*. 


14 


xxxiv. 33. 


335 


34. 


474, 475 


xl. 15. 


141 



LEVITICUS. 



iv. 3*. 123 



3. 5. 16. 


141, 142 


20. 


543 


V. 15. 


526 


vi. 22. 


142 


viii. 12. 


153 


35. 


419 


X. 4. 


267 


xi. 44. 


44. 526* 


xvi. 2. 


405 


xix. 2. 


44. 526* 


28. 


351 


XX. 7. 


44. 52* 


xxi. 1. 


351 


11. 


350 


xxii. 4. 


350 


xxiii. 10 — 12. 


391 


XXV. 42. 


237 


48. 


458 


48, 49. 


113 


xxix. 4. 


351 


NUMBERS. 


iii. 3. 


122 


iv. 47. 


143 


V. 2. 


351 


vi. 6. 


350, 351 


xiii. 16. 


105 


xiv. 19. 


543 


xvi. 30. 


80 


xviii. 16. 


266 


xix. 11. 13. 


350, 351 


xxi. 9. 


303 


xxii. 28. 35. 


12 


xxiii. 5. 


12 


19. 


7 


xxiv. 9. 


306 



602 



INDEX OF 



DEUTERONOMY. 







Page. 


iv. 35. 




34. 36 


V. 15. 




400 


27. 




237 


vi. 4. 


217. 22 


6. 228 


4, 5. 




37 


11. 




336 


13*. 




217 


viii. 5. 




44 


X. 7. 




436 


14. 




65 


17. 




26. 65 


XV. 1, 2. 




542 


17. 




186 


xviii. 18.* 




130 


xxi. ll. 




133 


22, 23. 


314. 332 


xxiv. 15. 




63 


xxvii. 26. 


314, 315* 


xxxii. 4. 




7 


6. 




40 


39. 




36 


xxxiii. 2. 




526 


3. 




529 


6. 




582 


26. 




477 


xxxiv. 6. 




264 


JOSHUA. 




i. 1. 




116 


iii. 11. 13. 




65 


V. 2. 




116 


X. 12, 13. 




117 


24. 




422 


xviii. 1*. 




601 


JUDGES. 




iii. 9. 15. 




111 


V. 17. 




419 


20. 




102 


vi. 24. 


198, 226 


viii. 18. 




133 


19. 




389 


ix. 9. 




152 


RUTH. 




i. 20, 21. 




68 


ii. 14. 




131 


iii. 3. 




152 


15. 




335 


1 SAMUEL. 




ii. 3. 




7 


6. 




352 


iii. 7. 21. 




10 


ix. 15, 




10 


X. 24. 




.586 


xiv. 15. 




289 


XV. 1. 




141 


29. 




7 


35. 




265 


xvi. 12. 




141 


13. 


150. 422 


14. 




464 


xvii. 32. 




221 





Page. 


xvii. 47. 


107 


xviii. 18. 


536 


XX v. 6*. 


586 


xxvii. 9. 


389 


12. 


24 


xxix. 4. 113. 545 


2 SAMUEL. 




ii. 4. 151. 422 


V. 3. 


151 


vi. 23. 


265 


vii. 12*. 16*. 


242 


16. 233. 421 


xvi. 10. 


68 


xxii. 6. 


368 


16. 


542 


xxiii. 2. 


12 


1 KINGS. 




i. 33. 


152 


39, 40. 


152 


ii. 19. 


418 


V. 15. 


336 


viii. 53. 


12 


xiv. 18. 


12 


xvii. 4. 6. 


102 


22. 


565 


xix. 15, 16. 


142 


XX. 31. 


389 


2 KINGS. 




ii. 2. 


412 


9—11. 


193 


iv. 


565 


16. 


477 


xvi. 2. 


261 


xvii. 1. 


105 


14. 


23 


21. 


565 


xviii. 2. 


261 


1 CHRONICLES. 


iii. 1 — 3, &c. 


211 


24. 


439 


xxiii. 13. 


146 


xxiv. 5. 


526 


xxvii. 20. 


105 


xxix. 11, 12. 


65 


2 CHRONICLES. 


vi. 30. 


37 


xviii. 20, 21. 


464 


XX. 6. 


431 


20. 


23 


EZRA. 




iii. 12. 


127 


NEHEMIAH. 




viii. 8. 


125 


ix. .5, 6. 


100 


6. 


70 


27. 


115 


X. 29. 222. 


315*. 



JOB. 





Page. 


V. 1. 


527 


14. 


187 


viii. 3. 


68 


X. 3. 


103 


10. 


187 


xiii. 28. 


187 


xiv. 4*. 


254 


xvii. 14. 16. 


555 


xix. 23*— 26. 562 


26. 


568 


xxi. 15. 


68 


xxii. 3. 


68 


XX vi. 7. 


75 


13. 


471 


xxviii. 26. 


75 


xxxi. 2. 


68 


xxxviii. 7. 4 


75 


7. 2 


8. 39 


xlii. 1, 2. 


432 


2*. 


8 


PSALMS. 


ii. 2. 6, 7. 


381 


6. 


147 


7. 207*. 260. 390* 


8. 


136. 234. 521 


V. 2. 


200 


6. 


162 


vii. 8. 


406 


viii. 3. 


101 


4*. 


101 


5*, 6*. 


230 


xvi. 2. 


67 


2, 3. 


529 


9, 10. 


330. 350 


10. 


379*. 381 


11. 


418 


xviii. 2. 


7 


5. 


368 


31. 


36 


xix. 1. 


100 


xxi. 


225 


7. 


439 


xxii. 1. 7, 8. 


16. 18. 135 


14. 


289 


17. 


305 


xxiv. 1, 2. 


102 


XXV. 18. 


542 


xxvii. 13. 


319 


xxxi. 1, 2. 


552 


22. 


289 


xxxii. 1. 


543 


xxxiii. 6. 


178 


XXXV. 23. 


200 


xxxix. 9. 


68 


xl. 6. 


186 


xlii. 5. 


200. 288 


xliv. 1. 


32 


xiv. 7. 


149*. 498 


xlviii. 5. 


289 


8. 


513 


xlix. 3. 


200 


li. 10. 


80 



TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. 



- 603 





Page. 


Iviil. 11. 


442 


Ixii. 1. 


200 


2. 


37 


Ixiii. 9. 


344, 345 


Ixv. 2. 


477 


Ixviii. 18. 


406 


Ixix. 21. 


135 


32. 


586 


Ixx. 13. 


200 


Ixxi. 19. 


406 


Ixxii. 11. 


136 


18. 


32 


Ixxiii. 2. 


456 


Ixxvi. 1, 2. 


520 


Ixxviii. 3. 


27 


32. 


24 


36. 41. 


477 


Ixxxi. 16*. 


477 


Ixxxii. 5, 6. 


191. 


6*. 


162 


Ixxxiii. 18. 


221, 222* 


Ixxxiv. 3. 


200 


Ixxxix. 5. 7. 


529 


11. 


65 


20. 


151 


xc. 2. 


168 


xciii. 3. 


563 


4. 


406 


xciv. 9, 10. 


86 


xcv. 7*. 


105 


xcvii. 5. 


65. 218* 


9. 


202 


ci'ii. 13. 


44 


civ. 3, 4. 


75 


24. 31. 


100 


31. 


67 


cvi. 16. 


529 


ex. 1. 136.229.232. 


414. 416. 420. 425 


2. 


232 


4. 143*. 


145*. 415* 


7. 231. 291. 328 


cxv. 3*. 


88 


15. 


79 


cxvi. 3. 


288, 289* 


6. 


107 


10. 


18 


cxix. 66. 


24 


73. 


101 


cxxi. 2. 


79 


2,3. 


103 


cxxix. 3. 


243?*. 287* 


cxxx. 7*. 


589 


cxxxii. 12. 


421 


cxxxiii. 2. 


159 


cxxxvi. 2. 


26 


3. 


65 


cxxxix. 15. 


344, 345 


15, 16 


556 


cxlv. 10, 11. 


100 


13. 


66 


cxivi. 5, 6. 


102 


cxlvii. 5. 


7 


29. 


520 



cxlviii. 2 — 5. 13. 100 
8. 102 
cxiix. 1. 529 



PROVERBS. 



viii. 22, 23. 


88 


23. 


183 


23. 30. 


177 


25. 


168 


xiv. 12. 


368 


xvi. 4, 


67, 100 


25* 


368 


XX. 8. 


4W 


XXX. 4. 


70. 206* 


ECCLESIASTES. 


iii. 21*. 


569 


vii. 16. 


289 


xii. 1. 


79 


14. 


445. 450 


CANTICLES. 


ii. 7. 


119 


iii. 5. 


119 


iv. 5. 


128. 278 


viii. 1. 


273 


4. 


119 


ISAIAH. 


i. 2. 


73. 102 


9. 


63 


24. 


222 


ii. 2. 


136 


3, 4. 


155 


vi. 1. 3. 


190 


3. 


63 


vii.l4. 129.251*.261.269* 


viii. 8. 


130 


13, 14. 


225 


18. 


46 


ix. 2. 6. 3. 


118 


6. 


198. 279. 469 


6, 7. 


147 


xi. 1. 2*. 10. 


128 


6. 


155 


xi. 10. 


126. 137 


xii. 2*. 


218 


xiii. 6. 


69 


xiv. 27. 


431 


xvi. 1. 


156 


5. 


420 


xvii. 7. 


79 


xxii. 14. 


10. 542. 582 


xxiv. 18. 


278 


16. 


508 


xxxiii. 14*. 


588 


XXXV. 4. 10. 


118 


xxxviii. 11, 


319 


18. 


305 


xl. 3*. 


228 


12. 


70 


25. 


188 


26. 28. 


102, 103 


xli. 4. 


188 





Page. 


xlj. 16. 


526 


xlii. 1. 4. 


1.30 


5. 


79 


5, 6. 


98 


xliii. 1. 7. 


79 


xliv. 6. 


34. 188 


8. 


36 


24. 


40 


xlv. 5. 


79 


5, 6. 18. 21, 22. 36 


5. 7 


98 


7*. ' 


QQ 

yo 


9. 


Oo 


12. 


7Q 17R 


18. 


I\f 




An 


5. 


188 


xlviii, 12. 


34. 188 


13. 


102. 178 


16*. 


472 


xlix. 23. 


138 


li. 1. 


336 


Iii. 13. 


132 


liii.2, 3. 


133. 185 


2, 3. 5. 


131. 133 


3. 


288 


3. 5. 


134, 135 


3—5. 


277 


5, 6. 


543 


6. 


118. 290* 


7, 8. 


135 


7, 8. 10. 


319 


8, 9. 


330 


9. 136. 332. 337 


10. 


281 


12. 


135 


liv. 16, 17. 


103 


Iv. 3. 


382 


Ivii. 11. 


477 


Ix. 3. 


138 


Ixi. 1. 


141. 150* 


Ixiii. 3*. 


118 


16. 


40 


Ixv. 6. 


582 


17. 


80 


Ixvi. 1. 


73. 410* 


14. 


575 


JEREMIAH. 


i. 5. 


143 


X. 10. 


52 


12. 


99 


xviii. 16. 


66 


xxiii. 6. 


224. 226 


24. 


73 


xxvii. .5. 


100. 178 


XXX. 9. 


422 


21. 


440 


xxxi. 22. 


260 


xxxii. 23. 


80 


xxxiii. 15, 16. 


226 


16. 


198* 


li. 5. 


526 


15. 


99 



604 



INDEX OF 



LAMENTATIONS. 



i. 6. 
12. 



Page. 

290 



EZEKIEL. 



i. 24. 179 
vii. 1. 7, 8. 10. 555 
xxxiv. 23, 24. 233. 422 
xxxvii. 24, 25. 422 
xliv. 2. 263 
xlviii. 35. 198 

DANIEL. 

ii. 4». 328 

47. 26 

iii. 9*. 328 

iv. 35. 35. 431 
y. 23. 65 

vii. 7. 289 
9*. 13*. 22*. 70 
10*. 450 
13. 409*. 439, 440 
13,14. 233.439 
18. 22. 25. 529 

viii. 13. 527 
14. 26. 395 
17. 289 

ix. 25. 124 

xi. 36. 26 

xii. 2. 563. 569. 572* 
7. 66 

HOSEA. 

i. 1. 105 

7. 225 

iii. 5. 422 
vi. 2. 136 
xi. 1. 136 

xiii. 14. 425. 576 

JOEL. 

i. 20 542 

ii. 30. 345 
32. 227 

AMOS. 

iv. 13. 75 

JONAH. 

i. 17. 391 

ii. 1. 396 
10. 102. 391 

iii. 2*. 391 

MICAH. 

ii. 13. 404*. 407* 

iv. 1. 126 

4. 420 

5. 66 
13. 65 

vi. 4. 258 
HAGGAL 



ZECHARIAH. 



ii. 10, 
iv. 7. 

14. 
vi. 5. 
ix. 9. 
X. 12. 

xi. 12. 

xii. 10. 

xiii. 2. 

xiv. 5. 



11. 



Page. 

227 
131. 305 

65 
65 

278. 439* 
226 
135 

135. 278, 305. 

491 
139. 155 
527 



MALACHI. 



i. 6. 
11. 

ii. 10. 
13. 



43 
137 

39 
223 

iii. 1. 126. 228. 230*. 278 

iv. 2*. 117 
5. 144 

St. MATTHEW. 



i. 1. 107. 
16. 18. 
17. 
18. 

18. 20. 
18. 23. 
20. 

21. 108*. 

22. 

22, 23. 
25. 

ii. l. 
4—6. 
4, 5. 
15. 

iii. 3. 
4. 



17. 



ii. 3. 
6, 7. 9. 
13. 



127 
126 

sat 



15. 

16. 

16, 

17. 
iv. 5*. 

10. 
V. 22. 
23, 24. 
24. 
33. 

44, 45. 

vi. 8. 
12*. 
13. 
21. 
24. 

vii. 4. 

4. 16. 
9—11. 
24, 25. 
29. 

viii. 11. 



150^ 



129. 242 
250 

95 

262. 269 
251 
262 
199 
114. 549* 

130. 224 
109. 197 

264 
161 
129 
274 
229 
228, 229 
28 

514. 581 
542 
153*. 481 
151, 152 
46. 118* 
515 
37. 217 
540 
545 
542 
229 
44 
43 
542 
437 
412. 590 
37 
542 
28 
43 
512 
130 
372 



Page. 

viii. 15*. 542 
20. 134 
22*. 404 
27. 119 

ix. 2. 6. 231 

27. 274 
38. 221 

X. 8. 132 

16. 25. 246 

20. 484 

24. 221 

28. 321. 356. 570, 580 

29, 30. 557 
32. 18 
37. 119 
40. 477 

xi. 2—5. 131 
10. 228 
19*. 243 
25. 65 

xii. 6. 8. 231 

23. 129. 274 

28. 184 
31,32. 470 
34. 17 
S8. 391 
40. 330. 393 
46. 266 
50. 43 

xiii. 24. 30. 47. 514 
27. 221 
30. 39. 47, 48. 448 
35. 28 
39. 575 
52. 157 

55. 134. 257. 267 

56. 178 

xiv. 34. 36. 132 
XV. 22. 274 

24. 137 

xvi. 16. 199. 210* 

18. 195.503.507.512 
21. 393 

27. 231.440*. 418 

28. 148. 423. 440 

xvii. 4*. 589 
5. 46. 156 
18. 28 
23. 393 

xviii. 2. 581 
10. 532 
17*. 523 
20*. 512 
25, &c. 221 
27. 542 

xix. 17. 85 

27. 542 

28. 41. 449* 
XX. 8. 221 

16*. 515 

19. 393 
28. 113. 326. 546 
30. 274 
30, 31. 199 



1! 



TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. 



605 





Pago. 




A. ago. 






Page. 


xxi. 4, 5« 


147 


i. 11*. 


212 


i. 27. 




256. 262 


9. 


129 


13. 


165 


31. 


108. 250. 269* 


15. 


274 


15. 


24 


32 33. 




233. 422 


30. 


221 


ii. 2*. 


165 


32. 69. 




274 


31. 


117 


26. 


293 


34. 




250 


33, &c. 


54 


iii. 28*, 29*. 


541 


35. 49. 




150. 153*. 


ixii. 10. 


514 


V. 25. 29. 


131 






161*. 472 


ti9*. 31*, 32*. 564 


41, 42. 


565 


35. 37. 




251 


32*. 


574 


vi. 2. 


134 


37*. 




4.S0 


42. 


128.274 


viii. 3*2. 


393 


42. 




zoy. 272* 


43—45. 


229 


38. 


526 


48. 




272 


xxiv. 3. 


440 


ix. 1^. 


276 


57. 




270 


31. 34. 41. 46. 450 


17. 23, 24. 


21 


69. 




114 


46. 


581 


31. 


393 


69. 71. 




118 


XXV. 10. 19.21.30. 


38. 


120 


70. 




12. 400 


31 33, 


448 449 


44. 


369 


76. 




228, 229 


11*. 


' 523 


46*. 


581 


76*, 77*. 


548 


31. 


526 


X. 6. 


28 


78. 




2.55 


32. 


450. 574 


27*. 


430 


ii. 4. 




274 


34*. 


156 


34. 


393 


4. 11. 




129 


34. 41 . 


573. 580 


xii. 35. 


128 


5—7. 




269 


41. 46. 


369 


36. 


2i^9 


10, 11. 




118 


xxvi. 2. 


306 


xiii. 9. 


293 


11. 




109. 2'29 


15. 


135 


19. 


28 


15. 22, 


23. 


229 


28. 


112. 544 


35. 


221 


21. 


104. 229. 395 


37, 38. 


288 


xiv. 3. 8. 


334 


22, 23. 




ZOO 


- 38. 


244. 288 


33. 


288 


27. 33. 48. 


250 


38*, 39*. 


289 


34*, 35*. 


289 


30. 




114 


56. 


542 


36. 


199 


46. 






63. 


160 


49. 


178 


48. 




lo.) 


64. 


441. 447 


58. 


393 


51. 






66. 


541 


61. 


202 


52. 




243 


xxvii. 


335 


62. 


418 


iii. 2. 




293 


18, 19, 


298 


64. 


297 


4. 




229 


19*. 


462 


XV. 


333. 33.5 


15. 




123 


23*. 


447 


15. 


298 


17. 




581 


26. 31. 


306 


27. 


135 


22, 23. 




143, 144 


37*. 


328 


30*. 


318 


23. 




2.50 


39. 43. 46. 48. 135 


34. 


199 


38. 




39. 163 


46*. 


325 


37. 


542 


iv. 14. 




165 


50*. 


542 


37. 39. 


323 


18. 




150*. 498 


52. 


529 


40. 


257. 267 


21, 22. 




143 


54. 


331 


42. 


397, 398 


vi. 17. 19. 




132 


56. 


2.57. 267 


43*. 


136 


36. 




45 


59*. 


334 


44. 


3'5J3 


46. 




68 


60*. 


335, 336 


44, 45. 


337 


vii. 12. 14, 


15. 


565 


62. 


397 


46. 


334, 335* 


41, 42. 




552 


63. 


221. 393 


xvi. 1. 


267. 334 


viii. 55. 




565 


64. 


418 


1 2. 




ix. 22. 




393 


xxviii. 1. 


268. 398 


S. 


336 


26. 




19. 526 


2—4*. 9* 


11*. 383 


15. 


521 


49. 




120 


6. 


2 '20 


17. 


132 


X. 2. 




229 


14. 


293 


19. 


193. 416 


16. 




477 


18. 


231. 421, 


1 9, 20. 


220 


19. 




132 


422*. 436* 






21. 




99 


18, 19. 


47 


St. LUKE. 


39. 42. 




156 


18. 20. 


156 


i. 5*. 


259 


xi. 2. 




43 


19. 137. 481. 509 


6.9.15.25.46. 229 


13*. 




497 


19, 20. 


512 


13. 57. 


161 


27. 




269 


20. 


198. 265 


8. 21, 22. 32 


33. 
146, 147 


42. 
xii. 5. 




.542 
64. 436 


St. MARK. 


15. 


166 


42. 




220 


i. 1. 


549 


15. 17. 35. 


143, 144 


xiii. 1. 




298 


S. 


229 


23*. 


395 


28. 




37 a 



606 



INDEX OF 



Page. 



xiv. 14. 


573 


26. 


119 


XV. 10. 


532 


xvi. 9. 


587 


13. 


221 


16. 


116 


22* 23 


* 372 37 S 


29. 31. 


115 


31. 


367 


xvii. 3*. 


542 


33. 


389 




282 


33* 


393 


38*. 


129 


xix. 27, 


148 


XX. 35, 36. 


41 


36. 


162 


44. 


229 


xxii. 20. 


326 


22. 


218 


42. 


243 


44*. 


289 


69. 


417, 418 


xxiii. 2. 


311 


14. 22 


298 


24. 


306 


31*. 


292 


34. 


326 


39. 


315 


46. 


244. 321. 326 


53*. 




54. 


397, 398 


XXIV. 1, 


S34 399 


5*. 


404 


7.46. 


393 


25.26. 


218 


26. 


291 


27. 


116 


34. 


220 


37. 39. 


385 


39. 243. 571, 572* 


41—44*. 385 


46. 


135 


47. 


521.548. 553 


49. 


137 


50, 51. 


408 


St. JOHN. 


i. 1. 


49. 193* 


1. 3. 


230 


1—3. 


177 


.3. 10. 


74. 471 


3*. 1*. 


183 


4, 5. 


184 


6*. 12* 13*. 18*. 183 


9. 


117. 423* 


12. 


46. 62*. 80* 


13. 


253. 256 


14.31. 185*. 198. 246* 




284* 


14. 16. 


153 


15 27. 


167 


16. 


530 


17. 


117 







i ago. 




Page. 


i. 18. 




13. 112. 144 


ix. 22. 


121 


19 21, 




123 124 


35. 38. 


21 


23. 




229 


36 38. 


221 


34. 




144 


X. 17. 


326 


41. 




121 


17 18. 


389 


49. 




160 


18. 


322 


49 50. 




49 


20. 


tot 


ii. 12. 




266 


OKJ. OO . 




19. 




393, 571 


34 


162 


19. 21, 


2^ 


*. 388 


35, 36. 


4.Q 


22. 




16 


37 38. 41. 


144 


iii. 1. 10. 




333 


xi. 1. 


257 


2. 




131. 145 


2. 




5*. 




491 


24. 


.575 


5,6. 




183 


25*. 




6*. 




497 


27. 


160 


14. 




303 


39. 43 44. 


565 


13. 


345. 386*. 407 


42. 


132 


16. 119.218.469*. 


44. 


^34 iS** 






489. 544* 


xii, 20. 


138 


17. 




112 


21. 


221 


26. 




144 


26. 


■iuo 


31. 




166. 202 


31. 


U't. '±ZO 


43. 




40 


32. 


412 


iv. 1. 




220 


35 41 




11. 




221 


xiii. 3. 


231 


25. 




121. 123 


13. 


1 QQ 


V. 7. 




221 


23*. 


373 


18. 




46 


35. 


510 


18,19. 26. 


204 




104 


19*. 




99 


2* 3. 


411 


19. 26. 30. 


51, 52 


3. 


168 


21. 




388 


3. 28. 


440 


22, 23. 




217 


8. 


535 


22. 25. 27. 


446 


Q 


168 


24. 




458. 585 


12. 


132 


26. 




50. 131 


15. 


119 


27. 




231 


16. 


492 


28. 


569. 574, 575 


16*. 26*. 


492 


29. 




573 


23. 


.531 


33. 36. 




144 


26. 13. 


465. 467*. 


45, 46. 




115 


480. 481. 484. 


46, 47. 




17 




490* 


vi. 23. 




220 


28. 50. 54. 204* 


24. 




168 


30. 


64 


32, 33. 


38.51. 166 


31. 


326 


38. 




236 


XV. 13. 


119. 326 


39. 




575 


15. 


15 


57. 50. 52. 54. 235* 


26. 467. 480—484*. 


58* 




59 




492* 


62. 




164. 410 


26, 27. 


384*. 46.) 


69. 


21. 160. 210* 


27. 


168 


vii. 27.31.40,41. 123 


xvi. 7. 


413. 492 


29. 




50. 54. 205 


7, 8. IS, 14. 465 


31. 




131 


7*. 14*. 


481 


33, 34. 




168 


7. 13, 14. 


467 


38. 




498 


11. 


64 


39. 




462 


13*. 


490. 521 


41, 42. 




129 


13. 30. 


13 


viii. 12. 




191 


15. 


204 


21.58. 




168 


27, 28. 


166 


23. 




345 


28*. 


206 


51. 




588 


So. 


191 


57*. 59*. 


169 


xvii. 2. 


114 





TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. 


DU/ 




Page. 




Page. 




Irage. 


•• 


26.36. 61 


ii. 36. 229, 230. 416*. 


xi. 16. 21. 


tl><i>Q 


X 

D. 


88 




422 


16. 24. 


zzu 


8. 29. 


206* 


38. 


47. 549 


20. 


■1 Ci<2 


Q 1/1 


144 


00.41, 42. 4* . 


503, 304 


26. 






13 


A -t A a A A /IT 

41 , 4z. 44. 47. 


-1 '■iiy t;^,^'7 


xii, 12. 






530 


44, 45. 




xiii. 1. 15. 


i)\>0 


24. 


168 


47. 


OZZ 


2. 


404. 40O 


XVlll. OU, Ol. 


297 


111. Id. 


Hod 


6. 


1.\jO 




117*. 422* 


18. 




23. 


109 


37. 


147 


18. 22. 


out) 


32, 33. 


AQ 


\ix. 3. 


199 


19. 


04)0 KA^ 


33. 




7, 8. 


298 


21 . 


I'll 


38. 




12. 


312 


zU'^. zz. 




38,39. 


JtO 


14. 31*. 42. 398 


ZO. 




39. 


J-IO 


15. 17. 


306 


iv. 4. 


137 


44. 


±4! 


19*. 


311 


12. Ill 


226. 522 


47, &c. 


220 


23, 24. 28 


135 


24*. 27*. 


98 


52. 


498 


25. 


257. 268 


27, 28. 


281. 381 


xiv. 21. 


157 


30*. 


320. 380 


32. 


504 


XV. 9. 


528 


31. 


332. 398* 


33. 


383 


11. 




39, 40. 


333 


V. 3*, 4. 


476 


21. 


1 1 a; 


40*. 


334 


6. 


338 


xvi. 5. 


505 


XX. 1. 


399 


14. 137. 157*. 504 


14. 




2. 18. 20. 25. 2!20 


30. 


315. 323 


16. 




6,7. 


334 


31. 


117*. 552 


31. 




7*. 


335 


31. 35. 


114 


xvii. 2,3. 


l.D'ii 


12. 


383 


32. 


469 


3. 


97 T 


15. 


221 


vi. 1. 7. 


157 


3.18. 


±yo 


17. 45. 210*. 407 


11. 13. 


115 


18. 


ODD 


19. 26. 


400 


vil. 18, 19. 


200 


24. 


65. 73 


21. 


53 


19. 


389 


25. 28. 


70 


21,22. 


498 


35. 


115 


27. 


229 


23*. 


523 


37* 


124 


27, 28. 


32, 33 


25. 


135 


38. 


14 


28. 


39.557* 


25. 27. 


307 


44*, 45. 


105 


31. 445. 448. 566. 


27*. 


385 


48. 


202 




575 


28. 


198. 230 


56*. 


418 


xviii. 5. 28. 


154 


29. 


200*. 411 


viii. 1. 21, 22. 


506 


xix. 2. 


461 


31. 


16. 160 


2. 


338 


3*. 


462 


xxi. 7. 


220 


5. 35. 


193 


4. 


193 


25. 


131 


12. 16. 


47 


5. 


47 






32. 


326 


9. 23. 


157 


ACTS. 


36. 


200 


13. 


120. 193 






36, 37. 


17. 47 


32. 39.41. 


504 


i. 2.11.22. 


193 


38. 


505 


XX. 7. 


400 


3*. 


408 


ix. 1. 


220 


28. 195. 216. 283. 


3. 21, 22. 


383 


1.6. 10,11 


? aar, 




495. 547* 


7. 


64 


17.27. 31.42. S 


xxi. 20. 


137 


9—11. 


408, 409 


2. ^1. 


157 


21. 


115 


11. 


440. 448 


14. 20*, 21. 


513 


xxii. 16. 


550 


15. 


503 


20. 


193 


xxiii. 6. 


564 


ii. 1.41. 


400 


21*. 


157 


8. 


461 


5. 


138 


31.' 


137. 505 


xxiv. 5*. 


157 


7. 


157* 


37. 


338 


15. 


573. 578 


23. 


281. 323 


X. 19. 


464 


15, 16. 


576 


24*. 


368 


19*, 20. 


466 


20*, 21. 


564 


25—27. 30. 31. 346 


22. 


626 


25. 


443 


25. 30. 


229 


36. 200. 229. 234 


XXV. 9. 


293 


27. 


343 


38*. 


150 


xxvi. 18. 


535 


30. 


274 


39. 


315 






29—31. 


382 


40. 


393 


ROMANS. 


32. 


386 


40*, 41. 


384 


i. 1.4. 


184 


34. 36. 


136 


42. 


451 


3. 


242. 274 


34—36. 


416 


48. 


47 


3*, 4*. 


284 



608 



INDEX OF 





Page. 
84. 390*. 




Page. 




Page. 


i. 4. 162.2 


xi. 16. 


391 


X. 2—4. 17. 


509 




402. 489 


36. 


67. 100 


3, 4. 


373 


7. 


229 


xii. 2. 


175 


21. 


229 


10. 


403 


xiii. 1*. 


156 


26. 


229 


16. 


112 


xiv. 6—8. 


229 


xi. 3. 


58 


20. 27, 37*. 99 


6. 8. 14. 229 


11. 


229 


25. 


202 


7, 8. 


236 


18. 22. 


505 


ii. 5. 


445 


9. 


231. 329. 448. 


26. 




5. 16. 


457 




452. 566 


27. 


229 


15. 


32. 442 


10. 


449. 574 


xii. 3. 


229. 497 


22». 


22 


17. 


498 


4—6. 


55 


29. 


116. 474 


XV. 8. 


116 


11. 


464*. 472 


iii. 4*. 


7 


11. 


2i^9 


12*, 13*. 


493 


20—22. 


116 


18. 


138 


28. 


507 


24, 25. 196. 544* 


19. 


472 


xiii. 4 — 8. 


465 


iv. 3. 


23 


xvi. 2.8.11—13.22. 229 


12. 


587 


12. 16. 


373 


4,5. 


505, 506 


xiv. 33, 34. 


505, 506 


15. 


539 


6. 


257 


37. 


229 


17*. 


80 


16. 


195 


XV. 3. 


318. 543 


20, 21. 


437 


25. 


193 


4. 


393 


22*. 24, 25. 
25. 


402 
543 


1 CORINTHIANS. 


6. 
9. 


383 
507 


V. 5. 


493 


i. 1. 


184 


12. 


565 


8. 119.218.326.546* 


2. 


506. 513. 528 


20—22. 25, 


26. 


8,9. 


113 


3. 


229 




566, 56? 


10. 113. 


327. 545 


9. 


531 


21. 


242 


12*. 


453 


23. 


140 


22. 


403. 573 


14. 17. 


424 


30. 


227 


22. 49. 


403, 404 


21. 


423 


ii. 4. 


140 


24. 


424. 584* 


vi. 3. 


320 


8. 


221. 235. 283 


24, 25. 28. 


232 


4. 


337. 404 


10, 11. 


464. 489 


24. 28. 


426 


5. 


403 


11. 


17.469 


25. 


420. 425 


5, 6. 


316 


11, 12. 


483 


25, 26. 


148. 566 


6. 13.16.19. 


235 


iii. 5. 


475 


26*. 




9*. 


584 


11. 


508 


26. 54. 


425 


12*. 


423 


16. 


478 531 


27. 74. 234. 471 


23*. 


588 


16, 17. 


497 


42—44. 


586 


vii. 6. 


474 


iv. 5. 


450 


44*. 


494 


viii. 3. 60*. 185. 254. 403 


1.5. 


40. 213 


47. 


166. 221 


9 483. 497. 531 


17. 


229 


51. 


453, 454 


11. 


561. 570 


19. 


475 


52. 


575 


14.26,27.34. 491 


V. 5. 


114 


53. 


568 


14. 


494 




319 


54.57. 


576 


15. 


42 




491. 528 


58. 


229 


15—17. 


494 


15. 19, 


20. 570 


xvi. 1. 19. 


506 


17*. 


45 


16. 


479 


2*. 


400 


18. 


590 


17. 


493 


6. 


178 


26. 


464 


19. 


339*. 478 


7. 


229. 475 


27. 


466 


19, 20. 


236. 497. 


10. 19. 


229 


29. 


45 


546, 547. 552* 


19*. 


506 


32. 46.210* 


.218.327 


20. 


156. 216. 546 


22. 


119 


33, 34. 
34. 


403. 429 
146. 418 


vii. 10. 12. 
11. 


475 
5!5 


2 CORINTHIANS. 


ix. 5. 26.201,202.248* 


17. 


229 


i. 1. 


184 


21. 


66 


22, 23. 


552 


2. 


229 


29. 


63 


22.25.39. 229 


3. 


61 


33. 


225 


23. 


113. 216. 546 


19. 


193 


X. 8—10. 


18 


viii. 4. 


34 


21. 


159 


9. 11. 13. 


227 


5. 


25 


21, 22. 


494 


9. 12. 


229 


5, 6. 


191. 221 


ii. 12. 


229 


10. 


17 


6. 38, 39. 59*, 60. 


15. 


1.53 


If. 


238 




67. 99. 221* 


iii. 6*. 


475 


17*. 


17 


ix. 1,2. 


229 


15. 


116 


xi. 14. 


112 


22. 


112 


15—17. 


474 



TEXTS OF SCRITTURE. 



609 



iv. 4. 


Page. 


208 


5. 


229 


17, 18. 


590 


V. 1. 


587 


8. 


585 


iO. 


369. 450. 560 




570. 574 


11. 


229 


17. 


175 


18. 


544 


19. 


113 


21. 


254. 543 


vi. 14, 15. 


535 


vii. 1. 


497* 


viii. 1. 


506 


14, 15. 


525 


19. 23, 


24. 505 


X. 5. 


236 


17. 


229 


xi.8. 28 


505 


17. 


229 


31. 


46. 202 


xii. 1. 


229 


2. 


75 


13. 


505 


xiii. 4. 


346*. 402 


14. 


55. 60. 497 




531 


GALATIANS. 


i. 1. 


387 


2. 22. 


506 


3. 


229 


4. 


197. 543 


13. 


507 


15, 16. 


193 


ii. 16. 


193 


20. 


21 


iii. 6. 


23 


13. 


547 


10.13.22. 314 


16. 


124. 242 


20. 


426 


26. 


46 


iv. 4. 


185. .326 


4, 5. 


547 


4—6. 


45. 54. 481 


6. 


483. 494 


6, 7. 


531 


7. 


45 


8. 


26 


8, 9. 


184 


V. 5. 


510 


6. 


175 


10. 


229 


16. 25. 


491 


24. 


316 


vi. 14. 


316 


15. 


175 


EPHESIANS. 


i. 1. 


184 


2. 




3. 


61 





J. age. 


i. 3*, 4*. 


88 


5. 18. 


42 


6, 7. 9. 


197 


7. 


113. 544 


11. 


35. 86 


13. 


528 


14. 


494 


19. 


387 


20*. 


416 


20—22. 


232. 421* 


22. 411. 428.* 507* 


28. 


42 


ii. 2. 


423 


5. 


404 


5, 6. 


412 


8. 


490 


10. 


28. 40. 175 


15*. 


315 


17. 


112 


18. 


62. 481. 489 


19. 


413 


19—21. 


508 


20. 


16 


21. 


229 


iii. 10. 21. 


507 


12. 


458 


14, 15. 


42 


20. 


4;j7 


iv. 1. 5. 17. 


t^29 


3, 4. 


510 


4. 


509 


5. 


221. 508 


6. 


26. 38. 60 


8, 9. 


374 


8. 11, 12. 


145 


9. 166.3^3,344 


10. 


409 


12. 


495 


22. 


176 


22—24. 


175 


30. 


464 


V. 1. 


44 


2. 


146. 153 


8. 


229 


11. 


340 


14. 


404 


17. 19. 


229 


23.25.27.29.32. 507 


25—27. 


514 


26. 


550 


27. 


516 


30. 


458 


vi. 1*, 2. 


42 


1. 4. 10. 21 


. 23. 229 


11. 


424 


12. 


64. 423 


PHILIPPIANS. 


i. 2. 14. 


2';;9 


18. 


193 


19. 


484 


23. 


585 



29. 490 
ii. 1. 

2 R 





Page. 


ii. 6*. 


187 


6, 7. 


134. 185 


7, 8. 


316 


8. 


186. 326 


8, 9. 


328 


8—10. 


120. 231. 421 


11. 19. 24. 29. 229 


HI. 1. 20. 


229 


8. 


119 


10. 


531 


11. 


578 


13, 14. 


590 


19, 20. 


413 


20*. 


441 


20, 21. 


114 


21. 339*. 404. 424. 




571. 586 


iv. 1, 2. 10. 


229 


COLOSSIANS. 


i. 1. 


184 


2'. 


229 


12. 


535 


13, 14. 


197 


14. 


113 


14—17. 


173, 174 


16. 


74. 400 


IB. K->3*. 162. 403. 




567 


18. 24. 


507 


19. 


13 


20. 


118. 514 


20—22. 


113 


21. 


327 


23. 


138 


24. 


195 


ii. 3*. 


116 


9. 13 


28. 131. 191 


10. 19. 


153 


11. 


116 


11—15. 


374 


12. 


337 


14. 


316 


15. 


235. 328* 


19. 


533 


iii. 1—3. 


413 


2, 3. 


589 


9*. 


477 


10. 


175 


16—18.20.23, 24. 229 


22. 


221 


22 — 24. 


237 


24. 


41 


iv. 1. 


237 


7. 17. 


229 


11. 


10.) 


15, 16. 


506 



1 THESSALONrANS. 

i. 1. 229 

6. . 498 

9. 52. 60 

iu 13. 14 



610 



INDEX OF 



Page. 

ii. 14. 506 

iii. 8. 229. 586 

12, 13. 475 

13. 497. 527 

iv. 1. 15. 17. 229 
3. 497 
6. 475 
8. 477 



13. 


576 


15—17. 


453 


16. 


441. 575 


16, 17. 


.571 


V. 2. 12. 


229 


19. 


184 


27. 


475 


2 THESSALONIANS. 


i. 1, 2. 


229 


7. 


441. 527 


8, 9. 


583 


10. 


14 


15. 


506 


ii. 1. 


450 


13. 


229. 497 


14. 


235 


iii. 1. 5. 16. 


475 


3, 4. 


229 


1 TIMOTHY. 


i. 1. 


229 


17. 


66 


ii. 5. 11 


3. 196. 242 


6. 


113 


iii. 4. 


43 


6. 


424 


16. 


192 


iv. 4. 


28 


12*. 


157 


16. 


112 


V. 22. 


498, 533 


vi. 13. 


145. 293 


15. 


65 


16. 


26*. 283* 


2 TIMOTHY. 


i. 9. 


513 


10. 112. 425*. .576. 




588 


12. 


13. 437 


16. 


229 


16. 18. 


475 


18. 


229 


ii. 7. 


475 


8*. 


402 


12. 


426 


13. 


8. 433 


17*, 18. 


574 


19. 


158. 513 


20. 


515 


24. 


229 


26. 


424 


iii. 12. 


140 


16*. 


490 



iv. 1. 451 



TITUS. 

Page. 



i. 4. 


229 


5. 


498 


ii. 11—13. 


458 


iii. 4. 


255 


5. 


491 


PHILEMON. 


2. 


506 


3. 16. 20. 


229 


HEBREWS. 


i. 1, 2. 


54 


1—3. 


12, 13 


2. 


45. 490 


2. 8. 10—12. 


172 


3. 


208. 418 


3 — 5. 


162 


5. 


207 


6. 


218. 234 


9. 


493 


13. 


417 


14. 


489. 532 


ii. 8. 


425 


10. 


67*. 114 


10. 13. 


45, 46 


11. 45. 213. 459 


12. 


505 


14. 235. 


320. 380 




424 


14. 16. 


272, 273 


14. 16, 17. 


242 


16. 120*. 176*. 272* 


17*. 


458 


17, 18. 


290. 328 


iii. 1. 


53 


3. 6. 


512 


4. 74, 75. 183 


iv. 2». 


490 


8. 


105 


13. 


7 


14. 


409 


15. 


273. 290 


V. 1. 8. 


326, 327 


6*. 


415 


7. 


165. 289 


8, 9. 


236 


9. 


114. 587 


12. 


165 


vi. 2. 


444 


6. 


316 


13. 17, 18. 


8 


18. 


433 


19. 


409 


19, 20. 


411 


vii. 1, 2*. 25. 


428 


14. 


129 


14. 21. 


145 


24. 16. 


153 


25. 


114. 146 


26. 255. 27.3*. 409 




54^ 


viii. 1. 


418 


2. 11. 


299 J 



viii. 3. 


Page 


145 


6. 


326 


ix. 1. 


406 


7. 11- 


-14. 327, 328 


7. 12. 24. 165 


11, 12. 406 


12. 25 


, 26. 196 


14. 


216 


15. 


41. 587 


16. 


197. 326 


22. 


195*. 318. 327 


22, 23 


26. 112 


22. 26. 543 


24. 


165. 429 


27. 444. 453* 566* 






28. 


■1 i A 


X, 4, 


4 iO 


4. 8, 9. 


'20)7 


5. 




5. 10. 


146 


7. 


Zol 


10. 




11 12. 


428 


12. 




12, 13. 




19 20. 




19. 21 


44. loo 


20. 


.4 1-1 


29. 




37. 


440 


xi. 1. 


411 


3, 


80. 88. 172 




178 


5*. 


372 


6. 


25 


7. 


10 


17. 19. 


318, 319 


17. 


211 


19. 


382 


xii. 2. 


104. 141*. 317 




326. 420 


3. 


326 


6*. 


43 


9. 


39. 557* 


9, 10. 


43 


14. 


229. 497. 514* 


22, 23. 


.534 


23. 


445. 507 


xiii. 7. 17. 


498 


11, 12. 


319 


14. 


587 


20. 


130. 326 


JAMES. 


i. 1. 


229 


17, 18. 


40 




23. 530 


iv. 10. 15. 


229 


12. 


436 


V. 4. 


63 


11. 


229 


16. 


21 


19, 20. 


112 



TEXTS OF SCRIPTURE. 



611 



Page. 

1 PETER. 



i. 2. 


497 


3, 4. 


41. 403 


4. 


588 


11. 


145. 277. 328 




483 


i. 14, 15. 


44 


15. 


528 


18, 19. 


114. 196. 327. 




546 


19. 


216. 254 


ii. 3. 


229 


9*. 


143 


11. 


413 


21. 


326 


22. 


145. 254 


24. 


113 


25. 


130 


iii. 6. 


25J1 


15. 


18 


18. 


248. 284. 543 


18, 19. 


345 


18—20. 


170 


19. 


341. 370 


22. 


417, 418 


iv. 1. 


284 


1,2. 


327 


5. 


451 


V. 2. 


498 


4. 


130 


6. 


436 


10. 


587 


2 PETER. 


i. 4. 


530 


5—8. 


529 


11. 


588 


20, 21*. 


12 


22. 


490 


ii. 1. 


339*. 546 


4. 


101. 551 


5. 


171 


iii. 4. 


27 


5. 


178 


8. 10. 


229 


11. 


457 


1 JOHN. 


i. 1. 


179 


1. 3. 


14 


3. 


530 


5. 


7 


6, 7. 


535 


7. 


533 







Page. 


ii. 


1. 428. 492*. 544*. 




20. 27. 


159. 498 




22*. 


154 




27. 


153 


iii 


. 1. 


42. 80. 530 




2. 


41. 46. 587 




4*. 


538 




5. 


255 




8. 


428 




9. 


213 




23. 


104 




23, 24*. 118. 493 


iv 


. 1,2*. 


183 




2, 3. 


243 




9, 10. 


218 




10. 


55*. 544* 


V. 


1. 


'iV, lO-t . AlO' 






528 




3. 


119 




6. 8. 


326 




7. 


482 




9. 


7*. 383 




10. 


9 




12. 


586 




14. 


491 




20. 


200. 210 




2 


JOHN. 




3. 


229 




9. 


530 






JUDE. 




3. 


508. 524* 




4*. 


444 




6. 


75. 101.272* 




14. 


229. 439. 527* 




15. 


64 




REVELATIONS. 


i. 


4. 8. 1 


3. 17, 18. 188, 






189 




5, 6. 


148 




7. 


440 




8. 


229 




10. 


400 




11. 


188. 506 




18. 


566. 576 


ii 


. 8. 


189. 506 




11. 


582 




18. 


506 




i. 1. 7. 


14. 506 




14. 


326 




21. 


428 


iv. 8. 


63. 189. 582 




11. 


87. 200*. 229 





Page. 


iv. 10, 11. 


100 


V. 5. 


128 


9. 


521. 547 


12. 


421 


13. 


64. 217 


vii. 15. 


582 


xi. 15. 


426 


xiii. 8. 


318*. 549* 


17. 


546 


xiv. 10. 


526 


11. 


581 


12. 


12 


13. 


229 


xvii. 14. 


65*. 148 


xviii. 4. 


533 


xix. 6. 


63 


13*. 


118 


13. 16. 


148 


16. 66*. 221. 229 


XX. 4. 11, 12. 


449, 450 


6. 


404 


10. 


581 


13. 


569 


14*, 15*. 


582 


xxi. 4. 


588 


8. 


583 


14. 


117 


xxii. 13. 


189 


16. 


128. 505 


APOCRYPHA. 


WISDOM OF 


SOLOMON. 


xi. 17. 


179 


20. 


82 


25. 


70 


xiii. 5. 


27 


xvii. 3. 


289 


xviii. 15. 


179 


ECCLESIASTICUS. 


xliii. 26. 


179 


xlvi. 1. 


115 


5. 


65 


xlviii. 9. 


193 


xlix. 14*. 


200 


J MACCABEES. 


ii. 58. 


193 


2 MACCABEES. 


iii. 24. 


65 


vii. 28. 


80 


XV. 23. 29. 


65 



INDEX 



OF THE 

MOST MxlTERIAL THINGS CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK, 
PLACED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. 



Absolution of the church, heresy to 
deny it, 551. 

Adam, how many generations we are 
probably removed from him, 95, 96. 

Adoption, what it is, 41. ' 

JEtins, 472. 

Alcoran, it teacheth that God hath no 
Son, 207. 

Almighty, the notion of it, 63. Three 
degrees of God's Almighty power, 64. 
How some extend the word Almighty, 68. 
A distinction between the first and second 
Almighty in the Creed, 69. 4'^9. 

Anabaptists of Flanders, their heresy, 
246. 

Angels created, 75. 

Anointing, the use and design of it, 123. 
Anointings under the law typified that of 
Christ, 141. The Jews' anointing oil was 
hid in the days of Josiah, 149. Christ 
was anointed with the Holy Ghost, 150. 
This proved to be a proper and sufficient 
unction, 152, 153. Where see the gene- 
ral reasons for anointing. 

Anomeans, 472. 

Antidicomarianitse, 264. 

Apelles, 409. 

Apollinarians, 244. 263.285. 358—360. 

Arians, 47. 203. 244. 285. 358. 472. 

Aristotle, his maxim, That out of no- 
thing nothing can be produced, refuted, 
82. 

Ascension, that Christ ascended not 
into heaven till after his resurrection, 
proved, 164. The effects of his ascension, 
410, 411. 

Assent, what it is, 2. 

Augustine, St. his wish, 16. 

Authority, of testimony, wherein it con- 
sisteth, 4, 5. 

Baptism, available for the remission of 
all sins before it, 549. 

Basilides, 280. 307. 

Belief, general notion of it, 2. 5, 6. — 
of the heart, 17. 

What it is to believe, 17. 

To believe in, whence this phrase had 
its original, and what it implies, 22, 23. 



Bonosus, 264. 
Buddas, 97, 98. 

Burial, not allowed by the Roman laws 
to persons crucified, 330. Reasons of our 
Saviour's burial, with the manner of it, 
329, 330. Grounds for decent burial of 
all Christians, 338. 

Calvin, his explication of Christ's de- 
scent into hell, 348. 

Catechising before Easter very ancient, 
and the reason of it, 17, &c. 

Catholic. The general meaning of the 
word, and the particular sense of it when 
applied to the church, 516 — 518. 

Wherein its Catholicism consisteth, 520, 
521. 

Cerdon, 98. 243. 280. 
Chaldeans, their forged accounts of 
time, 89. 

Chaldee paraphrase. See Word of 
God. 

Charity, motive to it, 536. 

Christ, the signification of that name, 
121. The Jews expected Christ, and 
upon what grounds, 123. The time of 
his coming ascertained, 125, 126. To 
what end Christ was anointed, for what 
offices, in what manner, 141 — 154. That 
Christ had a real existence in heaven 
before he vs^as born of the Virgin, proved, 
163—173. Christ the true God, 197, 
&c. How Christ is born in us, 255. 

Church, what it is in the language of 
the New Testament, 504—509. The au- 
thor's definition of it, 511. Why called 
holy, 513. In what persons this holiness 
is really inherent, 514, 515. Necessity of 
believing in the holy catholic church, 522, 
523. 

Clergy, constantly repeated the Creed 
to the people, 20. 

To Communicate with sinners in that 
which is no sin, is lawful, 532. 

Communication of the Divine essence 
from the Father to the Son, 203 — 210. 
From the Father and the Son to the Holy 
Ghost, 483. 

Communion of saints with God and an- 



INDEX OF THE MOST MATERIAL THINGS. 



613 



gels, 530 — 532. With one another oh 
earth, 532, 533. Of saints on earth with 
saints departed, 533. How saints com- 
municate with hypocrites, 532. 

Confession of the mouth, 18. Neces- 
sity of it, 19. Practice of it useful, 20. 
Every one obliged to it, ib. 

Conscience, twofold, 441. Bears wit- 
ness to the being of God, 32. 

Contradiction, how an action may im- 
ply it, 432. 

Creation, the oldest poets and philoso- 
phers taught it, 77. Some in after ages 
denied it upon weak arguments, 78. which 
are there set down. Creation defined, 80. 
Why attributed to the Father, 99. What 
uses may be raised from the doctrine of 
the creation, ib. Two ways whereby 
heretics elude the force of those scriptures 
which ascribe the creation to Christ, 173. 

Creature, God cannot receive any real 
benefit from it, 67. How then hath he 
made all things for himself! See 67, 68. 
Kvery creature is good, 96. A new crea- 
ture and new creation, what, 175. 

Credible, credibility, what it is, 4. 

Creed, whence so called,!. A three- 
fold signification of it, 1, 2. Recited at 
baptism, 19. We believe what it con- 
tains no otherwise than as we find it in 
the Scriptures, 344, 

Cross, the form of it, 308. The ascer- 
bity and ignominy of it, 312. 

Crucified, that the Messias was to be, 
301, &c. Multitudes of Jews crucified 
by the Romans, 317. 

Crucifixion forbidden by the Christian 
emperors, 307. The death of slaves only, 
312. 

David, Christ himself so called, and 
why, 233. 421. Throne of David, how 
continued for evermore, 421. 

Days of Christ's death, how made out 
to be three, 394, 395. 

Dead. Jews never burnt the bodies of 
their dead, 329. Romans and Grecians 
did. 338. Why thev left this custom oflF, 
ibid. ^ ^ 

Death, what it is, 321. Death of Christ 
necessary for more ends than one, 329. 
How Christ destroys the power of death, 
424, 425= 

Descent into hell, understood by some 
of Christ's burial only, 343. Three scrip- 
tures of greatest validity to prove Christ's 
real descent into hell, 344 — 347. Va- 
rious opinions about it, 347. The most 
received and reasonable notion of it, 355, 
&c. The end and design of it, 362. 37 8. 

Devotion, a proper motive to it, 437. 

Divinity of Christ proved, 182, &c. 
The identity of it with that of the Father, 
187. 192. 202. He has it, not of himself, 
but by communication from the Father, 



203. Divinity of Chriat suifered not, 284. 
291. How then can we say that God 
sufifered 1 answered, 285, 286. 

Docetae, what their heresy was, 243. 
280. 

Donatists, their error, 511. 
Durandus, his explication of Christ's 
descent into hell, 348. 

Earth, the foundation, and heaven the 
roof of the temple of God, 73. 

Egyptians, their forged accounts of time, 
88. They said the sun had twice risen 
in the west, 90. 

How that prophecy, " they shall call 
his name Emmanuel," was fulfilled in 
Christ, 109. 

Elipandus, 213. 

Epiphanes, 243. 

Eternity of God proved, 27, 28. 75. 
Eternity of hell torments, 579 — 583. 
Origen's error about them, 584. 
Eudoxius, 472. 

Evident to sense, what is so, 4. To 
the understanding, what is so, 5. 
Eunomius, 244. 263. 472. 
Eusebius, 472. 
Eutychians, 246, 247. 359. 
Euzoius, 47. 

Faith, the object of it, 2, 7. The act 
of faith must be applied to the object, ac- 
cording to the nature of it, 511. 

Human faith, what it is, 5. 

Divine faith, what it is, 7, 8. 

How to come at the right notion of 
faith, 9. 

Definition of the apostolic faith, 13. 

Another definition of Christian faith, 17. 

Faith, i. e. affiance in God, the grounds 
of it, 436. 

Father, heathens worshipped God as 
such, 38. Why God is so called, 38, 39. 
Necessity of believing in God as our Fa- 
ther, 42. Tt is a reason for our imitation 
of God, 44. Why Christ says your, but 
never our Father, 46. God is called Fa- 
ther in the Creed, with respect chiefly to 
Christ, 45. How many ways he is the 
Father of Christ, 48. Father denotes 
priority, and how, 50. 53. 482. Proper 
notion of the Father, 59. 

Felix, 213. 

Footstool, how the enemies of Christ, 
Jews and Romans, were made his foot- 
stool, 422. 

Forgiveness of sins. See Remission. 
A motive to the love of God and Christ, 
552, 553. 

Ghost, Holy, why not the Son of God, 
215. Why not the Father of Christ, 253. 
His operation in the incarnation of Christ, 
253. 472. His personality proved, 464. 
and Socinian objections refuted, 465, &c. 



614 



INDEX OF 



His operations, 480. How he. is distin- 
guished from the Father and the Son, 480. 
i^ruved to proceed from the Father and 
the Son, 483. The Greek and Latin 
churches reconciled about this procession, 
484. The occasion of their difference 
here-about, which ended in a schism, 
486. Holy Ghost, why called holy, 488. 
His offices, 489, &c. 
Glaucias, 30-". 

God, his knowledge, wisdom, justice, 
holiness, 7, 8. How God's omnipotence 
consists with his holiness and truth, 8. 
Notion and name of God, 25. His ex- 
istence, 27. How known to us, ibid. 
God proved to have no beginning, 28, 
29. No nation without its God, 30. All 
creatures depend on God, 31. A two-fold 
necessity to believe a God, 33. Unity 
of God proved, 34. A twofold necessity 
to believe this unity, 35, 36. 

God, taken absolutely, how to be un- 
derstood, 60. Often of Christ, 194—197. 

Goodness of God infinite, how it con- 
sists with it to defer the creation so long 
as he did, 86, 87. 

Guilt, what it is, 539. 

Hades. See Hell, 362. 

Happiness of God, not to be augmented 
or diminished by the creatures, 86. 

Happiness, eternal, wherein consists, 
586, 587. 

Heathen, begvm every action in the 
name of God, 22. Their opinions of the 
duration of the world, 75, 76. 85, &c. 

Heaven and earth, in what latitude 
taken, 71, 72. 

Tliree heavens, and how different in 
glory, 75. 

Christ ascended into the highest hea- 
ven, 409. 

Hebrew, no single word in it which 
signifies the world, 73. 

Hell, how Christ descended into it, 347, 
&c. Why he could not suffer the pains 
of it, 348, 349. Hell sometimes put for 
the grave, 350, 351. What the ancients 
uuderstood by it, 362. Our church's opi- 
nion concerning what Christ did in hell, 
374. How Christ destroys the powers 
of hell, 424. 

Helvidius, 264. 267. 

Heracleon, 98. 243. 

Heretics, who taught there were two 
gods, one the author of good, the other of 
evil, 96. 97. 

Hermiani, 410. 574. 

Hermogenes, 241, 242. 

Holiness, what it denotes when ap- 
plied to persons or things, 534. Motives 
to holiness, 529. 

Holy. See Ghost, church, saints. 

Holy of holies, was to the Jews an em- 
blem of the highest heavens, 405. 



Homoousians, 472. 

-Hope, the ground of it, 18, 403. 458. 

Idolatry, what it is, 236. 

Jehovah, a name attributed to Christ, 
225—228. 

Jesus, a name commonly used by the 
Jews, 105. The derivation and interpre- 
tation of it, 105, 106, &c. Jesus proved 
to be the Christ, 128—141. 

Impossible, what may be so to God, 
without derogation of power, 431. 

Intercession of Christ for us at God's 
right hand, 428. Of the Holy Ghost, 
491. 

Joseph, a type of Christ sitting at the 
right hand of God, 414. 

Joshua, a type of Christ, 115—118. 
Jovinianus, 264. 
Isidorus, 243. 

Judgment of the world proved from rea- 
son and Scripture, 441 — 445. Believed 
by the heathen, 443. In it Christ shall 
preside as judge, with the reasons for it, 
445, &c. An account of the process in 
the day of judgment, 447, 448. 

Kingdom shall have no end, why in- 
serted in the Nicene Creed, 426. 

Kingdom of Christ, twofold, 427. 

Kingly power of Christ, the benefits of 
it to us, '424— 429. 

Law of God, the reason and extent of 
it, 540. 

Life, what it is, 320. 

Life everlasting, taken in the Creed for 
the endless duration of all men, 580, 581. 
Endless duration of the wicked, 582, 583. 

Eternal life, the full importance of it, 
585, 586. 

Light, Christ so called from the per- 
spicuity of his doctrine, 130. 

Limbus Patrum, whether Christ deli- 
vered souls out of that place, 373. 

Lord, determinately used for Christ in 
the New Testament, 220. But some- 
times used for men both in the Old and 
New Testament, 221. How the Greek 
and Hebrew words for Lord correspond, 
2^21 — 223. Christ is Lord, as that word 
is the interpretation of the name Jehovah, 
proved, 225 — 228. How and in what 
respect Christ is Lord, 230, 231. How 
many ways he hath a right to be our 
Lord, 233. 

Lucanus, 243. 

Macedonians, their heresy, 472. 486. 

jNIahometans keep their sabbath on Fri- 
day the sixth day of the week, and why, 
402. 

Manes, 97, 98. 

Rlarcion, 97. 243. 

Marcosians, 243. 



THE MOST MATERIAL THINGS. 



615 



Marcus, '280. 

Matter, the ?temity of it refuted, 81 , 82. 
Mediatorshi'p of Christ, when and why 
it shall cease, 425. 
Menander, 243. 

Messias, a word of the same significa- 
tion with Christ, 121, 122. The Jews 
make a double Messias, 132. 278. Mis- 
taking the scriptures that speak of his 
coming twice, 137. All the Jews believed 
Messias should be the Son of God, though 
since Christ they denied it, 160. That 
Messias should suffer, proved from ancient 
prophecies, 277, &c. Suffer death, 318, 
319. 

Ministry, what sanctification necessary 
for the work of it, 495 — 500. 

Miracles, the use of them, 12, 13. 436. 
They prove the being of God, 31. 

Upon what grounds Moses, the pro- 
phets, and apostles, received and propa- 
gated the faith, 10 — 15. How much short 
Moses came of Christ in his miracles, 130. 

Montanus, 492. 

Nail, struck through a bond cancelled 
it, 315. 

Nature of no creature is originally evil, 
98. 

Nature Divine indivisible, 205. It 
suffered not in Christ, 285. 291. 

Distinction of natures in Christ as- 
serted, 243 — 246. 

Necessity of two natures in one person 
of Christ, 248. 

Nestorians, 249. 270, 271. 359. 

Noetus, 240, 241. 482. 

None good but one, explained, 85. 

Nothing can be produced out of no- 
thing, how far true, 82. 

Novatian heresy, 551. 

Omnipotence, the notion of it explain- 
ed, 430, 431, &c. 

Opinion, what it is, 4. 

Oiigen, his error about hell-torments, 
584. 

Origenists, their error, 572. 

Paraclete explained, 491, 492. 

Passion of Christ, why the Jews give a 
wrong account o^ the time of it, 299. 

Patience, the proper foundation of it in 
a Christian, 43. 

Patripassians, 240, 241. 

Pelagians, their heresy, 490. Renewed 
by Socinians, 491. 

Phantasiastaj, the same with Docetae, 
243. 280. 

Phidias, 27. 

Philosophers, what they taught about 
the existence of the world, 76, 77. 88. 

Photinus, 181—183. 

P. Pilate, a man of a rough untractable 
spirit, 298. 



Power, the object, nature, and extent, 
of God's power, 64, 65. 87. 127, 128. 
On what accounts the belief of it is neces- 
sary, 67, 68. Christ had not all power 
till after his resurrection, 231. 

Praxeas, 240, 241. 481. 

Priests, why under the law they blessed 
the people at the morning, but not at the 
evening sacrifice, 146. 

Priority of the Father before the Son, 
49 — 56. Terms of priority given him by 
the ancients, 58, 59. 

Priscillianus, 241. 

Probable, what is so, 4. 

Prophecy, a proof of a Divine Being, 31. 

Quick, what is meant by that word in 
the Creed, 451. The quick, i. e. those 
that are alive in the day of judgment, 
shall not be dissolved by death, 453. 

Reconciliation between God and man, 
544. 

Redemption, how purchased, 291. 546. 

Redemption, one reason why we call 
God Father, regeneration another, 40, 41. 
Resurrection a third, 41. 

Regeneration, the work of the Holy 
Ghost, 491. 494. 

Remission of sins explained, 543. 547. 
How propounded and conferred in the 
church, o48, 549. 

Repentance, a motive to it, 457. The 
necessity of it, 549, 550. 

Resurrection, the definition of it, 384, 
385. Nothing less than Omnipotence 
can effect it, 387. Father, Son, and Holy 
Ghost, raised Christ from the dead, ib. 

Distance between the death and resur- 
rection of Christ, how necessary, 392. 
The possibility of our resurrection, 556. 
The probability of it upon natural and 
moral grounds, 558, 559. The certainty 
of it upon Christian principles, 563, &c. 
demonstrated. Identity of the body ne- 
cessarily supposed, 568 — 572. Latitude 
of the resurrection, 573. 

Revelation of two kinds, mediate and 
immediate, 9. 

Roman governor had the power of life 
and death in Judea sixty years before 
the destruction of Jerusalem, 297. 

Ruffinus, his explcinalion of Christ's 
descent into hell, 352. 

Sabbath, reasons for changing it from 
the seventh to the first day, 398 — 402. 

Sabellian heresy, 240. 481. 

Saints, who they are, and how a man 
may become one, 527, 528. 

Sanctification, the work of the Holy 
Ghost, 489. 

Saturninus, 243. 280. 

Saviour, an appellation given to the 
heathen gods and men, 109 — 111. Rea- 



616 



INDEX OF THE MOST MATERIAL THINGS. 



sons at larg^^ why Clirist is peculiarly 
calied so, 111, lixc. 

Sciei^cO; bcientifical, what it is, 4. 

Scnptures, why written, 14, 15. 

Scv ♦;hiaiis, 98. 

J^ecundus, 243. 

Seleuciani, 410. 574. 

Semiariani, 472. 

Shaddai, the notion and importance of 
that word, 68. 

. Waved sheaf, a type of Christ's rising 
from the dead, o91.' 

Simon Magus, 243. 280. 

Sin, what it is, 539. 

Sin and Satan, how Christ destroys 
their power, 424. 

Sitting at the right hand of God ex- 
plained, 414. 

The notion of sitting in the Creed, 414, 
415. 

Socinus, 27, 28. 226. 583. 

Socinians, 28. 211. 226. 229. 246. 253. 
465—472. 545. 563. 569. 572. 

Congruity of the Son's mission argued 
from the pre-eminence of the Father, 53. 

Only-begotten Son, inteipreted by an- 
cient heretics, begotten of the Father 
only ; by Socinians, most beloved of the 
Father, 209, 210. 

Sonship, the several degrees of it, 46. 
The peculiarity of Christ's Sonship, 160, 
&c. 

Soul, sometimes used to signify the 
dead body, 350. 

Human soul of Christ, with the affec- 
tions and passions, 243. 

Soul of Christ descended to the man- 
sions of departed souls, 357. 

Sufferings of Christ, how ancient pro- 
phecies were fulfilled in them, 134. Why 
Christ could not suffer the pains of hell, 
349. 

Tabernacle, Jews believed that it sig- 
nified this world, 405. 
Teberiuthus, 98. 
Tessaresdecatitee, 300. 



Testimony, two sorts of it, what makes 
it valid, 5. 

'JVinity, order of it may not be inverted, 
55. 482. Difference between the persons 
in it, 57, 58. 480. 

Trust in God, the grounds of it, 436, 
437. 

Union of Christ's two natures not dis- 
solved by death, 323, 324. 

Union of Christ with the churcb by the 
Holy Ghost, 493. 533. 

Unity in the Godhead, the ground of 
it, 61. 

Unity of the church, wherein it consists, 
507_512. 

Universe, the notion and extent of it, 
72. Divided by the Jews into three 
worlds, 73. Philosophers thought it in- 
finite, eternal, God himself, 76. 

Valentinus, 224. 243. 280. 

Virgin, two prophecies that Christ 
should be bom of a virgin cleared, 262. 
Proofs that Mary was a virgin, when she 
conceived, when she brought forth, and 
ever after. Objections answered, 263 — 
269. The ^'irgiu styled Deipara, and the 
mother of God, 270. What honour is 
due to the Virgin, 275. 

Will of God absolutely free, 84. God 
created by willing the creation, 86, 87. 
Seats of the two wills in Christ, 243. 

Word of God, the Chaldee paraphrase 
constantly teaches, that the Word of God 
is the same with God, and that bv that 
Word all things were made, 177, 178. 

Word was with God, how, 177 — 181. 

World. See Universe. The manner 
how the world was made, 79. See Crea- 
tion. No instant assignable before which 
God could not have made the world, 88. 
Arguments to make it appear, that tlie 
world is no older than the Scripture makes 
it to be, 91—95. 

Zaranes, 98. C 



THE END. 



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